2014 Rockies Shoot Down Bombers in Utah 45+ Spring Championship

Utah Adult Amateur Baseball League 45+ Spring Division

Utah Rockies 12, Bronx Bombers 4

Submitted by Randy Miles, Rockies and Pirates manager

My 45 and over team, the Rockies, defeated the Bronx Bombers 12-4 in the championship game. The Utah MSBL 45+ division started a few years ago, so basically we took our Utah Pirate travel team and divided up the players between the Rockies and the Bombers so we would have decent competition to prepare us for MSBL national tourneys. Our Utah Pirates won the 50+ Central division at last year’s MSBL World Series in Arizona so we need to stay sharp to defend our title this year. This championship game is basically an inter-squad game between friends. It is usually a great, evenly matched game but in this one we jumped ahead 9-0 through two innings off their ace Duane Lee. But then our ace, Brady Field, lost his control and walked or hit 9 batters in 2 1/3 innings, so Chad Foster came in relief and pitched 5 2/3 innings of shut-out baseball for the win.

I also manage the 35+ Pirates, but we lost in the championship to the Rockies, 16-12. We were up 12-8 in the top of the sixth of the big game, led by two home runs and a double off the fence byFrancisco Mendoza, but then the Rockies scored eight unanswered runs in the last three innings to beat us. Brad Marsh from the Rockies pretty much shut us down in the final four innings while only allowing one run. He also hit a home run that gave the Rockies the lead for good.

Our leading Pirates hitters were Dave Carter, 4×5, and Francisco Mendoza, 3×3 with two home runs and a double. Dave Coleman pitched six innings and absorbed the loss.

The championship game box score for the 45 and over champion Rockies is shown below: