Game Recap May 7, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Tigers of Santa Matilde vs Indians of Candelaria

The championship games got started off right as these two teams battled it out for five thrilling innings. The Tigers got things going early as Elio Rodriguez and Eliseo Rodriguez both scored to give the Tigers a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half the Indians would rattle off 3 runs of their own thanks to a 2-run double by Kevin Montes, he was eventually brought home by a Jelson Mendoza single as the game was 3-2 after one inning. The Tigers found some magic in the bottom half of their lineup as their 9^th and 10^thbatters found base, which setup a 3-run homerun by Sander Garcia and the Tigers retook the lead 5-3. Norlan Trana would open up the bottom of the second with a solo homerun but that would be the only run of the inning as the Indians went into the third inning trailing 5-4. The Tigers would not be able to get anything going in the top half and the Indians took advantage as they would score 2 in the bottom half as the game saw its fourth lead change of the game. The Indians would once again shut down the Tigers in the top of the fourth and added another run in the bottom half to give themselves a two run lead at 7-5. The first runner for the Tigers would find base and eventually find home as Justin Somarilla hit a slow dribbler to second base, but the Tigers were down to their final out and still trailed by 1. It was Jose Flores who stepped into the limelight and shined the brightest when his team needed him the most as he hit a game tying homerun. The Indians would retire the next batter and go into their final at bat with a chance to win the game. The Indians had their dynamic duo, Ruben Calero and Norlan Trana, leading off the inning. Ruben would hit a hard ground ball to shortstop but the Tigers’s shortstop, Sander Garcia, made a great play to get the out. Norlan Trana then hit a shot to left center as he raced around first for a standup double. The next batter, Cesar Vega, hit a grounder to second that was enough to advance Norlan to third, but the Indians were down to their last out. Martin Rosales who was 1-2 on the day came up to the plate looking to give the Indians a crucial game 1 victory, and that he did as he hit a hard ground ball between the third baseman and shortstop and Norlan raced home as the Indians took a 1-0 series lead with a exciting walk-off winner. Norlan Trana and Kevin Montes were the stars at the plate for the Indians as they combined for 5 hits, 4 RBI’s and 4 runs. 

This team was estatic to take game 1!

Poor Belen was in shock after the game!

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Braves of Candelaria vs Athletics of Quitanca

The Braves looked to do something they had not done in any of their four previous games against the Athletics and that was score early. They had a great chance in the first as they got the bases loaded with two outs. Jose Luiz was battling Carlos Mesa and after three foul balls, he finally hit a shot to third that was corralled and Julio Somarrilla calmly stepped on the third to get the Athletics out of the jam. After walking the first batter, Alexander Lopez struck out the next two batters he saw but due to passed balls the runner had advanced from first to third. A misplayed ground ball by the shortstop would allow Luis Ramirez to score as the A’s took an early 1-0 lead after one inning. In the second the Braves once again would find themselves with a two out opportunity as they had runners on second and third, but Carlos Mesa struck out Kenner Gomez to once again get the Athletics out of a jam. An error filled second inning by the Braves would allow the Athletics to open up their lead to 4-0. In the top of the third, the Braves would go three up three down and the Athletics headed into the bottom half looking to end the game early. That is exactly what they did as their first four batters would come around to score and Braves found themselves down 8-0. Carlos Mesa would strike out all three batters in the fourth and the Athletics added 2 more runs in the fourth and the game would end in a 10-0 victory for the undefeated team from Quitanca. Carlos Mesa dazzled again as he would only allow one hit and struck out ten. At the plate Evert Somarrilla and Luis Ramirez both went 3-3 and each score three times to lead the way for the Athletics.

That's how an undefeated team takes a picture!

Carlos Mesa was channeling his inner Hideo Nomo with that windup!

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Reds of Candelaria vs Red Sox of Quitanca

After upsetting the Yankees the week before to advance to the championship the Reds looked to do it again against the Red Sox. Neither of the teams did anything in the first inning, but in the top of the second Alejandro Melendez and Luiz Santana hit back to back doubles to give the Reds a 1-0 lead. The score stayed the same through three innings of play. In the fourth it was Luiz Santana once again sending Alejandro Melendez, this time it was off a single to centerfield. The Red Sox once again could not do anything in the bottom of the fourth as you could sense their frustration as they trailed 2-0. The Reds went three up three down in their half of the fifth and the Red Sox were desperate to try to get something going. They would use a two out rally to score 3 runs thanks to an error by the Reds that would have ended the inning with only 1 run, but instead the Red Sox found themselves with the lead 3-2. In the top of the sixth, the first three batters for the Reds all reached base and the Reds had the bases loaded with no outs and Alejandro Melendez at bat and Luiz Santana on deck. Alejandro hit a grounder to short, and Jean Carlos made a tremendous throw to get the runner at home out. Luiz Santana would strike out and the Reds’ runner at third inexplicably though the inning was over as they wondered off the base and the alert Red Sox tagged them out to end the inning. As somehow they escaped without surrendering one run. The Red Sox would score another 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth as another the second baseman for the Reds committed another crucial error. With the Red Sox leading 5-2 you could tell the Reds had lost hope and it showed as they went three up three down in the top of the seventh to give the Red Sox the first game of the three game championship series.

Walberto giving Jean Carlos some advice a crucial at bat!