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Post Info TOPIC: Yankees claim bragging rights to first-ever 62s championship


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Yankees claim bragging rights to first-ever 62s championship


The inaugural season of the new 62s division in the Capital District Men's Senior Baseball League came to a close Thursday night at Watervliet HS, with the Yankees defeating the Arachnids by a score of 6-2 to claim the championship.

The Yankees, who drew the No. 1 seed with a regular season record of 11-4, went undefeated in the double-elimination tournament, beating the Pirates in their opening round game before pinning consecutive losses on the Arachnids. Despite starting the season 0-2, and limping to the finish line with injuries to Tom Maney, Joe Hervieux, Craig Miller and Paul Cerone that kept them out of the final, the Yankees prevailed over an Arachnids team that is loaded with veterans of championship play.

Two of the 62s division's best hurlers went toe to toe last night on the rubber. But it was the Yankees crafty righthander John Weber who outdueled Hall of Famer Darrell Duncan and contributed three hits at the plate to lead the Yankees to victory last night. Weber scattered five singles on the mound and allowed no earned runs in carving up the opposing lineup. He was aided by a solid infield defense that threw Arachnids runners out at the plate in both the first and fourth innings. Tony Nardacci was the pivotal table-setter for the Yankees as he reached base all four times from his leadoff spot with two doubles, a single and walk and two runs scored.

The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the opening frame on an RBI groundout by Ron Smaka and increased the lead to 2-0 in the bottom of the third when Nardacci laced his second double of the game and scored on a ground out by Pete Geannelis.

Kept off the scoreboard through the first five innings, the Arachnids broke through with a pair of runs in the top of the sixth when Nick Kanellis delivered a clutch two-run single to score Duncan and Ralph Caputo.

But the tie was short-lived, as the Yankees erupted for four runs in the bottom of the sixth. Steve Vangelder stroked an RBI single to break the tie, stole second, and scored a key insurance run when Weber followed with an RBI single. Will Ferguson broke the Arachnids backs with a two-out bases-loaded rope to right field to make it 6-2.

When Weber retired the Arachnids in order in the top of the seventh, the Yankees had earned the bragging rights to the first-ever 62s championship. It was second time Vangelder had managed a Yankees team to a championship in the inaugural season of a division, having guided the 2009 Yanks to the first undefeated season in CDMSBL history during the first year of the 53-division. Also noteworthy, Tom Maney and Tony Nardacci have now won CDMSBL championships in the 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and now 60s divisions.

Duncan, who struck out six in defeat, allowed eight hits, walked three and hit one batter. Wayne Nicholson, who played a solid shortstop, finished with two of the Arachnids five hits.


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Congratulations to the champion 62+ Yankees. The Arachnids knew we had to play a flawless game in all respects in order to have a chance to beat the Yankees, a complete and solid team, loaded with many winning playoff veterans. The Arachnids faltered and the Yankees took the proverbial inch and turned it into, not miles, but runs. Weber pitched an outstanding game. A class act by the men in pinstripes when they asked us to join them in a team photo.

I was honored to lead the Arachnids to the finals, a group of men that always played hard and played for each other. Thank you Arachnids.

dbwixon



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