Game Recap April 16, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Padres of Quitanca

The Pirates only win on the season came against the Padres and they were looking to close out the regular season with another one. However they did not get off to a great start. Although Martin Timoco hit a 2 run homerun in the top of the first for the Pirates, Alexis Espinoza would answer for the Padres in the bottom half with a 3 run shot of his own. The Padres would add 2 more in the first and kept things going with another 5 run inning in the second as they led 10-2. Alexis Espinoza would hit his second homerun on the day in the third to give the Padres a 12-2 lead. The Pirates would put through 5 in the top of the fourth to halve the lead thanks to homeruns by Esling Lacayo and Marvin Timoco. The Padres again answered the Pirates with 4 runs in the fourth, and although the Pirates put together a nice 6 run rally in their final at bat it was not good enough to top the Padres as they lost 16-13.

Game: Tigers of Santa Matilde vs Indians of Candelaria

Everybody wanted to see if the Indians could complete their perfect season as they faced off against the ever-improving Tigers. The Indians got on the board first with a 2 run first inning. The Tigers would put up 2 of their own thanks to a homerun by Jose Aranda and that seemed to had been the spark for the Tigers. In the following inning Elio and Eliseo Rodriguez hit back-to-back homeruns that capped a 4 run inning for the Tigers who took their first lead of the game 6-2. The Indians would only score 1 run in the third. In the fourth inning the Indians defense began to unravel as their errors gifted the Tigers 4 more runs and they trailed 10-3.  Martin Gonzales hit a 2 run homerun to give the Indians hope trailing by 5 going into the fifth and final inning. Yet, the hope was quickly squashed by the Tigers as Eliseo Rodriguez and Justin Somarriba hit back-to-back and gave the Tigers a 15-5 lead. The Indians would score 5 in the bottom half but it was not enough to continue their perfect season as they lost for the first time 15-10.

Next Week:

The final standings are: Indians (11-1), Tigers (8-4), Padres (4-8), Pirates (1-11). In two weeks we will begin the playoffs and it will see the Indians face the Pirates and the Tigers play the Padres. 

The Padres and the Pirates fought it out!

The Tigers were happy to finally knock off the Indians!

 

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Braves of Candelaria vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

The Braves were looking to win second place outright and the Cardinals were looking for some confidence heading into the playoffs. The Cardinals came out strong as they scored 3 runs thanks to a 2 run double by Adolfo Cordoba. The Braves as they seem to always do came out sluggish as they struck out 5 times in their first seven at bats, but good pitching and solid defense kept the game 3-0 going into the bottom half of the third. The pitcher for the Cardinals started to lose control and the Braves took advantage of walks and shaky defense to score 4 runs and take a 4-3 lead into the fourth. The score stayed the same until the end. The Braves almost added to the lead but the Cardinals made a great play at the plate to give themselves a chance. Yet, Alexander Martinez emphatically closed out the game with six strikeouts in two innings to give the Braves second place for the year.

Game: Athletics of Quitanca vs Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer

The Athletics looked to try not to lose their perfect season as the Indians had earlier in the day and they took care of business as they have done all year. They once again used their outstanding hitting, good pitching and great defense to easily beat the Rangers 11-0. Juber Guivera hit another homerun for the Athletics and Evert Somarilla almost pitched a no hitter as he only gave up one hit, 2 walks and struck out 6 in four innings of work.

Next Week:

The final standings are: Athletics (12-0), Braves (6-6), Rangers (4-8), and Cardinals (2-10). The Athletics get the Cardinals and the Braves and the Rangers will play in the other semifinal matchup.

Milton was feeling good after the big win to clinch second place!

The cool kinds

 

