2018 Hardcor 30+ ‘Three-peat’ Division Champion in Fresno MSBL

Fresno MSBL, 30+ Division

Hardcor 6, Red Sox 2

‘Hardcor Three-peats in the 30’s’

Submitted by Dave Garcia, Hardcor manager

This year the Hardcor team from the 30+ division of the Fresno MSBL was composed of some solid returning veterans and some younger energetic ball players. All season long we battled the rival Red Sox in close games, splitting the season at two wins and two loses each. So going into the three game Championship Series we knew it would not be any different.

True to fact, game one was a nail biter and a 4-3 win. As they did all year long in the one and two spots in the line-up, Robbie Shaw and Chris Long banged out some hits to score in the first inning giving us a 2-0 lead. Two innings later the Sox put up three runs of their own. After several innings of great defensive play from both teams, Jake Rosales led off the bottom of the fifth inning with a double giving us the spark that we needed to get us going to victory. Brian Thissen pitched an outstanding nine innings only giving up six hits and had six Ks. Jason Englebright pitched all nine innings for the Red Sox.

In game two, the Sox put their Ace Ex-Marlins David Campos on the bump who pitched a complete game. But the Hardcor defense, like they did all year, played stellar. Robbie Shaw played center field and ran down every ball hit within 40 yards of him. Danny Flores played lights out at third and the two youngsters in the middle, Isaac Rosales and Aundre Garcia rolled four double plays and added two hits each on offense to help eventually overcome the Sox to a 6-2 win. Shaw, Long, Thissen, Craig Lavine and Joe Padilla all had timely hits as well.