In a thrilling fall finale, Emilio Lopez’s Licey Tigers took down the Collin Bennion’s Toros, winning the best-of-three series two games to one.
It was a busy weekend for our players and their families. On Saturday the 4th, Toros had to finished their semi-final game against the early-season favorites Escogido. Coach Matt Mead’s team almost ran the Toros off the field, but the Toros, behind Justin De León’s excellent pitching, held on, winnning 9 to 7.
Then the Toros moved all their stuff to the visitors dugout, and prepared for their double-header against Licey. This first game of the finals went back and forth, and was actually tied at 7 at the end of regulation. But in the bottom of the seventh, Inwood newcomer and star first baseman Aiden Duarte-Soto hit a walk-off RBI single and won the game, 8 to 7.
The very next day, Sunday the 5th, Emilio and Collin trudged their teams back out, and set up for another double-header.
Toros won the first game, 6 to 5, which tied the series at 1-1. By the third game (the fourth in two days for Toros), the management of the pitching staff was truly tested. Still, as League-President Brito noted in the post-game trophy celebration, that final game “showed some of the best pitching, batting, fielding, and teamwork the league has seen all year.”
Licey took down the championship game, winning 8 to 5. Nine-year-old Brandon Marcial was masterful as a closer for Licey, and Fernando Rodriguez hit a monster homerun (finally!). It was Coach Emilio’s first championship on field six since his days as a player.
Thanks to all the families who supported your kids and made this season such a competitive league. Before playoffs, there were three teams tied with 4-4 records, and the other two teams were one game over or under .500. And thanks of course to Commissioner Farias for keeping track of the thousands of pitches, and to Ricardo Tapia and Rafael Victorino for making field 6 the wonderful playing field it is.