2023 Sugar Kings ‘Three-Peat’ in 40+ Smoky Division of Puget Sound Senior Baseball League

Puget Sound Senior Baseball League, 40+ Smoky Division

Sugar Kings 4, Mariners 3

‘Sugar Kings ‘Three-peat’ in Smoky Division’

The game was tense and good. Both teams playing hard. Ultimately, though, the Sugar Kings prevailed over the Mariners with a 4-3 victory cementing a 3-Peat for the Sugar Kings.

The Mariners opened the scoring with two unearned runs in the second inning. The Sugar Kings got one back in the top of the fourth from a leadoff walk to manager Jeff Austin and singles by Jeff Cirillo and Sean Prouty. The Mariners added a run in the bottom of the fourth to go back up two with the score 3-1.

All was workmanlike for both teams until the top of the seventh when Jeff Meyer led off with a single, stole second and third, and scored on a fielder’s choice. Now within one, starting pitcher Steve Lampkin was dialed in, keeping the Mariners off balance and off the board.

In the top of the eighth, Mike Wood led off with a walk and scored on an error to tie the game at 3-3. In the top of the ninth, a walk to Jeff Meyer, a stolen base, and a clutch single to right field by Jeff Cirillo put the Sugar Kings up by one. In the bottom of the ninth, Steve Lampkin was still rockin’. He struck out the first batter and then came the top of the order. A double and walk put the winning run on first with one out. Lamkin coaxed an infield fly for the second out and got the cleanup hitter on a hot shot to third baseman Rich Seiler for a force out at second base.

This game had all the excitement of a Championship contest. It was hard fought, great pitching by both squads, but in the end, the Sugar Kings got their third Championship in a row. What is even more impressive is the average age of this Sugar Kings squad is around 54 years and have one player under the age of 50. The Smoky Division is a 40+!