2016 25+ National

SoCal Snappers 2, Lake Hefner Pelicans 0

‘MVP Hartmann Shuts Out Pelicans’

By Jason Skoda, special to MSBL National

November 6, 2016, HoHoKam Stadium, Mesa, AZ – The pitcher was in a zone and the defense made highlight plays nearly every inning as the SoCal Snappers knocked off the top-seeded Lake Hefner Pelicans 2-0 for the 25 National title at the MSBL World Series.

Pete Hartmann threw a two-hit, complete-game shutout for the Snappers as the left-hander struck out four and walked one in guiding the SoCal Snappers to the 25 National title at HoHoKam Stadium. “It was fastball and change ups most of the time,” said Hartmann, who was named team MVP. “You are just trying to miss barrels and I wanted them to put it in play. I knew they we were going to be swinging early in the count and our defense was phenomenal this game. We had a few bounces go our way and we came out with the victory.” The 46-year-old kept the Pelicans, who finished the week 5-2, off balance all game as top-seeded Lake Hefner only managed a double by Dave Newell and a single by John Tointigh.

“You have to scores runs to win a baseball game,” co-manager Drew Dragen said. “We didn’t put it together. We made some great plays out there, too. We had some mishaps there and we probably should be heading to extras right now.”

The defense let Hartmann, who played at internationally for 15 years, pitch in the zone knowing the guys behind him where going to find a way to get outs. First baseman Brandon Kaye made several picks on stretches at first, while third baseman Jimmy Ryan, shortstop Mark Flatten, second baseman Adam Beneski and center fielder Waylen Sing-Chow all made diving and/or difficult plays behind him. “We played really good defense today,” Kaye said. “It was a good team win. It was win or go-home and we have all year to rest until next year. We had guys really going after today.”

It means the offense didn’t need to do much against Pelican starter Brett Case, who allowed six hits and two earned in eight innings. The Snappers, who went 4-2-1 for the week, plated two runs in the sixth off Pelican starter Brett Case when Zak Qualls and Scott Hanish opened the frame with singles and scored on a sacrifice fly and fielder’s choice. The Pelican defense could have limited the inning to a single run or even no runs if a couple of miscues in the sixth didn’t extend the inning. “We put ourselves in a position to get it done, but obviously we didn’t,” said Pelican co-manager Carson Long, whose squad all come from Oklahoma.

The Snappers moved up from 18 National this year and found the new division to their liking despite most of the team being at least 40 years old. “We didn’t have the big bats we normally have out here so we had to find a different way to get it done,”Snappers manager Frank Sansone said. “We’ve won our pool several times and didn’t make the final so we’ve kind of learned just get into the playoff and see what happens. It’s our first year in 25s and we’re a little older now, but we didn’t play like it today.”

SC 000 002 000-2 6 0

LH 000 000 000-0 2 1

Hartmann and Graves. Case, McFough (9) and Humphrey.

WP-Hartmann. LP – Case.

2B: Newelll (LH).

Leading hitters – (SC) Qualls 1×3, single, run; Hanish 1×3, single, run. (LH) Newell 1×3, double; John Tointigh 1×4, single.

SF: Flatten.

LOB – SoCal 8. Lake Hefner 3.