2021 45+
Montebello Angels Win 45+ Division of Inaugural MSBL ‘Beat the Heat’ Labor Day Tournament in Irvine, California
Montebello Angels 16, Phoenix Padres 4
Submitted by Robert Oskin, Angels manager
The Montebello Angels were very excited to participate in MSBL’s first-ever “Beat the Heat” tournament over Labor Day weekend! The Angels finished their Round Robin record 3-0 and then they proceeded to the playoffs.
Coming in as division winners, the Angels played the San Diego Diamond Dogs who were the second seed of a different division in the opening round of the playoffs. Newcomer Tony Cabrera of the Angels received the nod as the starting pitcher for the team and he did not disappoint! Cabrera threw a complete game with nine Ks and gave up only five hits, leading the Angels to a 9-1 win over the Diamond Dogs. The offense was led by Rudy Burruel, Jose Morales, and David Acuna who had three hits each.
Next for the Angels was the Championship game on Monday against the Phoenix Padres, division winners from their bracket. The Padres advanced to the Championship game by beating the Orange County Sox in their first round. Led by Chris Hill, the Angels started off strong with four runs in the first inning, but the Padres responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning keeping the game interesting. The Angels’ Hill hung on strong and threw a gem for the remainder of the game, only allowing one additional run in the ninth inning, making the final score 16-4.
The Angels’ leading batter, Brandon Hedding, ignited the offense every time he came to the plate by going 5 for 5 in the Championship game. Overall, the offense by this team was tremendous throughout from beginning to end. They played against strong teams and everyone had a great time. Never was there a dull moment. The Angels want to thank all the staff and organizers of the MSBL, and especially Steve Sigler, for doing such a fantastic job of putting this event together for all these teams. The fields were very well kept and a pleasure to play on. The Montebello Angels are excited to participate again next year!