Expansion
Series: Beacons Win Championship With Come From Behind Win Over
Goliaths In Game 5
February
6, 2009 (Federal League Wire Service)
The Lighthouse Point Beacons
emerged from the darkness and reclaimed the Expansion Series
crown with a thrilling, come from behind, 9-7 win over the
defending champion Davie Goliaths in the fifth and final game of
the series.
An
improbable six run rally in the bottom of the sixth wiped away
the Philistines' 7-2 lead and propelled the Illuminators to
victory.
Brant
Spring, Game 3's hard luck loser, tossed a complete game 10
hitter to earn the ultimate win. Spring was charged with one
earned run and walked two while striking out two.
Eric
Brotherhood, a winner in Game 2, went the route for the G-Men
and took the loss. Brotherhood allowed eight earned runs on nine
hits. Brotherhood walked six and fanned two.
The
Beacons opened the scoring in the bottom of the first on an RBI
double by Pat Vadala and a run scoring single by Jeff Fazio,
both hits coming with two outs.
The
Goliaths finally tied the score in the fifth. Jose De Los Rios
opened the inning by reaching on an error and eventually scored
on a passed ball. The Goliaths knotted the score at 2-2, later
in the inning, on a sacrifice fly by Matt Sperry.
In
the sixth, the Goliaths exploded for five runs and a 7-2 lead. A
pair of Beacon errors and RBI singles by De Los Rios, Mike
Walczak, and Mike Kandersack gave the Philistines a seemingly
insurmountable advantage.
In
the home half of the sixth, however, the Beacons mounted the
game winning rally, scoring six times to take an 8-7 lead. Jose
Morales, playing with a heavy heart after learning of the death
of a favorite uncle earlier in the day, crushed a Brotherhood
offering for a two run double with none out. Two batters later
Doug Robinson singled Morales home to cut the gap to 7-5.
James
Carter kept the rally alive with a base hit before Keith Nicoll
drew a two out walk to load the bases. Jamie Siragusa then
singled up the middle to tie the score.
Goliath
shortstop James Priester flagged the ball down behind second
base, but with the runners on the move with a full count, two
out, pitch, Priester had no play. Carter was able to score from
second and, when Priester threw home late and wild, Nicoll
advanced to third, Siragusa to second. Pat Vadala, who opened
the rally with an infield hit, reached on an error as Nicoll
scored the go ahead run.
After
Spring picked the hot hitting De Los Rios off of first for the
third out in the top of of the seventh, Robinson blasted his third
home run of the series in the bottom of the inning to give the
Beacons an insurance run.
The
Goliaths brought the tying run to the plate in the top of the
eighth with two out when Kandersack was hit by a pitch, but
Spring picked the speedy leadoff hitter off of first to end the
inning.
Sperry
opened the top of the ninth with a single to center, but Spring
induced Jason Silver to hit into a 1-6-3 double play. Randy
Talley briefly kept the Goliaths' hopes alive with a seeing eye
single up the middle, but Spring retired David Bourns on a slow
roller up the first base line, applying the tag himself, to end
the game.
The
Beacons mobbed Spring near first base as the team claimed its
sixth championship. The bitter sting of the past three fruitless
campaigns had become a nearly evaporated memory, replaced by the
joy of winning. The victory made sweeter, perhaps, by the notion
of denying their rivals of a fourth straight title.
Although
not always well played, nevertheless, it was a classically
dramatic series that befitted the bitterest of rivalries.
After
the game, the editors of South Florida Baseball Report
chose Keith Nicoll as the Expansion Division's playoff MVP.
Nicoll hit .379 in the post season with six RBI. Joe Feller,
Doug Robinson, and Chris Sitler also merited consideration for
the honor.
Thursday's
Game 5, played under windy and chilly conditions at the Baseball
Plantation, marked only the third occasion that the Expansion
Series has taken all five games to declare a winner.
Expansion
Series-Game 4: The Lighthouse Point Beacons
tied the Expansion Series at two games a piece with a 5-3 win in
Game 4, sending the series to a decisive fifth game.
Joe
Feller tossed a complete game for the Illuminators, outdueling
Jeff Hall, who went the distance for the Philistines. Feller,
who took the loss in Game 2, scattered 10 hits, walked none, and
did not strike out a batter. Hall was charged with three earned
runs on 15 hits. Hall walked two and fanned four.
Jimmy
Efre, Keith Nicoll, and Jamie Siragusa led the B's with three
hits each. Doug Robinson contributed his second home run of the
series, an almost exact duplicate of his shot in Game 1 off of
Hall. Randy Talley and Jose De Los Rios had three each for the
G-Men. Both players had solo home runs.
The
Beacons opened the scoring with three runs in the top of the
first. Efre single and scored as Nicoll doubled into the corner.
Siragusa followed with a fly to right center that landed behind
right fielder Mike Walczak and was scored as an error. After Pat
Vadala grounded out, Jeff Fazio lifted a sacrifice fly to left
that scored Nicoll. Jose Morales then singled to deep short.
