2022 Pilots Strike Late to Overwhelm Mariners for 60+ Rainier ‘Repeat’ Division Title in Puget Sound
Puget Sound Senior Baseball League, 60+ Rainier Division
Pilots 17, Mariners 10
‘Pilots ‘Repeat’ With 19-2-1 2022 Record’
The PSSBL 60+ Rainier Division 2022 season concluded with the Pilots repeating as Champions. The Pilots were impressive wire-to-wire going 16-1-1 in the regular season and 3-1 in their playoff run. They defeated the Mariners 17-10 in an 11-inning final, scoring seven runs in the top of the 11th. This capped off a dominant two-year run in which the Pilots have posted a record of 36-6-1 across two championship seasons and a run differential of 232 across the 43 games played.
On the field, the Pilots continued their attack at the plate led by Jeff Wilson and Shawn Speed (.533 & .486 BA) as well as Speed and Ron Sherwin #2 & #3 RBI leaders (33 & 32) in the Division. Sherwin also led the division in extra-base hits with 10 doubles, four triples, and a home run across 21 games.
Another key for the Pilots was pitching, led by Doug Springford’s 86 innings, 8-1 record, 2.20 ERA, and 50K/11 walks. Dave Reynolds compiled a 5-0 record, including 43 innings, while key reliever/closer Mike Lindberg went 3-0, with three saves in five innings, allowing only one earned run and collecting the win in the championship game.
It was a team effort, as it has to be, for the Pilots who had to deal with multiple season-ending injuries to key players as well as game-to-game injuries in particular in the playoff run. The Pilots would also like to give a shout-out to our division commissioner, Rick Park, for his leadership and tireless efforts to not only maintain our competitive division, but also his forward-looking strategy to sustain the division for years to come.