2014 Floods Overtake Astros in Sacramento Open Division

Sacramento MSBL Open Division

Floods 10, Astros 8 (11 innings)

Submitted by Dave Caffrey, Flood manager

The Floods beat the Astros 10 – 8 in 11 innings on September 21st at McAuliffe Field to win the Sacramento MSBL Open Division championship with an overall record of 21 wins and just 2 losses.

Alec Moorhouse got the start for the Floods and the Astros struck for two quick runs in the bottom of the first, but Moorhouse wriggled out of a bases loaded one out jam to limit the damage. The Floods took the lead in the top of the fourth when Joe Caffrey reached on an error and Moorhouse doubled. Then Matt Ceriani singled sharply to drive them both in, and he scored on a fielder’s choice later in the inning to give the Floods the 3 – 2 lead.

The Floods extended the lead to 5 – 2 in the fifth on doubles by Ryan Ceriani and Eddie Lavorico and Moorhouse’s RBI single. But the Astros came back to score an unearned run in the bottom of the fifth to make it 5 – 3. The Floods made it 7 – 3 in the sixth on singles by Terrance Rodgers, Ryan Ceriani and Lavorico, and a sacrifice fly by Rob Dyer, but this game was just beginning to get going.

The Astros came back with two runs in both the seventh and eighth innings as the Floods defense scuffled some, and the game moved to the ninth inning tied at 7.

Caffrey and Matt Ceriani singled in the top of the ninth, and with two down Daryl Grant delivered the go-ahead base hit to make it 8 – 7 Floods. But the Astros were not going to go quietly in this one.Lavorico took over on the hill for the Floods and the Astros put together a single and a double to knot the score at eight and the game moved to extra innings.

After both teams went quietly in the tenth the Floods broke through in the top of the 11th. Dyer singled leading off and Lavorico hit a shot to the fence in center field that went for a triple driving in Dyer. Then Matt Ceriani singled to drive in Lavorico and make the lead 10 – 8 with the Floods needing just three outs to nail down the championship.

But nothing was going to be easy in this game. The Astros loaded the base with no outs in the bottom of the 11th on a couple of singles and a walk. The next batter hit a one-hopper back to Lavorico, who fielded it and threw to Rodgers for the force at home, and then Rodgers fired to Grant at first to complete the sweet 1-2-3 double play. Two pitches later Lavorico got a ground ball to short that was gobbled up by Ryan Ceriani and the game was over with the Floods winning 10 – 8.

Lavorico was the winning pitcher and he also drove in three runs, including that go-ahead run in the top of the 11th. Matt Cerianihad five hits in the game and also drove in three. Ryan Ceriani had four hits and scored twice and Moorhouse added three hits with an RBI and a run scored.

This was the second consecutive SMSBL Open Division championship for the Floods.