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Yankees of Santa Matilde

This very well could have been a preview of the Championship and if it was we will be in for a treat. The Yankees are the only team to have beaten the Red Sox this year and they looked poised to do it again as they started off the game with a good first inning where they registered three hits but were only able to score one run. From there the game turned into a pitching/defensive battle as the two teams struggled to get base runners much less hits.  Through five innings the score was 1-0 and the pitcher for the Yankees, Josue Dolmos, had a no hitter going. Unfortunately for him, the Yankees had four straight innings of only having three batters come to the plate. The Yankees got a hit to start the sixth by Julio Flores who went 2-2 in the game, but the next three batters did nothing and the score stayed 1-0. After getting the first out in the bottom of the sixth, Ivan Zeledon finally broke the no hitter with a single. He would get to third by stealing, and eventually brought home by a misplayed ball in the outfield and the Red Sox tied the game 1-1 going into the final inning. The Yankees went three up three down in the top half and the Red Sox had a chance to win it with their final at bat. Josue Dolmos got the first batter out but then was looking at the two of the top three batters in the league in Jean Carlos and Jose Reyes. Jean Carlos was up first and hit a triple. Then, Jose Reyes hit a deep fly ball that was caught but was deep enough that it easily scored Jean Carlos without much of a play at the plate, and the Red Sox ended the season with a walk off victory 2-1.

Game: Giants of Nuevo Amanacer vs Reds of Candelaria

The Reds controlled their own destiny. All they had to win and they would win third place outright. But with the Giants knowing that fourth place has to play the Red Sox in the playoffs, they came out swinging. They scored 6 runs over the first two innings of play and would add five more over the final four innings. The Reds, who have mightily struggled at the plate the past couple of weeks, only managed 1 run and they fell to the Giants 11-1. With the Giants winning they are completely tied with the Reds as they both sport a 4-8 record and have beaten each other twice. Next Saturday they will play to see who gets the displeasure of having to face the Red Sox.

Next Week:

The final standings are: Red Sox (11-1), Yankees (5-7), Giants (4-8), Reds (4-8). Again the playoffs will not start until another 2 weeks but the Red Sox will get the loser of the Giants and Reds as the Yankees will play the winner.

Nice game action shot!

David vs Goliath

Game Recap April 9, 2016

 AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Tigers of Santa Matilde

The Tigers are on the prowl and the Pirates were their latest victims. They used great hitting and suffocating defense to easily win 15-3. Jostin Somarrilla was the star for the Tigers as he was 3-3 with 3 RBI’s and 2 homeruns. Eliseo Rodriguez also chipped in with a solo homerun of his own.

Game: Padres of Quitanca vs Indians of Candelaria

The Padres always want to win when they play, but if you ask their coach there is a different attitude when they face the Indians. The Padres have had their eyes on knocking off the Indians the whole year and this past Saturday was their last crack at it. The Padres got things going early thanks to a two out 3 run homerun by Alexis Espinoza. The following batter, Jordan Zuniga, turned a single into a homerun thanks to uncharacteristic errors by the Indians and the Padres started the game with a 4-0 lead. Without blinking an eye the Indians scored four runs of their own thanks in most in part to the heart of their lineup and the score was 4-4 going into the second inning. The Padres did nothing in the second and the Indians got a 3 run homerun but little Cesar Vega to take a 7-4 lead. Not wanting to relent the team from Quitanca rallied to score five runs in the top of the third and shut down the Indians in the bottom half as they controlled the game 9-7 after three innings. The Padres would add two more runs in the fourth thanks to Yelkel Martinez who followed up his third inning homerun with another one in the fourth. Trailing, 11-7 with only two more at bats left the Indians were left with no choice but to crush the ball, which is what they did. Ruben Calero and Norlan Trana hit back-to-back homeruns in what has become a routine even for the young studs and the Indians retook over the lead by scoring five runs in the bottom half of the fourth. After getting the first out in the top of the fifth it looked like the Indians were going to once again flex their muscles and close out the game with their defense. But that is when Jordan Zuniga stepped up to the plate wanting to prove he could hit a homerun without the help of errors and he hit a laser and raced around the bases to tie the ball game at 12-12. The Padres would add 2 more runs and looked to knock off the mighty Indians as they led 14-12 heading into the Indians final at bat. Unfortunately for the Padres the Indians were at the top of their lineup. It only took four batters for the Indians to tie the game and Norlan Trana, the cleanup hitter, put the final nail in the coffin of hopes for the Padres as he crushed what would have been a homerun to easily score the runner that was on third base. The Indians won the instant classic 15-14.

Next Week:

Heading into the final weekend of the regular season the spots for the playoffs have already been decided with the Indians being the number one seed followed by the Tigers, Padres and Pirates, but that does not mean that the Tigers will not look to gain confidence in their quest to take away the perfect season from the Indians and the Padres will try to get a little win streak going heading into the playoffs as they will face off against the Pirates.

