2012 18+ Aluminum Bat Division

Yarddogs 5, Scrappers 1

Monterey MABL Yard Dogs — champions of the 18 Aluminum division at the 2012 Desert Classic

By David Krival, MSBL On-Line

January 14-16, 2012, Palm Springs, CA- Jesse Sweet pitched a complete game and stroked two solid singles and a double to lead the Monterey MABL Yarddogs over the previously unbeaten Southern California MABL/MSBL Scrappers, 5-1, in the 18+ Aluminum Division championship game of the MSBL/MABL Desert Classic.

Monterey turned three double plays, repeatedly stifling the Scrappers dogged attempts to reverse the game’s inexorable progress. Both teams played solid, errorless defense. Mixing a respectable fastball with confusing off-speed stuff and a hard slider, Sweet rang up six strikeouts and allowed six hits and one earned run while walking only two.Monterey opened the scoring in the top of the fourth with a run-scoring single from Brandon Mikkelson and a sacrifice fly by Troy Galena. The Scrappers halved the Yarddogs’ lead in the bottom of the fifth when Kris Hernandez singled and Jonathan Arana followed with a double off the fence.

Monterey Yard Dogs MVP JesseSweet

If it had travelled two feet further Arana’s hit would have tied the game.

Monterey gave themselves a bit of breathing room in the top of the sixth on a two-run single by Kevin Ybarra. Eric Martin accounted for the game’s final run impressively with a home run in the top of the eighth: Monterey 5, Southern California 1.

Starter Arthur Marmalejo took the loss for the Scrappers who never gave up. Monterey, who had nine hits and seven walks, never came close to walking away with the game. The Scrappers never stopped hustling and won four straight in a tough tournament. Aside from Sweet, Danny Godoy doubled for the Dogs. In a tournament characterized by their consistently good pitching, Monterey, managed by Jose Torres, got an outstanding job from Jose Esequera in its 3-1 semifinal victory over the SoCal Reds. Esequera worked an eleven-inning complete game, whiffing eleven and walking two while giving up one run, unearned.

That he did it in the aluminum bat division makes Esequera’s performance all the more impressive.

Yard Dogs Manager Jose Torres and  MSBL President Steve Sigler

WP- Sweet. LP- Marmalejo. Top Hitters: (YD) Sweet 3/5. 2B- Gadoy (YD), Sweet (YD), Arana (SC). HR- Martin (YD). SF- Galena (YD). DP- YD 3, SC 2.