2015 Storm Tame Sharks in 35+ American Title Game in Los Angeles
Los Angeles Baseball League Sunday 35+ American Division
Santa Monica Storm 3, Sharks 2
‘Kasan and de la Nuez Shut the Door on the Sharks’
Submitted by Rick Guardino, Storm manager
After 19 years in the Los Angeles Baseball League this is the first title won by Rick Guardino in only his second full year as manager of the Santa Monica Storm of the Sunday 35-over American division. The Storm had a solid season with everyone contributing despite numerous injuries to many key players. The Championship game against the Sharks was no exception. Strong clutch situational pitching by the Storm mixed in with a little small ball was the key to the victory.
Despite having a fever, there was no way Sam Kasan was not going to pitch, and pitch he did! A super gutsy performance by Sam, giving up only two runs on three hits, two walks and three hit batters. That third hit batter ultimately ended Sam’s day with the bases loaded in the top of the sixth with only one out and down by a score of 2 to 1. This was THE key moment in the game. In came Rex de la Nuez, with the pressure on and an injured leg. His arm was fine, though, and he coaxed a solid batter in Zac Reeder to ground into the rare 1-2-3 double play to end the threat and change the momentum in favor of the Storm.
In the bottom half of the sixth inning the Storm played smart baseball. Luis Cruz led off with a single and stole second base. Rex de la Nuez sacrificed him to third knowing that Joe Pita would hit a deep fly ball to tie up the game. It stayed tied until the bottom of eighth when Sam Kasan came through again with a walk and Rick Guardino sacrificed him over to second with one out. With two outs Rick Cohen smashed a double all the way to the wall that allowed Sam to trot home with the go-ahead run. That was all Rex de la Nuez needed, striking out three and giving up only one hit to earn the win and end a really fun season. Chance Brown, Jimmy Davidson and Luis Cruz contributed two hits apiece. I wanted to be sure to mention their solid performance.
The Sharks finished with two earned runs on four hits with two walks and three hit batters along with two stolen bases. They also committed a single error and struck out five times.
The Storm struck for three earned runs on nine hits with two batters walking, performed two sacrifice bunts to go along with one sacrifice fly and finished with two stolen bases. The storm committed only one error and no Storm batter struck out for the first time all season!