2018 Dragons Slay Knights in Redwood Empire 55+ Division

Redwood Empire Baseball League, 55+ Division

Dragons 8, Knights 6

Back Row L-R: Tim Grund, Mark Fess, Jerry DeLorenzo, Doug Thomson, Dennis Brandlin, Marty Wilcox, Jesse Bower and Mike Downes. Front Row L-R: Rick Faccini, Phil Salazar, Dana Faccini, Greg Berg, Mike Felder, Eli Duran and Jesus Renteria. Missing: Rich Murray, Steve Brye, John Ball and Allan Green.

‘MVP Brandlin Leads the Way on the Bump’

Submitted by Allan Green, Dragons manager

The #1 seed Dragons took game one from the #4 seed Silver Sox by a score of 18-3. The game was closer than the score, as the Dragons scored sixteen runs in the last three innings. Center fielder Dana Faccini led the way for the Dragons, going six for six with three rbi’s. Left fielder Jerry DeLorenzo had four hits, scored three runs and drove in four.

The Dragons out slugged the Silver Sox 24-12 in the second game to take the series. Second baseman Tim Grund paced the Dragons, going four for five with a walk and scoring four runs. Designated hitter Eli Duran also had a day: three hits and four runs scored.

The Knights knocked off the Padres to reach the much anticipated championship series, which represented the first opportunity for the Knights to slay the Dragons in a championship series. Both ball clubs came in on extended winning streaks with hot offenses. However, pitching and defense were about to step up.

The first game was an old-fashioned pitchers duel between Dennis Brandlin of the Dragons and Stan Holloway of the Knights. Both pitchers were virtually unhittable and both defenses were flawless; the Dragons scraped together a run to lead 1-0 going into the bottom of the eighth inning. At that point a clutch two-rbi double by Faccini ignited the Dragons, who went on to score four, taking a 5-0 lead. Brandlin closed out the complete game shutout, scattering only four hits and striking out five.

Defense again dominated early in game two. The two teams turned five double plays by the end of the fourth inning. Dragons starter Marty Wilcox held the Knights to no earned runs through eight innings, although defensive lapses helped the Knights stay close; the Dragons led only 8-4. A couple of seeing-eye ground balls slipped through the infield to start the ninth for the Knights and soon it was 8-6. Brandlin came in to get the final two outs for the save and to give Wilcox the 8-6 championship game win.

Brandlin was named playoff M.V.P. In 18 2/3 innings he gave up only ten hits, two walks and no runs while striking out ten.

The 55+ championship was the seventh for the Dragons in the last nine seasons, and their eleventh overall in their fourteen years in the Redwood Empire Baseball League.