2014 Seals Accomplish ‘Four-Peat’ in Monterey Bay MABL

Monterey Bay (CA) MABL

Monterey Bay Seals 6, Salinas Giants 5

SUBMITTED BY JESSE MOGER, MANAGER

THE THREE-TIME CHAMPION AND #1 SEED SEALS RODE AN 18-1-1 REGULAR SEASON INTO THE PLAYOFFS READY FOR BATTLE!

AFTER A SMOOTH SEMI-FINAL SERIES AGAINST THE LEGENDS THAT SAW GAMES OF 13-4 & 15-7 WINS AGAINST THE LEGENDS, THE SEALS CRUISED TO A SECOND STRAIGHT MEETING WITH THE SALINAS GIANTS IN THE CHAMPIONSHIP.

IN GAME ONE, EVERYTHING WENT WRONG FOR THE SEALS. THE GIANTS JUMPED OUT TO AN 11-0 LEAD IN THE TOP OF THE FIRST INNING AND KNOCKED STARTERZACK BOYCE OUT OF THE GAME AFTER ONLY 1/3 OF AN INNING. OVER THE NEXT FIVE HOURS, A COMBINED 42 RUNS WERE SCORED AND THE SEALS GOT INTO A POSITION WHERE THE TYING RUN CAME TO THE PLATE IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH. A MUCH BIGGER STORYLINE DEVELOPED IN THE PROCESS, A KNEE INJURY FORCED TEAM MVP CRIS TROUTSSEASON TO COME TO AN ABBRUPT END. IN THE END, THE HOLE WAS TOO BIG TO OVERCOME AND SEALS DROPPED GAME ONE, THEIR FIRST PLAYOFF LOSS SINCE 2012.

GAME TWO FEATURED THE LEAGUES TWO MOST DOMINANT STARTING PITCHERS, JOEY PARSONS VERSUS NATE SEVIER. BOTH FORMER MINOR LEAGUE PITCHERS BATTLED, THROWING COMPLETE GAMES AND COMBINING FOR 21 STRIKEOUTS. THE SEALSADDED RUNS SLOWLY. IN THE BOTTOM OF THE THIRD, PARSONS REACHED BASE WITH TWO OUTS AND WAS DOUBLED IN BY EDDIE ABILA FOR THE GAMES FIRST RUN. TOP FOUR, THREE STRAIGHT SINGLES BY JD MONEY, ED CANADAS & MATT BLACKMON WOULD SEE ANOTHER RUN CROSS. TOP SIX, MONEY AGAIN STARTED THE RALLY WITH A LEAD OFF TRIPLE AND SCORED ON A PASSED BALL TO GIVE THE SEALS A 3-0 LEAD.

THE BOTTOM OF THE SIXTH SAW THE GIANTS STRING TOGETHER FOUR CONSECUTIVE HITS, INCLUDING TWO HOME RUNS AND TAKE A 4-3 LEAD. SEALS WOULD BATTLE BACK IN THE EIGHTH WITH THREE STRAIGHT HITS OF THEIR OWN, JOJO GREWELL DOUBLED, MONEY SINGLED & CANADAS SINGLED TO TIE THE GAME AT FOUR APIECE. WITH THE GAME DEAD LOCKED AFTER NINE INNINGS, BOTH PITCHERS OPTED TO CONTINUE INTO EXTRAS. WITH TWO OUTS IN THE TOP OF THE 10TH THE SEALS ONCE AGAIN STRUNG THREE HITS TOGETHER FROM A FAMILIAR TRIO OF MONEY, CANADAS & BLACKMON, AND TOOK THE LEAD. PARSONS, TRUE TO FORM, RETIRED THE SIDE IN ORDER IN THE 10TH TO SEND THIS SERIES TO A WINNER TAKE ALL GAME THREE!

GAME 3, FOR ALL THE MARBLES, SAW THE SEALS VERY SHORT HANDED. WITH A CHOICE TO BE MADE, THE SEALS DECIDED TO HAND THE BALL TO TRAVIS ELDER, WHO HAD ONLY PITCHED 13 INNINGS THIS SEASON PRIOR TO THE START. IN THE TOP OF FIRST THE CHOICE LOOKED TO BE QUESTIONABLE WHEN THE GIANTS SCORED TWO RUNS AND HAD RUNNERS ON SECOND AND THIRD WITH NO OUTS. BUT RIGHT THEN, ELDER FOUND HIS GROOVE AND PITCHED OUT OF THE JAM.

IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FRAME, THE SEALS CUT THE LEAD IN HALF WHEN JOJO GREWELL DOUBLED IN EDDIE ABILA. BOTH TEAMS ADDED A RUN IN THE FOURTH TO MAKE IT A 3-2 GAME. IN THE BOTTOM OF THE FIFTH THE SEALS HAD THEIR BIG RALLY. JD MONEY LEAD OFF WITH A WALK AND STOLE SECOND BASE. AFTER THE NEXT BATTER STRUCK OUT, TRAVIS ELDER WALKED. THE GIANTS PITCHER STRUCK OUT YET ANOTHER SEAL AND LOOKED POISED TO GET OUT OF THE INNING. MATT JEW SINGLED HOME A RUN ON A SHARP GROUND BALL TO SHORTSTOP TO SET THE STAGE FOR JESSE MOGER’S TWO OUT, TWO RUN DOUBLE TO GIVE THE SEALS THEIR FIRST LEAD OF THE DAY. IN THE SEVENTH, ED CANADAS ADDED A 450 FOOT MOONSHOT TO MAKE THE LEAD THREE RUNS.

THE GIANTS ANSWERED BACK WITH TWO RUNS OF THEIR OWN IN THE TOP OF THE EIGHTH AND NARROWED THE LEAD TO ONE. IN THE TOP OF TH NINTH THE SEALS WOULD FACE SOME ADVERSITY. THE LEAD OFF RUNNER REACHED BASE. THE NEXT BATTER WOULD GROUND INTO A FIELDERS CHOICE, BUT THE GIANTS WOULD GAIN A LARGE SPEED ADVANTAGE. ON THE FIRST PITCH THE RUNNER ATTEMPTED TO STEAL AND WAS CUT DOWN AT SECOND BASE BY MONEY. ELDER FINISHED WHAT HE STARTED ON THE NEXT BATTER WITH A GROUND OUT TO THIRD BASE AND THE SEALS WOULD SECURE THEIR FOURTH STRAIGHT TITLE!

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES STATS:

JOEY PARSONS; W- 10IP CG, 8H, 4ER, 12K… TRAVIS ELDER; W- CG, 5ER, 3K… PERFECT 1IP IN GAME 1

ED CANADAS; 5-12, 3B, HR, 3RBI… MATT BLACKMON 5-8, 2B, 3RBI, 2BB… JD MONEY 8-10, 6R, 2B, 3B, 3BB, 4RBI, SB