2021 PBC Royals Sweep Rangers for 45+ Division Crown in South Jersey
South Jersey MSBL, 45+ Division
PBC Royals 5, Rangers 1 (Final game of best of three series sweep)
‘Dae Dominates on the Bump’
The PBC Royals regular-season record of 16-2 placed it as the #1 seed. All season the Royals played great defense, hit well, and had great shut down pitching. Charlie Dae and Gregg Balin shared the spotlight on the bump all season alternating games.
The semi-final playoff began against #4 seed Cherry Hill:
Game One: The Royals jumped out to a quick 4-run lead in the first on Lou Spassatempo, Jim Candelora base hits, a Rob Riegert single (RBI), a Pat Durning RBI walk, and an RBI single by Charlie Dae. The Royals added a pair in the second on singles by Rob Reigert, Pat Durning, and RBI singles by Bill Prendergast and Charlie Dae. The Royals played great defense behind winning pitcher Charlie Dae, who scattered four hits and gave up no earned runs.
Final score 6-1
Game Two: Charlie Dae doubled, Rich Degener walked followed by an RBI single by Gregg Balin and Dennis Hanratty. Jim Candelora singled and moved up on a ground ball while Pat Durning plated Candelora with an RBI single. Gregg Balin scattered four hits, backed up by the great defense, and gave up only one run.
Final score 3-1
Championship Series versus the Rangers
Game One: In the first inning Jim Candelora reached on an error, stole second, and was driven in by a Rob Reigerts RBI single. In the second inning Marshall Gould doubled, Dennis Hanratty singled, and Gregg Balin sac. bunted the runners over. Rich Degener’s sacrifice fly scored a run. In the fifth Gregg Balin led off with a base hit, Scott Wasienko and Steve Kaminski singled loading the bases and Jim Candelora smoked a double to clear the bases, while a Pat Durning sacrifice fly scored Candelora. Charlie Dae was the winning pitcher, giving up six hits, four k’s, and surrendering two runs, one earned.
Final score 6-2
Game Two: The Royals struck first with a Jim Candelora lead-off single. An error moved him to third followed by a Rob Reigert RBI single. The teams traded zeroes with Charlie Dae and Tom Hewitt (Rangers manager and pitcher) controlling the hitting game. The Royals tied the game in the sixth on a combination of hits and two errors.
Tied at 1-1 after nine, the visiting Royals woke up when manager Steve Kaminski singled and stole second, Lou Spassatempo walked, and with runners on second and third Rob Reigert singled in a run. Pat Durning then walked, Charlie Dae doubled in a pair and Bill Prendergast drove in the final run. The home-team Rangers couldn’t respond and the Royal captured the championship 5-1. Charlie Dae (3-0 post-season) gave up only three hits and had seven K’s in the final game.
Final score 5-1 (10 innings)