2009 SANTA FE SPRINGS V

THE SCIFL VERSION OF DAVID VS GOLIATH

In a great way to end the 2009 SCIFL season, Flor de Cana held off Rude-Pac in a Sunday afternoon championship game thriller.  The weather was very warm but a great day for ball.

Flor de Cana went 2-1 on Saturday to take second in their pool and this put them in the part of the bracket with the other teams that finished second in their pools.  Their first opponent was Panteras II on Sunday morning with Darrin McCall getting the 5-3 win.  This put them against the top number two seed, San Diego Primetime with Cecillo Smalling getting the nod and holding Primetime to one run while the offense came up with six runs to advance to the semi-finals.  Doug Rooney had the ball in the game and jumped on the Panteras for 12 runs in the first four innings to advance to the Championship game 12-2. placed them in the semi-finals against the Panteras  and they cruised to 12-2 win behind Rooney. 

This set up the championship game against Rude-Pac who fielded a much different team than their last visit.  Flor de Cana once again sent McCall into the circle against Matt Barnes.  Rude-Pac stuck first with two runs in the bottom of the first with the runs scoring on a Jeremy Rooney single.  Rude-Pac had loaded the bases on two walks and a single. 

Flor de Cana got one of the runs back in the second with Eric Smalling scoring on a Lou Enriquez single.  In the third Flor de Cana took the lead.  Dave Hess opened the inning with a double and one out later David Carrillo hit the third of his home runs of the weekend and gave Flor de Cana a 3-2 lead. 

Rude-Pac threatened in the fourth and fifth but left runners stranded on third in both innings.  In the top of the sixth, with Gerald Pyle now pitching for Rude-Pac, Flor de Cana got an insurance run.  With one out Eric Smalling doubled and moved to third.  He then scored on a high bounce hit back to the pitcher for a 4-2 lead. In the bottom of the inning Rude-Pac got their first two batters on base and then advanced them on a sacrifice bunt.  Dave Carlton scored on a sacrifice fly but McCall was able to get the last out of the inning and then retire Rude-Pac in order in the seventh for the 4-3 victory and Flor de Cana’s third championship of the year. 

Rude-Pac had most of their team in Santa Fe Springs this weekend and won their pool by going 3-0 for a first round bye.  In their first game on Sunday they faced the Silverhawks and won #-#.  This put them into the semi-finals against the Long Beach Black Sox who had won five of the SCIFL’s tournaments this season and also went 3-0 in the round robin.  In a tough game Rude-Pac came out ahead and into the championship game.