Little Miss Belen Rodriguez is such a sweetheart!

Jordan Zuniga feeling pretty good after his homerun!

 

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Athletics of Quitanca vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

The Cardinals came out hot early as they were able to put through 2 quick runs on the Athletics, but the A’s answered back with 3 runs of their own in the bottom half. The second inning ended without a change of the score. In the third the Cardinals scored 2 more runs thanks to Maudiel Gonzales whose double turned into a 2 run homerun thanks to throwing errors. In the bottom half of the third the A’s were able to get one more run back as it was the game was surprisingly tied. The scored stayed deadlocked 4-4 until the bottom half of the fifth inning where the Athletics set off some fireworks. An 8 run inning, where all but two batters scored a run, was highlighted by a grand slam by Juber Guavara. The Cardinals were able to score 3 runs in the top of the sixth but were let down as they fell to the Athletics 12-7.

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amancer vs Braves of Candelaria

The Rangers had not beaten the Braves all year and wanted to beat them in their final try before the playoffs. They got off to a great start as they shutdown the Braves in the top half of the first and scored 3 runs in the bottom half. In the second inning the pitcher for the Rangers got a little wild and helped the Braves score 4 runs with walks and wild throws. Yet, the Braves had issues of their own on the defensive side and gave up 6 runs in the bottom half of the inning which included a 3 run homerun by Jeffry Zelaya. The Braves trailed 9-4 until the fourth where Alexander Martinez hit a solo shot to get the Braves within 4. The Rangers refusing to give the Braves any hope found two more runs in the bottom half of the fourth and led 11-5 with only two innings left to be played. The Braves scored one more in the fifth and shut down the Rangers to trail by 5 heading into their last at bat. After being asleep for five innings the Braves’ bats woke up and the Braves put together an unbelievable 5 run inning to tie the game 11-11. The Braves looked to shut down the Rangers to force extra innings, but Ariel Hernandez started the inning off with a double. The next batter Manuel Guardian hit it a groundball to the pitcher for an out but advanced Ariel to third base. Alexander Martinez struck out the next batter to bring Josel Sarrio to the plate with the winning run on third and two outs. Little Josel turned on a 1-1 pitch and hit it between the third and second baseman to give the Rangers a walkoff win!

Next Week:

The playoff spots in this division are set as well. Even though if the Braves lose and the Rangers win to tie them with their records, the Braves hold the tie breaker by having beat the Rangers three out of four times. The Athletics remain undefeated and will be the number one seed followed by the Braves, Rangers, and Cardinals. The Braves will look to get back on track against the Cardinals this week and the Athletics will look to complete an unblemished regular season as they play the Rangers.

Somebody needs to tell Ricardo thats a bat and not a guitar!

Josel Sarrio getting ready to throw a laser!

 

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Giants of Nuevo Amanacer vs Yankees of Santa Matilde

When the Yankees are hitting like they did on Saturday they are almost impossible to beat. It is amazing the turn around they have made from the beginning of the season where it seemed they could not hit a beach ball. It was another game where the Yankees scored at least one run in every inning as they crushed the Giants 12-1 to take sole possession of second place. The Yankees were led by Domingo Dolmos, Eduardo Lara, and German Chavarria who went a combined 6-9 at the plate with 6 RBI’s, the latter also pitched five innings while only surrendering one run on one hit.

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Reds of Candelaria

The Reds looked to keep pace with the Yankees for second place and it looked bright as Wilson Martinez started the game off with a triple, but the Reds somehow did not find a way to get him home. That would be the only glimmer of hope on the day for the Reds as the Red Sox do what they always do; play great defense, hit the ball, and utilize savvy base running. The Red Sox used a steady attack to dominate the Reds for a 10-0 victory. The Red Sox were led by Pedro Perez who hit two homeruns and Ivan Zeledon chipped in with a homerun of his own. Jelsnor Quiroz piched six inning of shutout baseball to earn his fifth win of the year.

Next Week:

The Red Sox and Yankees have the number one and two seeds wrapped up. The game of the week will be between the Giants and the Reds. If the Reds win they will avoid a one game playoff and play the Yankees in the first round of the playoffs. The Giants will have to win next week and win the one game playoff to avoid having to face the Red Sox in the playoffs. In the other game it will be the Yankees trying to prove that the one time they beat the Red Sox was not a fluke and that they are more than capable of playing with the mighty team from Quitanca.

