Midget Boys’ Baseball League championship game featured Pagani and Sons Shoes and First Credit Union at Larry Gouthro Park.
The teams played to an even 3-3-1 record during the regular season. Credit Union swept the round-robin playoff. Pagani was forced to win its game against Jackson’s Cedar to earn a berth in the finals.
Credit Union wasted no time staking a two-run lead on a double by second baseman Peter Young. Pagani answered back in the second as first baseman Cole Stewart lined a two-run shot off starter Wes Oram. Credit Union’s Jeremy Prosser drove home shortstop Justin Alexander to regain the lead in the top half of the second. Credit Union’s heart of the order added another three runs in the third. Pagani escaped the inning on a double play by Stewart and third baseman Braden Budgell drove in two in the home half to narrow the lead.
Stewart relieved Pagani starter Ryan Fairgray in the fourth and shut Credit Union down for the next three innings with some defensive help on a double-play turned by second baseman Blake Lewis and shortstop Garret Brandsma.
Oram matched Stewart pitch-for-pitch until he reached his maximum count in the sixth inning. Alexander took over with one runner on and one out and his team up 6-4. He surrendered a double to Budgell, which narrowed the lead to one. Fielder Scott Gassen then legged out a swinging bunt to bring in Budgell with the tying run.
Stewart issued a walk to Credit Union’s Kale Johnson to start the seventh. It was the fourth time he’d reached base in the game. Johnson stole second, then third and reached home on an overthrow. Stewart sat down the next three batters to give his team a chance in the home half.
The bottom three of Pagani and Sons order were due up with Alexander set to close out the victory. Right-handed hitting Buck Tattersall took a hard fastball on the wrist to start the inning. Then, left-handed slugger Lewis doubled to put two runners in scoring position with none out. First Credit Union coach Garret Gentile called for relief pitcher Paul Vallier who struck out the first batter before walking Ben Green to load the bases for Fairgray and Brandsma.
Fairgray chased a low pitch outside before hammering a single up the gut to tie the game. With the winning run on third, Brandsma hit a near duplicate high-bouncing single past the pitcher and through the infield. With that, Pagani took the game 8-7.
After the game the league handed out hardware. Brandsma was awarded the Larry Guthro Trophy as league most valuable player. Each team selected a winner for most sportsmanlike: Fairgray, Pagani and Sons; Chris Brinton, First Credit Union and Jacob Harper, Jackson’s Cedar. Most dedicated: Green, Pagani; Oram, First Credit Union; Jacob Budgell, Jackson’s Cedar. Most Improved: Gassen, Pagani; Johnson, First Credit Union and Casey Jantz, Jackson’s Cedar.
