2020 Vice City Takes MABL West Division Title in MSBL/MABL of Southern Colorado

MSBL/MABL of Southern Colorado, MABL West Division

Vice City 11, Pines 9

‘Borgman and Brown Get it Done on the Bump and at the Plate’

Submitted by Isaac Seoane, Vice City manager

This was our first season as a team in the league. The core group of us, Adam Benefiel, Taylor Claman, Matthew Borgman, Alvaro Trujillo and myself met last season when we all tried out and got picked on the same team. We decided to form our own team after that season and through the draft and word of mouth we assembled Vice City. We are just a bunch of guys that love to play the game of baseball. The team is compiled of players from throughout the US, California, Florida, Texas and locally here in Colorado. 

We are thrilled that we won the championship but to get there was not an easy path. We had to play the Braves in the semi-finals, who had beaten us in two of the three times we played against them in regular season. One of their victories was very lopsided, as we played our worst game of the season. But we took that as a wake-up call and didn’t look back after that. The semi-final game was a nail biter and we ended up winning by one run against them.

In the championship game we played against the Pines, whom we only played once in the regular season and beat them pretty good. But that was earlier in the season and since then they had gotten way better which was evident by their victory in the semi-finals against the Rockies, whom everyone had pegged to be a shoe in for the championship. We knew we were up for a battle against them.

It was a hard-fought championship game with lots of highlights as both teams left everything out on the field. For us, however, the game didn’t start as we planned with our Ace pitcher throwing out his arm in the first inning, forcing him to have Tommy John surgery. So, we ended up having our closer Matthew Borgman take the ball and he ended up pitching a complete game. It wasn’t the prettiest of pitching performances but he battled it out and got stronger as the game progressed.

Offensively, as a team we hit collectively well which was needed. Our MVP was Deuce Brown, who had a great game going 2 for 3 including a clutch two out two RBI double to seal the game. 

It was a great ending to the season especially during this odd year where we didn’t even know if we would be able to play. 

HERE is a look at the final out!