I can only imagine what Eduardo Lara was saying, he is the team jokester!

The Godfathers

Game Recap April 2, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Indians of Candelaria

The Indians continued their dominance on Saturday as they easily took care of the Pirates. They scored multiple runs each inning to cruise to a 15-2 victory. Their usual studs, Ruben Calero and Norlan Trana, did their part as always but the leaders for the Indians for this particular game were, Jelson Mendoza and Kevin Montes. Jelson Mendoza hit two home runs and Kevin Montes went 3-3 with 3 RBI’s.

Game: Padres of Quitanca vs Tigers of Santa Matilde

The Padres, after showing life midway through the season, have fallen off a bit as the Tigers wrapped up second place by taking down the team from Quitanca 10-2. The Padres could not get their bats going and the Tigers scored runs in every inning besides the last one. Eliseo Rodriguez, Justin Somarriba, and Jose Aranda all hit homeruns for the Tigers as they look like a team that might be able to compete with the mighty Indians.

Next Week:

Heading into the second to last weekend of the regular season the standings are: Indians (10-0), Tigers (6-4), Padres (3-7), and Pirates (1-9). The Tigers look to keep the momentum building as they face the Pirates and the Padres look to gain confidence as they try to finally knockoff the undefeated Indians who they almost beat the last time the teams played.

Even though they might not win, the Pirates always come with smiles each Saturday!

The Padres always run on and off the field, it is great to see that kind of effort from young kids!

 

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

The Rangers looked to secure at least a third place finish and the Cardinals were trying to keep their hopes alive for the third place spot as these two teams battled it out. It was a 1-1 game heading into the third inning when the Cardinals got their bats going and rattled off 4 runs to take a 5-1 lead into the fourth. The Rangers responded with 2 runs of their own in the top half of the first, only to see the Cardinals answer back with a run of their own as the game was 6-3 Cardinals going into the fifth. The Cardinals changed pitchers to start the inning and the Rangers rallied to put up a quick three runs on the youngster. It looked like the flood gates were about to open as there was only one out, the bases were loaded, and the Rangers were in the heart of their lineup with their third and fourth batters to bat. Yet, surprisingly after putting himself into the jam, Luiz Marin, the pitcher for the Cardinals struck out two consecutive batters to keep the game tied at 6-6. That is how the game stayed until the bottom of the sixth and final inning where the Cardinals had a man on third with one out. The pitcher, Luiz Marin, hit a slow ground ball to the second baseman that allowed enough time for the Cardinals to score the game winning run and win 7-6.

Game: Athletics of Quitanca vs Braves of Candelaria

The Braves have looked like the only team capable of competing with the Athletics, but on Saturday the Athletics showed that might not be the case.  The Athletics came out crushing the ball and never let up. Meanwhile, the Braves could not touch the ball as they struck out ten times as a team. This one was called early as the Athletics dominated their way to a 14-1 victory. The Athletics were led by Juber Guerara who was 3-3 with a homerun and 3 RBI’s and Bryan Sarria who was 3-3 with 3 RBI’s as well.

Next Week:

With the Braves falling and the Cardinals winning it leaves a chance for there to be a shakeup within the standings the next two weeks, but as of right now it is the Athletics (10-0), Braves (5-5), Rangers (3-7), and Cardinals (2-8). The Braves look to secure second place as they will face the Rangers and the Cardinals hope to steal a victory as they play the Athletics.

It was an overcast morning which was a nice change up from all the sun we have been getting!

The Braves hanging out together before their game!

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Reds of Candelaria vs Yankees of Santa Matilde

The Reds looked to take a stronghold of second place as they faced off against the Yankees, but it was the Yankees who looked like the team that wanted to win. The Reds took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning, but that would be the only lead they would have. As the Yankees scored in every inning besides the first and flexed their muscles as they beat the Reds 12-5. The Yankees were anchored by their veterans Francisco Mendoza, Julio Flores, and Crisanto Mesa who accounted for all the team’s RBI’s.

