2015 Kennett Blue Rocks Boast ‘Three-peat’ in DeBenedictis 50+ Division
Kennett Blue Rocks 23, Bux-Mont Yankees 3
‘Blue Rocks Capture Three-Peat’
Submitted by Mark Grandizio, Blue Rocks manager
After splitting the first two games of the championship series, the Kennett Blue Rocks and Yankees met at Kennett High for the deciding game three Sunday. Having eked out a victory in game one, the Rocks potent offense finally came to life in time to make certain game three would not be a squeaker. Kennett used 19 hits and 11 walks off of four different Yankee pitchers en route to a 23-3 victory, securing their third league championship in a row.
The Rocks struck early in the top of the first, jumping to a 3-0 lead on the strength of back-to-back home runs by number three hitter Gerry Green and clean-up hitter Gary Prugh. Green would finish the game 3-5 with three runs and six RBIs, Prugh likewise would go 3-5, scoring three and driving in three. Five-hole hitter Jon Morton would also go 3-5, scoring three and driving in two. The left-handed hitting middle of the Rocks lineup accounted for nine hits, eight runs and 11 RBIs on the day. The Kennett 3-0 lead would not hold up for long, however, as the Yankees evened the score in the bottom of the first. A leadoff double by Tony D’Aulerio, singles by Rick Ackourey and Lou Ponte and two Blue Rock errors led to a three run inning for Bux-Mont and a tie game. It would be the only frame in which the Yankees would score. D’Aulerio, Ackourey and Ponte would each end the day with two hits for the Yankees.
After the clubs traded scoreless second innings, the Rocks offense hit its stride and put up three runs in the third, four in the fourth inning and 10 in the sixth to stretch the lead to 20-3. Three runs over the final three frames would round out the scoring for Kennett, as their championship ‘3-peat’ was complete. Second baseman Joe Renner and right fielder Paddy Miller also collected three hits a piece on a day where every Rocks starter scored at least one run and all but one collected at least one hit. Jack Bradley scored four runs, and contributed some fine defensive plays in center field. While the offense was doing its damage, starter Tim Barnes followed up his 2-1 game one complete game victory with a nine inning gem. Barnes allowed only three earned runs over 16 innings of championship series work. Jeff Budin pitched very well for the Yankees in the series, compelled to pitch in all three games due to the injury to Tommy Gallagher in the first inning of game one. Having scuffled most of the regular season with injuries themselves, the Blue Rocks ended the 2015 campaign winning 11 of their final 12 games.