Siragusa scored from second as Goliath shortstop James Preister,
ill advisedly, threw to first.
Feller
made the three run lead stand up until yielding a home run to De
Los Rios, leading off the bottom of the fifth.
Siragusa's
two out double in the top of the sixth scored Nicoll to restore
the Beacons' three run lead at 4-1, but Talley homered with two
out in the bottom of the frame to draw the Goliaths to within
4-2.
In
the seventh, the Goliaths made it a one run game. Terrence
Broussard led off with a bloop single and De Los Rios
followed with a sharp single. After the runners advanced on a
passed ball, Broussard scored on a sacrifice fly by Walczak.
Feller retired Brian Genetti and Mike Kandersack without
incident to escape the inning and preserve the lead.
Robinson's
mammoth home run over the scoreboard in right, leading off the
top of the eighth, gave the Beacons an insurance run.
The
Goliaths put three runners on base in the bottom of the eighth,
but were unable to score as Feller picked Sperry off of first
after a lead off single, and then pitched out of trouble later
in the inning.
Feller
calmly retired the side in order in the ninth to tie the series.
The
Beacons won despite leaving 11 runners on base, including
leaving the bases loaded in both the third and the fourth.
Game
5 is scheduled for Thursday and will mark only the third time in
its history that the Expansion Series will be take all five
games to crown a champion.
Expansion Series-Game 3: The
Davie Goliaths moved to within one win of capturing their fourth
consecutive Expansion Division title with a 9-6 win over the
Lighthouse Point Beacons at chilly Coral Glades in Game 3 of the
Expansion Series. The Goliaths now lead the series, two games to
one.
Michael
Kandersack broke a 6-6 tie in the top of the eighth with a bunt
single and a stolen
base that led to Matt Sperry's RBI single. Sperry, who
had three hits and two RBI, pitched a complete game for the win,
wrangling in and out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth.
Brant
Spring started and went the distance for the Beacons, taking the
loss. Spring was victimized by eight errors. Spring allowed two
earned runs on 11 hits.
Sperry
permitted six earned runs on 11 hits.
Jimmy
Efre and Pat Vadala paced the Beacons. Both players had three
hits.
The
Goliaths took a 3-0 lead in the top of the first on two out hits
by Terrence Broussard and Jose De Los Rios. Broussard's two run
single came three batters after Jason Silver was ruled safe at
first base on a controversial call by first base umpire Larry
Eaton. Instead of being a great play by the pitcher, the play
was scored as an error on Spring. A one out walk to Randy
Talley followed to load the bases before Spring struck out David
Bourns for, what would have been, the third out. Instead
Broussard singled in two runs and De Los Rios singled in one.
After
the Goliaths stretched the lead to 4-0 in the second with
another unearned run, the Beacons tallied three times in the
home half. A bases loaded walk to Jamie Siragusa was sandwiched
between RBI singles by Jimmy Efre and Pat Vadala as the
Illuminators cut the gap to 4-3.
Sperry
had an RBI single in the fourth and De Los Rios added an RBI hit
in the fifth as the Philistines improved their advantage to 6-3,
but the Beacons tied the score in the sixth on an RBI single by
Efre and a two run hit by Keith Nicoll.
After
Kandersack scored the go ahead run in the eighth, the Goliaths
added two more unearned runs in the ninth, but the Beacons
loaded the bases in the bottom of the frame before Sperry
retired Spring on a fly out to right to end the game.
The
Goliaths can become only the second team in league history to
claim four consecutive championships, joining the Parkland
Braves, with in a win in Game 4, scheduled for Tuesday.
Expansion Series-Game 2: The
Davie Goliaths evened the best of five Expansion Series at one
game a piece with a 13-8 win over the Lighthouse Point Beacons
in Game 2.
Despite
surrendering seven earned runs on 12 hits, Eric Brotherhood
pitched a complete game for the Philistines and picked up the
win. Brotherhood walked three, hit one, and struck out seven.
Joe
Feller started for the Illuminators and never seemed to find his
rhythm. Feller was tagged for nine earned runs on 13 hits in six
innings. Feller, who yielded three home runs, walked two, hit
one, and fanned two.
Jason
Silver, Terrence Broussard, and David Bourns all connected for
two run shots for the G-Men. Randy Talley's four hits led the
Goliaths. James Priester, Matt Sperry, and Silver added three
hits each.
Jimmy
Efre and Pat Vadala paced the Beacons. Both players had three
hits.
The
Beacons briefly held 3-0, 5-2, and 8-6 leads, but the Goliaths
were quick to respond each time that they fell behind, taking
the lead for good on Talley's RBI double in the bottom of the
sixth.
The
teams are back in action on Saturday with the pivotal
Game 3.
