Carl Flowers Memorial Woodland-Davis Tournament -- 8/31 - 9/2/02

We went for our fourth consecutive victory in this tournament, but came up short. We went 3-0 in the round robin, but lost in the semi-finals of the playoffs.

Game 1: Antiques 17 – Sacramento Solons 5

We traded a run apiece in the first inning. Phil Montes led off by drawing a walk and stealing second. Mingo blooped a single, but Phil had to hold at third. Zach Jones drove in the first run with a sacrifice fly.

Rich Battiato started for us and gave up a run in the bottom of the first on two hits and a walk.

We came right back with 2 in the second. Hank Bataille beat out an infield hit. Harold Thomasson followed with a base hit. Steve LaFirenza walked to load the bases. With one out, Phil bounced one between short and third that drove in Hank but forced Harold out at third. Jesus Williams stroked a base hit to drive in Steve.

Hank homered to left center to give us another run in the third.

Our lead didn't survive the bottom of the third however. After a base hit and a walk, Rich got what looked like a double-play grounder that turned into a run in and runners at the corners. Norm Olson then stroked a home run to right that put the Solons up 5-4. After another error and another base hit, Rich was able to pitch out of trouble by getting a K and a ground out.

We batted around in the fifth to take the lead back. Mingo got on via an error. Zach and Terry Cunningham got base hits to load the bases. Hank forced Mingo at the plate, but we scored a run anyway when the catcher threw the ball into right field. Five consecutive singles by Harold, Steve, Robin South, Denny Brown, and Jesus capped the six-run inning.

We added another two spot in the sixth on Robin's two-run single.

We put up another crooked number in the seventh. Two walks, two hit batsmen, and four base hits resulted in 5 runs.

Meanwhile Rich gave up nothing after Olson's home run. The game was called after seven innings on the 10-run mercy rule.

Game 2: Antiques 7 – Sacramento Silver Sox 6

Sunday's schedule gave us a Noon and 3pm doubleheader in 100+ degree heat.

Harold locked up with the Silver Sox' pitcher in a great pitchers' duel. Neither team could score in the first five innings.

to be continued...

Game 3: Antiques 8 – TriValley Diamondbacks 2

We jumped ahead of the D'backs with 2 in the top of the first. Danny Moore and Phil led off with base hits. Zach drove them in with a two-out single. We scored another one in the third. Danny and Phil again set the table. This time Mingo picked up the RBI.

Hank started and cruised through the first three innings, giving up one runner per inning on an error and two walks. The D'backs got within a run with two in the fourth. Hank grazed the shirt of the leadoff hitter. A hit-and-run single put runners at the corners. Mike Souza stroked a single to right to drive in the first run. An error kept the rally going, scoring the second run. Hank pitched out of further trouble, getting two ground outs and a K to keep the damage down to two runs.

We answered with a run of our own. Tom led off with a base hit. After stealing second and third, he scored the manufactured run on Zach's groundout.

We added another run in the sixth. Terry reached on a walk and moved to 2nd on Jesus' base hit. With Phil batting and the third baseman drawn in, Terry stole third and scored when the catcher's throw got past the third baseman.

Harold led off the seventh with a base hit. Steve dropped a pretty bunt and beat it out for a hit. Robin's hit loaded the bases. Terry walked to drive in one run. Jesus hit a sacrifice fly to left for the second run. Tom's base hit drove in the final run.

After Hank shut them out again in the seventh, the D'backs decided to throw in the towel. The game was called after 7.

Game 4: TriValley Diamondbacks 8 – Antiques 5

Our 3-0 record put us in the second seed behind the TV Tigers who also were 3-0. The Diamondbacks and Dragons were the third and fourth seeds. So our semifinal game was a rematch with the D'backs.

to be continued...