2017 Mohegan Braves Win Back to Back Titles, Go Undefeated in West-Put MABL
West-Put (NY) MABL
Braves 3, Grizzlies 1 (final game in best of three)
‘Braves Sweep Grizzlies for Undefeated Season’
By Jake Whitney, Braves manager
Game one: Braves 9, Grizzlies 3– The 2017 WestPut MABL championship got underway in Cortlandt Manor, NY, between the defending champion Mohegan Braves and the Greenwich Grizzlies under cloudy skies with the threat of rain looming. The Grizzlies jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the top half of the first, a score that would hold until the third. To start that inning,Braves lead-off man Mark Hughel knocked a hard grounder to third base that was misplayed. Shortstop Alex Pezzuto then blasted a double to right scoring Hudge, followed by an RBI grounder by brother Greg Pezzuto and an RBI single by Manager Jake Whitney.
The Braves would pick up another run in the fifth on a bases loaded walk, taking a tight 4-2 game into the late innings. But in the sixth, the Braves’ potent bats finally showed what they are capable of. Singles by outfielder Jason Bopp, third baseman Mike Shea, and Hughel loaded the bases for Greg Pezzuto, the Braves top 2017 hitter. With no place to put ‘G Pezz’ the Grizzlies went right after him. On the first pitch, Pezzuto blasted a Grand Slam to deep left, all but putting the game out of reach.
Braves’ hurler Ray Cruz pitched very well in a complete game performance and the Braves took the opener 9-3. First baseman Jeffrey Cobelli, outfielder Richie “Atomic Blond” Gagliardi and catcher Jeff Ho also played excellent baseball in the win. (Pitcher Josh Wolin, another key cog in the Braves’ well-oiled machine, was unable to attend the championship but was an important part of the Braves’ winning season.)
Game two: Braves 3, Grizzlies 1– The nightcap turned out to be a pitcher’s duel between Mike Sciaretta of the Grizzlies and Jay Tomasulo of the Braves. The two hurlers couldn’t have had more different styles, with Sciaretta firing gas and Tomasulo tossing a variety of confounding off-speed fare. But each was equally effective. The game was scoreless until the fifth inning. In that frame three straight Braves’ singles by center fielder Greg Pezzuto, right fielder Joe Tomasulo, and Cruz, along with a grounder by Whitney that was misplayed, resulted in a 3-0 Braves lead. The Grizzlies would fight hard until the end, picking up a run in the seventh and even getting the potential winning run to the plate. But the Braves brought in their closer to nail down the final out, giving Mohegan back-to-back championships and their third in five years and their first undefeated season!