2020 Black Sox Capture 33+ Savannah Championship
Savannah Adult Baseball League, 33+ Division
Black Sox 5, Cardinals 0 (Final game in best of three series)
‘MVP Collins Leads the Sox on the Bump and at the Plate’
Submitted by Ian Allen
The Black Sox captured the 2020 Savannah Adult Baseball League Championship in the 33+ Division after coming from behind to defeat the Cardinals 2-1 in the best of three championship series.
The Cardinals took game one of the series by the score of 2-1 behind a brilliant pitching performance from Rene Ramirez. Ramirez held the Black Sox to just four hits over seven innings of work, while striking out nine and walking just one.
With their backs against the wall in game two, Black Sox manager Don Carson turned to his ace Jesse Collins, who out dueled Pedro Peralta of the Cardinals in a 2-0 Black Sox win. Collins threw a complete game, one hit shutout while striking out seven. Collins helped himself with a pair of hits and an RBI, while Alan Mejia’s one out single in the top of the sixth was the only hit for the Cardinals.
Collins would take the ball again in game three and watch the Sox offense come alive in the first inning. After a leadoff walk and a single by Matt Metsker, Collins doubled home the game’s first run. Luis Medina then followed with a two-run infield single to put the Sox ahead 3-0. Collin’s would give his team four more scoreless innings before handing things over to the bullpen, but not before Medina would strike again with another two-run single to stretch the lead to 5-0. Despite two hits apiece from Mario Masis and Alan Mejia, the Cardinals offense couldn’t break through as the Black Sox held on to win their first league championship, 5-0.
After the game, Collins was named the Most Valuable Player for his performance during the postseason. In six games, Collins hit .529 with seven RBIs, including two doubles and a home run, while allowing just five runs over 29.1 innings that included a streak of 17 scoreless innings in the championship series. Opposing hitters hit just .168 against him as he amassed 32 strikeouts to only six walks.