2017 Potomac River Bandits ‘Three-Peat’ in Tough 52+ Division of DCMSBL

DCMSBL 52+ Division

Potomac River Bandits 6, Virginia Silver Eagles 2

‘River Bandits ‘Three-Peat’ in Tough 52+ Division’

The Potomac River Bandits captured their third consecutive 52+ title by defeating the Virginia Silver Eagles 6-2 in the championship game. The Bandits had the number one seed despite suffering their first three regular season losses since forming in 2014 and fought through a scrappy DC Mets team in the semi-finals on a bottom of the ninth single by Dave Albertini which scored Steve Norwood to send them to a 12-11 victory and on to the finals. The Silver Eagles defeated the Virginia Cardinals 9-2 in a tightly contested semi-final game thanks to Barney Owens complete game, 13 strikeout performance.

The Silver Eagles had to call on Owens in the championship due to injuries to pitch on two days’ rest. He held the Bandits scoreless until the third inning when Dave Treherne and opposing pitcher Dave “Tuna” Thune scored runs to put the Bandits up 2-0. Albertini drove in Garland Cooper in the following inning to up the lead to 3-0, but the Silver Eagles scored twice in the fifth to make it a one run game. The pitcher’s duel continued into the eighth when the Silver Eagle’s defense made a couple of errors allowing the Bandits to score three. Coach Frank Cappello, Luis Andrade and Jim Villa drove in runs to give the Bandits a 6-2 lead. Dave Thune was able to complete the victory in the ninth for the Bandits.

Thune scattered 14 hits and three walks but only allowed those two runs to key the victory. The Bandits defense made the plays needed with runners in scoring position to help Thune complete the game. Bandits coach Frank Cappello saw this season as the toughest yet in this division. “In years past there were several good teams but it seems this year the top 4-5 teams had talent, which made everyone have to up their game. We will enjoy this championship as we really had to work to get this one.”