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Giants of Nuevo Amanacer

The way the Giants had been playing over the past couple of weeks many thought that this would be a cakewalk for the Red Sox, but that was anything but the case. The Giants took a quick 1-0 lead after the first, but the Red Sox tied the game in the second and then took a 2-1 lead in the third inning. The Giants would tie the game in their half of the third inning and then rattled off 2 runs in the fourth to take a surprising 4-2 lead into the fifth. The Red Sox did what they always seem to do which is respond. They tied the game in the top of the fifth and then shut down the Giants in the bottom half. In the sixth inning, maybe due to pressure or just trying not to make mistakes, the Giants began to unravel with errors as they gifted 3 runs to the Red Sox. The Red Sox not wanting to give any more hope to the Giants shut them down in the sixth and seventh inning and would add 2 more runs of their own in the seventh to win 9-4.

Next Week:

The Red Sox easily have first place secured but after that it is a logjam. Here is what the standings look like: Red Sox (9-1), Reds (4-6), Yankees (4-6), and Giants (3-7). This Saturday, the Yankees will look to continue their charge for second place as they face the Red Sox and it will be a battle for positions in the standings as the Giants look for a much needed win against the Reds.

The Red Sox were thrilled after their big win!

Although the mornin was nice the sun came back with ferocity in the afternoon!

Game Recap March 19, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Padres of Quitanca

The Pirates continued their losing ways and the Padres finally got back in the win column after losing four straight games. The Pirates beat the Padres the last time these two teams met, which is the only win on the year for the Pirates. After what the Padres did to the Pirates this time it is hard to imagine how they could of lost to the Pirates. The Padres served an extra dose of run scoring to the Pirates as they dominated the whole game to win 20-1. Everyone on the Padres at least got one hit and scored a run so it was the definition of a total team effort, but young Victor Reyes highlighted the effort by hitting his second homerun of the year.

Game: Indians of Candelaria vs Tigers of Santa Matilde

This was the best game of the day as the Tigers continued their pursuit to blemish the Indians’ perfect record. After giving up 2 runs in the first half of the first inning the Tigers put through 5 of their own to take a 3 run lead. The Tigers would add 2 more runs in the second to make the Indians worried with a 7-2 lead heading into the third. Yet the Indians, showing their incredible resiliency, scored 4 runs while already having two outs in the third inning. It was thanks to a 3 run homerun by Ruben Calero and Norlan Trana followed with a solo homerun of his own as these two studs hit back-to-back homeruns for the second straight game. The Indians would score one more run in the fourth to tie the game 7-7 heading into the fifth and final inning. With one out and a man on first Ruben Calero stepped to the plate already having two homeruns on the day in as many at-bats and he decided that two was not enough as he hit his third homerun giving the Indians a 9-7 lead. The Tigers looked as though they would tie the game as they were able to get three runners on base during the bottom half of the inning, but the Indians made sure none of them would touch home as they sealed the victory.

Next Week:

The kids will take a break next weekend as we lend way for the pastors and coaches to play some softball. When play resumes on April 2^nd, the Pirates will face off against the Indians for the final time and the Padres will look to make a push for second place before the tournament as they will play the Tigers. 

It's always funny watching the little ones stretch!

Hanging out waiting for the snacks!

 

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Braves of Candelaria vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

This game looked as though it was going to be a blowout early. The Braves shut down the Cardinals in the top of the first and put through 3 runs in the bottom half thanks to the Cardinals pitcher walking the bases loaded. Yet, the game quickly turned interesting as the Cardinals scored 2 in the second and 3 in the third while the Braves added 2 runs in the second as the two teams were all tied up 5-5 heading into the fourth. The Braves changed pitchers to start the fourth and after walking the first two batters the pitcher struck out the next three batters. In the bottom half the Braves were able to sneak across another run to retake the lead 6-5. The Cardinals were once again shut down in the top of the fifth and the Braves then were able to run away with the game by scoring 4 runs thanks to another homerun by Alexander Lopez, his fourth of the year. The Cardinals did not produce any runs in the sixth and the Braves took a two game lead on second place with a 10-5 win.

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer vs Athletics of Quitanca

Stop me if you have heard this before, the Athletics come out strong and build an insurmountable lead to win the game? Well that is exactly what happened again, as the Athletics only needed two innings to build an 8-0 lead. Although, the Rangers played better over the final four innings it was not enough as they fell to the Athletics 12-6. The A’s were led by Angel Somarilla and Carlos Mesa who combined for 7 RBI’s.

