2023 73+ National
MBI 3, Cambria 2
‘Iron Man Elson Earns MVP on the Bump’
Submitted by Pat Fynes, MBI manager
Entering the Championship game, MBI was the #1 seed but the team they were facing was the only team that defeated them in Round Robin Play, Cambria.
The game was expected to be low scoring with two of the best pitchers in the National Division facing off, John Arnold for Cambria and Howard Elson for MBI. Both pitched well as reflected in the final score of 3-2.
MBI scored all three of their runs in the third inning, starting with a Bill Mitchell single. With two outs, MBI produced four consecutive hits from J Blatt, F Krause, G Baratta, and Jim Teeter.
Down 3 to 1 in the top of the ninth, Cambria battled back, scoring their second run on the only error of the game by MBI. With runners on first and third with one out, the Cambria batter, who already had two hits in the game, hit a shot right at the MBI shortstop, Sal Calcagno, who started the game-ending and Championship-clinching 6-4-3 double-play.
In the Final game, MBI had hits from Baratta, Klieman, McNaughton, Mitchell, Teeter, and Valentine, with Jeffers, Blatt, and Krause producing multiple hits.
Howard Elson had three wins during the week and ended the tourney with a 0.8 ERA. Howard was awarded the Team MVP. Eddie Klieman won a game and did not give up an earned run for eight innings. Jim Teeter also had a win and a 1.5 ERA. Rick Park, Brad Baker, Jerry Encoe, John Damsma, and Sal Calcagno contributed to the overall team ERA of 2.2.
The defense for MBI was outstanding all week, with special acknowledgment going to Sal Calcagno, Jim Teeter, and Bill Mitchell.
Players Tom Flournoy, John Damsma, Gary Faulkes, Jesus Williams, Rich Ellings, Jerry Encoe, John Entwistle, and Pat Fynes made major contributions. In addition to alternating defensively to keep the defense fresh, pinch running, and sacrifice bunting, they also batted a combined .350.
Flournoy, Blatt, Klieman, Ellings, and Encoe hit .500 or above for the week. Jeffers, Krause, Baratta, Valentine, Teeter, Calcagno, McNaughton, and Mitchell hit .400 or above.
Klieman led the team in Runs Scored and Krause led in RBIs.