2015 Walk-off Bomb Propels Indians to Title in Billy Hitchcock (AL) MSBL

Billy Hitchock (AL) MSBL

Upatoi Indians 7, Magic City Royals 4

‘Aguilar Bomb Claims Title for Indians’

Supplied by Gary Gomez, Billy Hitchcock league president

The Upatoi Indians (Robert Hillhouse, mgr) won their fifth Billy Hitchcock MSBL Championship in dramatic fashion by beating league newcomers the Magic City Royals (Justin Betts, mgr) in a best two of three series. The 2015 LCS was played at historic Golden Park in Columbus, Georgia and capped a season that began four months earlier.

For the seven teams of the BHMSBL, their 16 game regular season was the prelude to three rounds of playoff games that would ultimately decide our league champion. In the round one of the playoffs (single elimination), the six seed Columbus Braves (Chad Wells, mgr) defeated the seven seed Auburn Astros (Carlos Fernandez, mgr)1-0. Immediately following their win, the Columbus Braves played the number three seed Upatoi Indians in another single elimination game. It took 16 innings before the Indians defeated the Braves by the score of 11-10. In the third game of the first round, the four seed Magic City Royals defeated the five seed Columbus Reds (Fred Landrum, mgr) 12-8. Round two of the playoffs would be played over a weekend with the semi-finalists playing a best two of three series. The big surprise of the season occurred in semi-final series number one where the number four seed Royals would eliminate the number one seed and defending league champions Auburn Braves (Gary Broach, mgr) by winning both games of the double header, 4-2 and 5-3. In the second series, the Indians took on the number two seed Auburn Plainsmen (Gary Gomez. mgr). The Plainsmen won game one 5-4 and the Indians took game two 1-0 forcing a game three the next day. The Indians emerged, defeating the Plainsmen 4-1.

We were treated to a very exciting League Championship Series this year. The Magic City Royals took game one of the Saturday double header by the score of 7-5. The Indians came back to win game two, shutting out the Royals 4-0 sending the series into a deciding game three on Sunday. The Indians took the early game three lead, up 1-0 going into the third inning. A 3-run home run by Hank Towery gave the Royals the lead in the top of the third. The Indians were able to tie the game in the bottom of the sixth and then took the lead in the bottom of the eighth 4-3. The Royals were able to tie the game in the top of the ninth and then held the Indians scoreless in the bottom of the inning to send the game into extra innings. The Indians held the Royals scoreless in the top of the tenth and then with two outs and two runners on, Mike Aguilar hit a game winning walk off home run, securing the championship for the Upatoi Indians.