Next Week:

On April 2^nd the Braves will get their last chance to knock off the Athletics as the Rangers look to seal the Cardinals in the fourth place position for the year.

The Cardinals not looking to happy as they hop on the truck to ride back to Santa Matilde

Junior is laughing at something!

 

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Yankees of Santa Matilde

The last time these two played the Yankees shocked the world and handed the Red Sox their first and only loss as they won their first game of the season. Since then, both of the two teams won their following two games. There was intrigue in the air to see what would happen in the rematch. Neither of the two teams did anything in the first inning, but in the top of the second the Red Sox exploded for 6 runs thanks to a 2 run homerun by Jose Reyes. From there the Red Sox did not look back as they would add 7 more runs over their final four at bats, and they only surrendered 3 runs to take the game and their revenge by winning 13-3.

Game: Giants of Nuevo Amanacer vs Reds of Candelaria

Thanks to the Red Sox beating the Yankees the game before, this game was a battle to see who would take over second place. The Reds made the first claim for it as they scored 2 runs in each of the first two innings to take a 4-0 lead into the third. Realizing the game could be slipping away, the Giants put through two runs of their own to halve the lead 4-2. The Reds added another run in the fourth and the Giants would add one run in the fourth and fifth inning to make the game 5-4 Reds heading into the bottom of the fifth. That is where the Reds found themselves with the bases loaded and two outs with the best hitter in the league, Alejandro Melendez, coming to the plate. He lived up to his billing of the best hitter as he hit a grand slam homerun, which was his seventh homerun on the year (he has missed two games due to injury). The grand slam comfortably put the Reds up 9-4 with two innings to play. Although, the Giants threatened in their final at bat by scoring 2 runs it was not enough and despite their recent struggles the Reds took control of second place by winning 9-6.

Next Week:

In two Saturdays the Yankees will look to bounce back and stay in the second place conversation when they face the Reds. After losing three straight, the Giants as well will try to stay in the race for second as they try to figure out things against the Red Sox.

The Red Sox warming up before the game!

It was a scorcher on Saturday and yet there were two braves souls who didn't search for shade

Game Recap March 12, 2016

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Tigers of Santa Matilde

The Tigers have been surging and they continued their surge against the Pirates. The Tigers came out strong with 5 runs in the first. Surprisingly, the Pirates answered with 4 runs of their own in the second, but those were the only runs they would find on the day as the Tigers would add 10 more runs over the last three innings to win 15-4. The Tigers were led by Eliseo Rodriguez and Jose Aranda who combined for seven runs, five hits, and a home run.

Game: Indians of Candelaria vs Padres of Quitanca

This game was entertaining throughout as the Padres continued to strive for their goal of taking down the mighty Indians. Their upset bid looked promising as both of the teams flashed great defense to arrive at a 2-1 game with the Padres winning through three innings. In the top of the fourth the Indians hit three solo home runs within their first four batters and added two more runs to take a 6-2 lead. It looked as though the Padres would fall apart, but that is the opposite of what they did. They scored 5 runs of their own in their bottom half of the inning thanks to a 3 run homerun hit by Victor Reyes. The Padres could sense victory as they entered the final inning winning 7-6. But, their senses deceived them as the Indians hit two more homeruns and for the second straight inning scored 5 runs to retake the lead 11-7. The Padres had their opportunity in the bottom half but could not get anything going as they lost again to the Indians 11-7.

Next Week:

Going into next week the standings are: Indians (8-0), Tigers (5-3), Padres (2-6), and Pirates (1-7). The two worse teams and the two best teams will face each other next week so all the eyes will be on the Tigers-Indians game as the Indians continue their dream of a perfect season. 

Although undefeated, the Indians team picture game is not quite on the level of the Panthers

Two awesome coaches, Walberto and Rosita, going head to head

 

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Athletics of Quitanca vs Cardinals of Santa Matilde

Speaking of undefeated teams, the Athletics continued their perfect season as they easily took care of the Cardinals. The last time these two teams met the Cardinals almost pulled off the mammoth upset. This time the A’s wanted to eliminate any hope that the Cardinals could have as they scored 11 runs through three innings and only surrendered one. This game was called an inning short as the Athletics won 11-1.  The star for the A’s was their pitcher, Angel Somarrilla, who only gave up 2 hits and at the plate he was 2-2 with a home run and 4 RBI’s.

