2018 Rome Bombers Dethrone Blazers in Mohawk Valley (NY) Finals
Mohawk (NY) MSBL
Rome Bombers 10, Sherrill Blazers 1
‘Kowalski Gets it Done on the Bump and at the Plate’
Submitted by Mark Minicozzi, Mohawk Valley League President
Six time consecutive defending League Champs and this year’s 2018 regular season #1 seed Sherrill Blazers faced off against the #2 Rome Bombers, who both won their first round games to stay in the winners bracket. The two rivals met in the winner’s bracket first round and in a tight game the #1 Seed Blazers fell to the #2 Seed Rome Bombers 6-5 in the first round of our double elimination giving the Bombers the upper hand. The Blazers went on to win and come out of the losers bracket with a (2-1 record) and in the second round beat the (2-0) Rome Bombers in a two-hit shutout winning 6 to 0. Manager Ryan Dungey pitched a complete game shutout winning 6-0, allowing only four Bomber base runners on two hits.
These league rivals returned the following week in a “Winner Take All Championship Game” and the Sherrill Blazers had home field advantage. This was the final game of double elimination to determine the 2018 Mohawk Valley-MSBL league champs.
Again, Blazers manager Ryan Dungey started the contest on the mound while the Bombers went a different direction starting shortstop/pitcher Seve Kowalski for his first start as a pitcher for the 2018 Bombers. Dungey went five innings, striking out five, but walked seven as the Bombers bats were able capitalize on five hits, scoring six over the five innings.
Kowalski pitched a complete game for the Bombers managing his control of the Blazer batters, striking out five, walking just two and scattering six hits over seven innings. The Bombers played some very solid defense behind Kowalski, with the only run plated by the Blazers being the first batter of the first inning.
The Bombers got it done with a 10-1 win over the defending 2012 thru 2017 champion Sherrill Blazers, ending the six consecutive year run by the Blazers and the eight year drought since the Bombers last League Championship win in 2010.
Also as our lead-off batter, Seve Kowalski went 3 for 5 with three RBI’s and was awarded our Championship Game MVP!