2024 65+ Cactus
2024 65+ Cactus
Sacramento Royals 14, Motor City Firebirds 9
‘Stonebrook Nabs MVP Honors’
By Jim Tygrett-DeNuzzi, Royals Manager
The Sacramento Royals first attempt at the 65+ World Series Division ended up with a Cactus Division Championship going undefeated with an 8-0 record.
The home team Royals took the championship game 14-9 against a tough Motor City Firebirds team. The game went back and forth until the bottom of the seventh inning with the Royals behind 9-7.
The Royals then batted around, scoring six runs in the seventh. Ross McGehee started it off with a double, then Steve Welch drove him in with a single. After a single by Bob Wooden, Darryll Foster singled to drive in Welch, Mark Weathers drew a walk to load the bases, then Gary Stonebrook laced a 2-run single to right field. Taylor Welz reached base on a fielder’s choice and Dave Everingham drove in Stonebrook and Welz to finish the scoring.
In the eighth, singles by Welch and Wooden set up an RBI single by Foster to finish the scoring.
McGehee was the starting pitcher and toughed out 5+ strong innings throwing to catcher Welch, then Wayne Weinberger, throwing to catcher Jim Milligan, came in in the sixth and shut the Firebirds down. In the mid eighth inning, Welz relieved, throwing to Scott Reeves behind the dish, and finished the game. We used three pitcher catcher combinations in the championship game.
Foster, Everingham, and Scott Stevens each had two RBI during the game and we received some excellent defense from third baseman Bob Booth, center fielder Foster, and right fielder Rick Mejia.
The team MVP was Gary Stonebrook who threw back-to-back playoff shutouts, 9-0 and 1-0 to get the Royals to the championship. He also went 4-4 with three RBI in the championship game.
During pool play Tim Burkitt pitched in relief and probably had the hardest hit ball of the week to deep left centerfield. Tom DeFazio pitched a 7-inning shutout game, while Mike Borba, Tom Arguijo, and Art Scears filled in handily on offense and defense during pool play, and Dan Pearson, who kept the base runners on their toes coaching first base plus also playing, all contributed to an undefeated week.