Game: Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer vs Braves of Candelaria

The Rangers were looking for their first win against the Braves and for the opportunity to tie them in the standings. The Braves took an early 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a 2 run homerun by Alexander Martinez. The Rangers did not blink an eye as they rattled off four runs in the top half of the second and took  a 4-2 lead. The Braves would add 1 run in the second and 2 runs in the third and took a 5-4 lead into the fourth where they opened up the floodgates. Assisted by errors and walks, the Braves, scored 7 runs in the fourth to take a commanding 12-5 lead. The Rangers looked to have some life as they cut the lead to 5 after the fifth, but they would not be able to score any more runs and the Braves would add 1 more to win 13-7. The Braves were led by Alexander Martinez who along with his homerun had 4 RBI’s and pitched the last two innings of the game without allowing a hit to save the game for his team.

Next Week:

The standing for this age group are: Athletics (8-0), Braves (4-4), Rangers (3-5), Cardinals (1-7). On paper it would not look like the two games next week would be entertaining as the Athletics will face the Rangers and the Braves will face the Cardinals. But it is easy to see that there is untapped potential on the Rangers that could be found at any moment and the past two games between the Braves and Cardinals have gone to the end with each of the two teams winning one a piece. 

Most of the Braves arrive at 8 and sometimes have to wait over 2 hours until they can start warming up

Lucia and Amelio love Saturdays as they sell food and drinks to help support their 7 children!

 

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Giants of Nuevo Amanacer vs Yankees of Santa Matilde

After an abysmal 0-5 start where people were wondering if they ever were going to win a game, the Yankees have won two straight and made it three straight on Saturday. The Yankees have found their hitting and do not intend to lose it again. They have been crushing the ball all over the field the past couple of weeks and they used steady scoring to amass 14 runs in seven innings. They were led by Julio Flores and Crisanto Mesa who combined for 7 hits including a homerun, 2 triples, and 2 doubles and they also had 7 RBI’s between them. The Giants who just a couple of weeks ago looked like the second best team in this category only scored 5 runs and lost for the second straight week, 14-5.

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Reds of Candelaria

About the same time the Yankees were finding their bats the Reds were losing them. After the first month the Reds looked like the only competitors for the Red Sox but that narrative has quickly changed. The Red Sox scored at least one run every inning and dominated the Reds 13-2. The Red Sox got excellent pitching from Yelsner Quiroz who in six innings of work only allowed 3 hits. At the plate they were led by their studs Jose Reyes and Jean Carlos who reached base in all of their at bats and inflicted serious damage on the baseball as they combined for 6 hits.

Next Week:

This division has took an interesting turn as the Red Sox (7-1) enjoy first place. The three other teams: Yankees, Giants, and Reds all sit tied at (3-5). Next week will be very intriguing as the two teams that are struggling, the Giants and Reds, will face off. But the game everybody will be looking forward to will be the Yankees versus the Red Sox. 

Julio Flores enjoying some tahadas! We are sure they taste even better after a win!

Jean Carlos taking a quick nap in between innings

Game Recap March 5, 2016

 

AGE GROUP: 7-9

Game: Pirates of Nuevo Amanacer vs Indians of Candelaria

There is not much to say about this game as it was business as usual for the Indians. They put through 5 runs in the first inning and did not surrender any to take a quick 5-0 lead. They would add 7 more runs over the last four innings as they only gave up 2 as they continued their impressive win streak by winning 12-2. The Indians were led by Norlan Trana and Jelson Mendoza as they combined for 8 runs and 6 RBI’s.

Game: Padres of Quitanca vs Tigers of Santa Matilde

In the ongoing battle for second place in the division, the Padres looked to once again pull even with the Tigers as these two teams battled it out. The Tigers had a nice start as they forced the Padres to go three and out and then scored 2 runs in the bottom half as they took the early 2-0 lead. Neither of the teams registered a hit as the scored stayed the same heading into the third when the Padres found magic in the bottom of their lineup and rallied to tie the score 2-2. The impressive defense continued for the Padres as they kept the Tigers quiet and entered the top of the fourth with aspirations of grabbing the lead. That is exactly what the Padres did as the middle of their lineup was able to produce 1 run to take a 3-2 lead going into the bottom half of the fourth. After being shut down for 2 straight innings the Tigers finally woke up and answered the Padres with 2 runs of their own and retook a 4-3 as the two teams entered the final inning. The magic ran out for the Padres as they were not able to get anybody on base and the Tigers took a 2 game lead in the battle for second.

