2024 60+ National

2024 60+ National

Boston Wolfpack 15, Tri-Valley Tribute 14

By Sterling Endicott

With a comeback for the ages, the Boston Wolfpack, trailing 14-1, came back to defeat the Tri-Valley Tribute in the 60 National Division championship game, 15-14.   The win was a culmination of a strong week for the Wolfpack who went 6-0 during pool play to secure the top seed.

Tri-Valley ambushed the Pack in the first inning, after an error that would have ended the inning scoreless, the next six straight batters got on and Tribute went up 6-0.  In the bottom half of the first, Boston scored an unearned run on a walk, error, and sac fly but Tri-Valley ripped five straight singles and a HBP in the second to knock out Pack starter Edgardo Mercado and take a 10-0 lead.

Joe Whitmer came in and got out of that inning but in the fourth, Tribute got five more hits and plated four more runs to go up 14-1 and the game wasn’t even half over.  Tri-Valley ace Gary Stonebrook, who pitched a complete game win over Team Victory the night before in the semifinals, was spinning a no-hitter through 4 1/3 innings.

With one out in the sixth, the Wolfpack finally got a second run on an Eddie Fuller single, an error, and another sac fly to cut the lead to 14-2 after six innings.  As Whitmer kept the Tribute in check, Boston quietly added three more in the seventh on four hits and four more runs in the eighth on five hits.

In the top of the ninth with the score 14-9, a tired Whitmer hit the first two batters and the Wolfpack brought in Jose Delgado who got out of the jam without allowing a run.  That set up Boston’s last at bat trailing by five.

Fuller led off the inning with a bunt single and then, the inherently cruel game of baseball flipped the script.  The Wolfpack ran the lineup, notching singles by Mike Smith, Delgado, Michael Kalfopoulos, German Rivera, David Oliver, Dave Benedict, Russ Ward, and Jack Held, scoring five runs and tying the score 14-14 with the bases loaded.  Mark Moise, who caught 6 ½ of the eight games, worked the count to 3-2 and then watched ball four, forcing in the winning run and earning Boston their first 60 World Series Championship!

“It’s never ova!”, said Boston’s Russ Ward, “We didn’t hear the fat lady so we just kept grinding.  That’s what makes baseball a special game and these guys in the dugout a special team.”  Whitmer was named game MVP for his relief effort giving the Pack a chance to win.