2024 Limeport Mudcats Sweep Malvern Kings in Championship Series for 45+ Metropolitan Division Crown at Bux-Mont MSBL
Bux-Mont MSBL, 45+ Metropolitan Division
Limeport Mudcats 12, Malvern Kings 2 (Game two in best-of-three championship series sweep)
The Limeport MudCats became three-peat champions with a series sweep of the Malvern Kings in the 2024 Bux-Mont Metropolitan Division (45+) finals. The MudCats made a statement by winning both games via mercy rule taking Game One, 14-4, and Game Two, 12-2. With a sweep of the Franklin Red Sox in the semifinals, the Mudcats squad extended its postseason winning streak to eight games, dating back to 2023.
After the Kings jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning in Game One, the MudCats immediately answered with five runs of their own in the bottom of the frame off Carr – jump-started by Malvern miscues. After the first three batters drew walks, Vasquez tied the game with an RBI-grounder that resulted in an E-4.
First baseman Santiago Delgado made the Kings pay, launching a two-run double to put the MudCats on top for good, 3-1. A wild pitch allowed Vasquez to score the fourth run and a two-out, RBI-single by Hutchison completed the five-run inning.
That was all MudCats starting pitcher Josh Hillman needed. He scattered three runs over five innings to earn the complete-game victory, limiting the Kings to seven hits while striking out one.
The MudCats continued to extend their lead throughout the game, highlighted by a Pitsilos RBI-double in the second inning and his two-run single in the third. Limeport was rewarded for their patience, drawing 13 walks over five innings – nine of which came around to score.
Pitsilos and Hutchinson led Limeport with two-hits apiece, while Provence and Crupi both scored three runs.
In Game Two of the championship series, the MudCats took a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning off Kings’ starter Dan Carr and never looked back. Second baseman Luis Vasquez came through with a two-out RBI single scoring courtesy runner Josh Hillman to get the top-seed on the scoreboard first. A wild pitch then allowed shortstop Andy Pitsilos to plate a second run.
With the game tightened to 2-1 on a Rich Derafelo RBI-single in the top of the third, Limeport responded with a decisive blow in the bottom of the frame. With one out, centerfielder Matt Provence reached first and, after stealing a pair of bases, scored on an RBI single by pitcher Terry Crupi. After another single by shortstop Andy Pitsilos, Mudcats manager and catcher Keith Hawk cleared the bases with a two-run double and later scored on an RBI groundout by second baseman Luis Vasquez.
In case the 6-1 lead wasn’t going to be enough, the MudCats pounced on the Kings’ bullpen in the bottom of the fourth. Leftfielder Gary Hutchinson got things started with a leadoff double. Following a pair of walks issued to Sammy Castillo and right-fielder Rob Ruggeri, Provence was hit by a pitch to make it a 7-2 game. Crupi followed with a dagger – a base-clearing, three-run triple to extend the lead to eight. The next two batters, Pitsilos and Hawk, culminated the scoring with an RBI single apiece.
Crupi led the 13-hit attack going 3-for-3 with four RBI. Hawk (2-2, BB, 3 RBI) and Pitsilos (2-3, RBI) also contributed multi-hit games.
On the mound, Crupi allowed just two runs on six hits over four innings. Joe Kelly closed the series out with a perfect fifth inning, which included a strikeout
The top-seeded MudCats ended the regular season at 10-5, but had to come from behind in both semifinal wins over Franklin – both walk-off wins against one of the league’s premier pitchers, Chad Arnold.
Down 7-5 heading into the final inning of Game One, Limeport struck for three runs for the victory. The contest was tied after one-out RBI singles from Castillo and Ruggeri. With two on and two outs, Crupi delivered the game-winning single – significant, considering he also produced the 2023 Championship walk-off winner with two outs against Collegeville on the very same field.
Castillo entered the game in relief in the second inning and pitched 5.2 innings, allowing just two runs to earn the victory.
In Game Two, the MudCats clung to a 3-2 edge until Franklin took its first lead of the game with three runs in the top of the seventh. Limeport immediately tied the game in the bottom of the frame on a two-out, two-run single by Hutchison. In the bottom of the ninth, a one-out double by Hawk and a single by pitcher Julio Lebron set the stage for a game-winning sacrifice fly by Vasquez.
Lebron pitched 3.2 scoreless innings of relief to earn the win behind a solid start by Kelly. Impressively, Arnold tossed all 15.1 innings for the Red Sox, who just bumped up to the Metropolitan Division for the start of the 2024 season.