2020 Jacksonville Indians Go ‘Back to Back’ for Jacksonville MABL Title
Jacksonville MABL
Indians 15, Kings 5 (Final game two in best of three sweep)
‘Indians Go ‘Back to Back’ Behind Eng Mound Gem’
Supplied by Joe Hellett, Jacksonville League President
The 2020 Jacksonville MABL championship featured both the number one and two seeds, the Kings and Indians.
The one seed Kings lost their first game and had to fight their way through the loser’s bracket and eliminate three quality teams to advance, after only losing one game during the regular season.
The Indians advanced through the winner’s bracket to the championship, though they needed walk-off home runs by Nick Ulrich in both playoff pool games, including one in the 13th inning to advance.
In the best of three Championship Series, the Indians defeated the Kings twice to be crowned as the champions, winning 8-4 and 15-5.
In the final game of the season, the Indians scored two in the bottom of the first with a couple of hits and a walk, off of Kings starter Brandon Lee, who was pitching on three days’ rest after throwing eight strong innings on Wednesday night.
The Indians busted the game open in the bottom of the second with a long 3-run home run to right by Tyler Johnson to bring the lead to 5-0.
The Indians scored three more in the third on multiple errors by the Kings to increase the lead to eight.
The Kings were held down by Indians starter Chris Eng, who gave up one run in six innings of work to get the win.
The game had a tense moment in the top of the eighth, when the Kings loaded the bases on Indians reliever Gary Kott, who hit one and walked two, and Tyler Rourke lined a 3-run double to left-center field off of Tyler Johnson and came around to score on a wild throw into center by Travis Coverston.
The Indians scored seven runs to close out the game in the bottom of the eighth to secure their second straight championship in a row, and five in the last seven seasons.