2015 Sea Donkeys Vow to Take it all in 2016 in Twin Cities MABL
Twin Cities MABL 18+ Division
‘Donks Vow to Get Back to the Championship Game in 2016’
Submitted by Ryan Lutzka, Sea Donkeys manager
Coming into the 2015 season the Donks were in rebuilding mode, as we had lost five core players from the 2014 squad who had been with us for several years. So, the thought of competing for a championship was not front of mind. However, as the season progressed the players we added had begun to show serious promise and we knew we had a chance. We finished the regular season one win away from the coveted #1 and #2 seed, which earns a first round bye. Needless to say, we defeated the #6 Giants 15-11 in the highest scoring game of the 2015 playoffs. The story line behind that game was the Donks were down 9-2 after the third inning. The next game was against the #2 Coyotes, in which Luke Elifson pitched a complete game shutout. The Donks won 6-0 and moved on to play the #1 seeded defending champion Rams the following week.
Down 2-0 in the top of the sixth, Donks veteran catch Dan Anderson blasted a 3-run shot to center field to take the lead against the Rams. In the top of the ninth, still up 3-2, Emery Hull, TCMABL home run champion, belted a Grand Slam to put us up 7-3. We would add one more run in the ninth to eventually win 8-2. Once again, Luke Elfison pitched a complete game for his second win of the playoffs.
In Sunday’s championship game, with the wind blowing up to 35 miles per hour, the Donks made a critical error in the outfield, a first of the season, which resulted in three unearned runs and five runs total in the second inning. That would end up being the difference as the Donks fell 8-5. The game was played at beautiful Parade Stadium in downtown Minneapolis. Andy Gaddis started the game on the mound for the Donks and gave us six solid innings of work. Down 5-0 after the second, the Donks made a small comeback to make it 5-3 in the top of the seventh. However, in a true championship effort, the Tigers would answer back in the bottom of the seventh to make the score 8-3. The Donks would plate two runs in the top of the ninth and had the go-ahead run at the plate with the bases loaded before the Tigers closer finally shut the door.
I was really proud of my guys. As I mentioned, coming into the season I didn’t see a run at the Jon Garbaz Cup in the cards, but after the July 4th break it was pretty clear we had one of the stronger teams in the league. We may have come up one win short in 2015, but with the entire squad returning in 2016, it is clear our goal will be to get back to the TCMABL 18+ Championship game, and this time to win it!