2023 45+ Cactus
SoCal Monarchs 7, Colt 45s 6
Submitted by Javier Escobar, Monarchs’ manager
‘113 Runs Scored, only 24 Allowed’
The 2023 So Cal Monarchs finished their impressive run by going an undefeated 8-0 en route to winning the 45 Cactus title. The offense scored a tournament-high 113 runs while allowing a tournament-low 24 runs. Among the impressive feats were two complete game victories by Steve Connally and Christian Hernandez. Mario Chavarin and Luis Diaz also threw complete games in their respective starts. Tony Cabrera and Bernie Campa were also winning pitchers in their starts.
Frankie Rodriguez did the bulk of the catching going the distance in five games, along with Ramiro Jimenez and Bernie Campa catching the other three games. Offensively, The Monarchs had multiple players that hit over .500 for the entire week. Sean Glaze, Bryan Prentice, Kris Jensen, John Holcomb, and Jerry Hinds led an offense that scored runs early and often. It seemed no player wanted to be the weak link in the lineup at times.
Mentally, that led to a serious offensive output. But without a doubt, the most impressive aspect of this Monarchs team this year was their defense. Shortstop Mark Flatten and third Baseman Kurt Mascio at times singlehandedly shut down offenses with spectacular plays on the field that also included a triple play. Aside from their impressive offensive stats, this duo shut down the left side of the infield, play after play. Not to be outdone, utilityman Jaime Prado played great defense at every position he was asked to cover, which included the outfield, second, and shortstop.
The Championship game came down to the wire versus a tough Colt 45’s team. Trailing 3-0 in the fifth, the Monarchs got on the board after Larry Assayags’s double was cashed in. Another hit by Charles Sciutti in the seventh led to another run to cut the deficit to 5-2. In the bottom of the eighth, the Monarchs scored five runs to take a 7-5 lead, with the big hit coming from Steve Connally when he hit a 2-run double to give the Monarchs a 7-5 lead.
They would need the insurance runs in the ninth inning when the Colt 45s answered back with a run to make it 7-6, with the tying run at third. The rally fell short as the Monarchs would close out the game with a 7-6 win. Winning pitcher and game MVP Christian Hernandez threw a complete game to give the Monarchs the well-earned victory.
The Monarchs team chemistry on the field was a major factor in their impressive run. A great group of guys who cheered each other on and always kept the positive vibes going throughout the tournament. Every player on the roster contributed to this World Series win. And we look forward to coming back in 2024!