2018 Blue Jays ‘Repeat’ as 18+ Champions in Fresno MSBL/MABL

Fresno MSBL/MABL, 18+ Division

Fresno Blue Jays 2, Tribe 1

‘Blue Jays Repeat with Sweep of Tribe’

Submitted by Zac Burt, Blue Jays manager

The 18+ Fresno Blue Jays of the Fresno MSBL/MABL set out to defend their title from last year and knew it wasn’t going to be easy to repeat. The Jays front office made some solid off season acquisitions to make it possible. During the regular season the Jays went 14-4 and got a second seed in playoffs.

In the first round we faced the Yankees who have played us tough all year, and advanced after a 9-2 Win. In the second round we faced the Pirates who beat us twice during the regular season and a team they haven’t beaten in the 2018 campaign. Josh Ornelas threw a complete game gem and Alfredo Lopez provided a 2-out two RBI single which would result in a 2-1 victory.

On the final weekend the Tribe and the Jays would square off in a best of three series. Nate Lee and Zac Burt faced off in a marathon 15 inning game and both pitchers went the distance. In the fifth inning Jose Toledo broke it open with a two RBI double and Nick Thompson with a sac fly to jump out to a 4-0 lead. The Tribe answered with a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to tie the game at four apiece. Finally, in the top of the 15^th inning, David Alaniz provided a two RBI single that gave the Jays the game one win 6-4. The Tribe’s Nate Lee totaled 22 K’s and the Jay’s Zac Burt pitched in 19 K’s.

In game two things were an exact same pitcher’s duel between the Jay’s Nick Garcia and the Tribe’s Joe Britton, with both pitchers tossing complete games. The Tribe struck first in the top of the sixth to take a 1-0 lead. The Jays answered back with back to back doubles from Johnathan Coleman and Ryan Wells to tie it 1-1 in the seventh. The following inning Nick Thompson hit a lead-off double followed up by a single by Trevor Hansen. Jason Gomez would hit a sac fly for the game winning run and capture back to back titles for the Fresno Blue Jays. Every single guy on the roster contributed throughout the year to make it one of the best yet.