2005 PCBL AMERICAN DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP

SUN., SEP. 4TH AT 3PM @ JETHAWK STADIUM

CARDINALS -VS- SFV TIGERS
 

By Scot Sweet / PCBL Staff Writer
If anyone thinks that the 1st game of this Championship doubleheader was offensively charged, you better strap in for this one, because you won't hear about too many games with as much offensive activity as the one you're about to read  here. Let's cut to the chase, shall we?

In this Chamnpionship game between the Cards and the Tigers, we will witness a total of 37 runs on 39 hits. This would be the 4th trip to the big game for the Tigers and the 1st for this new Cardinals squad, but were hard pressed to believe that either team have experienced the type of a game like the one they would compete in here!

The visiting Cardinals start off the action with 4 runs in the top of the 1st, thanks to 3 hits and an error and capped by a 2-run homer by DH Chuck Kinney. The Tigers come back with 2 runs of their own on a pair of hits and a hit batter and cut the lead in half - down 4-2. The Tigers come up again in the bottom of the 2nd trailing 4-2 and they get busy on offense. They get 6 runs on 4 hits and a pair of walks and now lead 8-4 through 2 complete.

Not to be outdone, the Cardinals wake up in the top of the 3rd with 5 big runs, brought on by 5 hits and a pair of fielding errors - Cards retake the lead - up 9-8. They add 2 more in the top of the 4th to extend their lead to 11-8. The Tigers are held scoreless until the bottom of the 6th when they score 1 run, now trailing 11-9 through 6 complete.

The Cardinals get 5 straight hits in the top of the 7th innings, though they only score 2 runs in the inning and now lead the Tigers by 4, now up 13-9. But here come the Tigers with a big rally. They bat around in the 7th inning, scoring 7 runs on 6 hits to take the quick 16-13 lead through 7 complete innings.

The Cardinals, perhaps shell-shocked from the previous inning, fail to score in the top of the 8th inning. Up come the Tigers, fresh off the huge 7-run 7th inning and guess what? They do it all over again - another 7 runs on yet another 6 hits to put this game into a whole other bracket. Here's a quick recap of the wild 8th inning - they start off the inning with a double, a single and a double. Then a 1 out single, followed by a hit batter and a 3-run homer, courtesy of Robbie Cappola. A 7-run 8th to take the huge lead through 8 complete - now up by a score of 23-13.

The Cardinals had definitely seen enough at that point, scoring 1 run in the top of the 9th and basically conceding victory to the SFV Tigers, who would win this one big; giving them their 3rd PCBL American Division Championship. For a team who had been known for their defense in games past, they sure won this one with their offense.

Congratulations to the 3 time PCBL Champion Tigers for a great victory and for a completely memorable 2-inning offensive display not soon to be duplicated!

Tiger's big bats:
Robbie Cappola     2-3 w/ HR & triple, 6 RBI's & 3 runs

Robert Ciringion    3 run triple in the 2nd

Jesse Chastain      3-5 with 2 RBI's & 2 runs

Josh Reyes           3-5 with 2 RBI's & 2 runs

Andy Marrero       3-5 with 1 RBI and 4 runs

Landon Bress       3-5 with 2 RBI's and 2 runs

Time of the ballgame:     3:15 pm  -  6:51 pm   ( 3 hours 36 mins)

Umpires:
(HP) Ralph Peck
(1B) Reese Morgan
(2B) Chris Chegwin
(3B) Jeff Grijalva
 

TIGER ROAR!!