Expansion
Series-Game 1: The
Lighthouse Point Beacons posted an 11-10 win over the Davie
Goliaths in Game 1 of the best of five Expansion Series. Brant
Spring's two out, bases loaded, single in the bottom of the
ninth propelled the Illuminators to victory after they had blown
8-4 and 10-8 leads in the late innings and after they had
committed a nearly unforgivable base running gaffe in the ninth.
Rick
Schaut started for the Beacons and Jeff Hall started for the
Philistines. Both pitchers sported spotless regular season
records, but neither lasted past the sixth inning. Schaut
allowed four earned runs on 11 hits in five and two thirds. Hall
was responsible for eight runs on seven hits in four innings.
The
Goliaths opened the scoring in the top of the first. Schaut hit
Michael Kandersack with the first pitch of the game and, two
batters later, surrendered an RBI single to Jason Silver.
The
Beacons took a 4-1 lead in the fourth as Doug Robinson crushed a
three run home run and Pat Vadala singled in a run.
In
the fourth, the Goliaths tied the score at 4-4. A pair of Beacon
errors and a sacrifice fly by Matt Sperry led to three
Goliath runs. An inning later, the Beacons broke the tie
with a four run rally. Robinson worked a bases loaded walk to
give the B's a 5-4 lead. James Carter's sacrifice fly, Keith
Nicoll's run scoring single, and a sacrifice fly by Jamie
Siragusa stretched the lead to 8-4.
The
Goliaths pushed across three runs in the top of the sixth on an
RBI single by David Bourns and a two run double by Randy Talley.
After Talley's double, JImmy Efre relieved Schaut and quelled
the uprising.
In
the top of the eighth, the Philistines tied the score ay 8-8. Bourns
drew a one out walk and went to third on a single by Terrence
Broussard. After Brian Genetti pinch ran for Broussard, Bourns
scored on a delayed double steal.
In
the bottom of the eighth, the Beacons pushed across two runs
with the direct help of some uncharacteristically sloppy defense
from the G-Men. Three errors and a passed
ball gave the Guiding Lights a 10-8 lead heading into the
ninth.
The
Goliaths tied the score in the top of the ninth as Mike Walczak
drew a leadoff walk and stole second. After James Priester
popped out for the first out, Kandersack doubled into the left
field corner to score Walczak. As Sperry walked, Kandersack
stole third and then loped home as the throw was wild.
After
Efre survived the top of the ninth, he led off the home half of
the inning and reached on an error. After Efre stole second,
Keith Nicoll walked. Siragusa bunted the runners over to second
and third and the Goliaths walked Pat Vadala intentionally to
load the bases.
With
one out and the winning run on third, Jeff Fazio lined a two
strike pitch to center that required a diving effort by
Kandersack. As Kandersack made the catch and scrambled to his
feet, a groan emanated from the Beacon dugout as Efre had,
inexplicably, failed to tag up and score on the play.
Disbelief,
gloom, and ignominy quickly turned to joy and relief as Brant
Spring lined the first pitch he saw to center for a game winning
single. An absolved Efre loped home with the winning run.
Efre,
who permitted two earned runs on two hits in three and a third
innings of relief received the reprieve and the win. Sperry, who
was charged with loss, did not allow an earned run in four and
two thirds innings of relief.
Original
Division Finals-Mets Sweep Tigers:
The Parkland Mets returned
to the winner's circle for the 15th time in team history as they
won the Original Division championship with a 7-2 win over the
Deerfield Tigers in Game 3 of the Championship Final Series. The
win enabled the Mets to sweep the series.
In
a game that began on Monday night and was suspended by rain in
the second inning, Greg Cimilluca pitched a complete game five
hitter for the Mets. Cimilluca, who recorded a save in Game 2 on
Saturday, walked six and struck out six.
Richard
Burns started for the Tigers and lost for the second time in the
series. Burns allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits and
walked three while striking out four.
The
Mets broke a 2-2 tie in the third when Freddie Case reached on an error with one out and
the bases loaded.
In
the fourth, the Mets added two insurance runs as Alex Rodriguez
and Jesse Redondo led off with singles and, after Rodriguez
scored on a wild pitch, Wilmer Puerta doubled in Redondo.
Earlier, in the second, Puerta had singled in a run.
After
the fourth inning, the Tigers never advanced a runner as far as
second base.
Puerta
and Rodriguez paced the Mets with two hits each. Jarrod Ryan
continued his playoff hot streak with two hits for the Tigers.
The
series came to a conclusion as Cimilluca induced pinch hitter
Richard Timmes to ground into a double play with one out in the
top of the ninth, leading to a brief on field celebration,
tempered, somewhat by the chilly conditions.
After
the game, the editors of South Florida Baseball Report
chose Greg Cimilluca as the Original Division's playoff MVP.
Cimilluca had a complete game win and a save in the finals, as
well as, hitting .364 with five runs scored and two RBI.
While
the Mets basked in the glow of another successful campaign, the
Tigers could look optimistically toward the future after
completing the best season in franchise history.