Next Week:

After a heartbreaking loss, things do not get much easier as the Padres will have to take on the Indians. In the other game the Pirates will try to correct the ship and pull of an upset against the Tigers.

The Tigers taking a play out of the Panthers' playbook and took a team photo in the dugout!

Don't be fooled this youngin' is a stone cold baseball killer!

AGE GROUP: 10-11

Game: Cardinals of Santa Matilde vs Rangers of Nuevo Amanacer           

Both of the games this week were competitive to the end and the first was between the Cardinals and the Rangers. The Cardinals have been steadily improving and have beaten the Braves and got robbed of a win against the Athletics but have yet to come close to the Rangers and they were determined to change that on Saturday. The Cardinals come out on fire and quickly had 5-0 lead after two innings. It was not until the third inning that the Rangers scored and they scored in a bundle as they put through 4 to cut the Cardinals lead to 1. The Cardinals responded with a run in the top of the fourth but the Rangers came firing back as they scored 2 and tied the game 6-6. That is how the game stayed until the bottom half of the final inning where the Rangers got a two out walkoff double by their cleanup hitter, Manuel Guardian, as they beat the Cardinals for the third time winning 7-6.

Game: Braves of Candelaria vs Athletics of Quitanca

These two teams always provide drama when they face each other, and although this game did not provide as much drama there was still plenty to be found. The Braves found themselves in an all too familiar place after two innings as they dug a 5-0 hole thanks to mental and fielding errors. The Athletics kept a stronghold of that lead as the Braves could not figure out the left-handed pitcher from Quitanca. It was not until the top of the fourth when the Braves finally got on the board and cut the lead to 5-1. Quitanca again were not able to score in the bottom half of the fourth and the Braves found themselves with their best opportunity of the day as they had the bases loaded with two outs and their best hitter, Nidia Pastrana, up to bat. Unfortunately, she was not able to come through and hit a pop fly that was caught by the catcher. Yet, again in the top half of the last inning, the Braves had the bases loaded with two outs and again they were not able to do anything as the A’s pitcher struck out the batter and closed out the game for a 5-1 win.

Next Week:

After being so close their past couple of games, the Cardinals will look to spoil the Athletics perfect season and the Rangers will try to beat the Braves for the first time all year and take control of second place.

We love how the Santa Matilde teams kneel down to pray as a team before every game!

We figured out the reason the Athletics always wins...they're ninjas

AGE GROUP: 12-13

Game: Yankees of Santa Matilde vs Reds of Candelaria

The Yankees coming off their first win of the season were poised to start a win streak as they faced the Reds. And that is what they did as they took advantage of the Reds trying out a new pitcher and rocked the youngster, although the defense did not lend any help, for 6 runs in the first two innings. Even after the pitching change the Yankees refused to let up and added on five more runs in the third and fourth to take a 11-4 lead. The Reds got one more run in the sixth and trailed 11-5 heading into their final at bat. They started a little rally with back to back triples but it was not nearly enough as they only scored 2 runs and lost 11-7.

Game: Red Sox of Quitanca vs Giants of Nuevo Amanacer

The final game of the day was a defensive battle as the Giants were looking to give the Red Sox their second loss and move closer to them in the standings. It was looking good for the Giants through the first three innings as they led 1-0 and their pitcher was giving the Red Sox all sorts of complications. In the bottom half of the fourth the heart of the order for the Red Sox were able to get the best out of the Giants’ pitcher and scored 2 to take a 2-1 lead. The Red Sox later added another run in the bottom half of the sixth and led 3-1 heading into the final at bat for the Giants. Brayan Mainera, the best hitter for the Giants, started the inning off with a triple and it looked like the Giants would have a chance to tie or take the lead. But that hope quickly vanished as Ivan Zelodan struck out the next three batters to give the Red Sox the win.

Next Week:

The Yankees will look to extend their win streak to three against the Cardinals and the Reds will look to stop their losing streak at three against the Red Sox.

It seems that the Giants have resorted to doing sacred Indian tribal dances before games

The routine pic of the field with the volcano in the background #ItNeverGetsOld #ThatStanceThough