2024 18+ American

Motor City Mariners 6, Maryland Dodgers 3

The Motor City Mariners, formerly known as the Motor City Trash Pandas, would take a hiatus from the Arizona MSBL World Series to test the waters of the MSBL Fall Classic this year and their experience wouldn’t disappoint!

The Mariners led by pitcher/manager Steve Simmons, would make it out of pool play with a record of 1-1-2 due to a first day of shortened games due to rain. The record would be deceiving as the Mariners would only allow four total earned runs through four games of pool play led by pitching staff starters Steve Simmons, Larry Wood, Gio Aiuto, and Max Daust. The bullpen would be crucial with lockdown performances by Tyler Frankhouse, Zac Walter, Mark Morgan, and Austin “Swamp Donkey” Calopietro.

The championship game would be against an unfamiliar foe in the Maryland Dodgers, who would slug their way to the championship to face the Mariners.

The Mariners would send the big lefty Larry Wood to the mound to start against the Dodgers at Ballpark of the Palm Beaches. He would go six shutout innings holding the Dodger lineup at bay.

In the meantime, the Mariners’ offense would break through with an RBI single to right field off the bat of Mark Morgan that would score Jake Boylan after some savvy base running. The Mariners would add on more with a 2-RBI missile of a double to the left field wall by Brad Jones and another 2-RBI single by catcher Jack Dynes on an 0-2 count.

The final run of the barrage would be played via a wild pitch to give the Mariners a commanding 6-0 lead. After a phenomenal start by Larry Wood, he would toss the ball to the skip Steve Simmons who would finish off the final three innings to secure the first national tournament win for the Motor City Mariners!