The 62s Yankees put the wraps on a magical season with a 15-3 victory over the Arachnids on Wednesday evening at New Scotland Park to successfully defend their league title. The win came on the heels of Monday's 12-3 win in Game 1 for a sweep in the best of 3 championship series, and capped off a 17-1 overall season record.
While the Yankees had to wait until the final out was made to enjoy their traditional post-game cooler session, it was obvious from the get-go that on this evening, ''It was Miller time.'' Craig Miller tossed a complete game on the hill and added a fence-clearing two-run bomb to left field in the sixth inning to ''tap the keg'' and put the game on ice. In all, the Yankees pounded out 21 hits against Arachnids starter Stefan Koustakis and reliever Wayne Nicholson.
As has been the case all season, leadoff batter Tony Nardacci set the table with a single and stolen base, and moved to third on a Paul Post base hit. Nardacci raced home on a ground out by Bob Holmes, and Ron Smaka drilled a single to center to score Post for a 2-0 Yankees lead. A double by Steve Vangelder and another hit in Nardacci's second trip to the plate helped boost the lead to 4-0 after two innings of play.
But the Arachnids, who owned the only win of the year over the Yankees, battled back with a two-spot of their own in the bottom of the third. With the bases loaded and two outs, John Reel squared up his lumber on a Miller delivery and plated two runs with a line shot to right field. A ground out to Holmes at third limited the damage.
It would stay a close game at 4-2 until the top of the fifth when the Yankees exploded for five runs, and tacked on two more in the sixth on Miller's dinger.
The Arachnids managed seven hits in the game and worked four walks and two hit batters off Miller, but they also hit into three double plays to squelch some potential rallies. Koustakis had two of those hits to lead the Arachnids, while Nicholson and Darrell Duncan added doubles.
The Yankees were paced at the plate by two hits each from Angel Rodriguez, Jim McQuade, Will Ferguson, Kevin Carpenter, Nardacci, Post and Vangelder.
It was the second straight finals appearance for the Arachnids, who reeled off seven consecutive victories before running into the buzzsaw Yankees, who captured their second straight title in the two-year existence of the 62s division.
-- Edited by adtimbrown on Thursday 1st of September 2022 07:39:55 AM
Congratulations to both the Yankees and the Arachnids for well played seasons.
My cheer is not only for the guys on both clubs, but for the fact that 62-and-up guys are both players and athletes, gray hairs still moving sharply about. These past two games, topped off by Craig's terrific pitching and hitting on Thursday night, reflects that exactly.
The neat thing is that the stories from the games and then the expanding rumors about them (which is what happens to stories, they grow over time, so at one point someone will say: "Did you see? There are ninety-year-olds still playing baseball? Yeah, I heard about it. Some place just outside Albany. Tim Brown supposed to have written a story about it.") just may encourage other gray hairs, or gray hairs in the making, to join or stay in the game. Let's hope.
You guys probably didn't know that while pursuing athletic glory you may also have been performing a public service?
Well, odds exist you did that.
If so, I'm glad for it. Keep it up.
-Mike
-- Edited by mikehart on Friday 2nd of September 2022 01:49:15 AM
Hearty congratulations to the Damn Yankees for winning the 62 Championship this season. From all of the Arachnids andTwins. You guys are extremely tough on the field and the fact that we(Arachnids) were able to chalk up a win against you earlier in the season is a bit of consolation for us . But theres no question that you guys are the top talent of the 62s this year. Take care of yourselves.
-- Edited by crowbait on Friday 2nd of September 2022 06:19:05 PM
-- Edited by crowbait on Friday 2nd of September 2022 07:46:50 PM
Congrats to the Damn Yankees on great season & Championship! You guys obviously still have your groove going. I played in Salisbury,Md this Spring with a nice group of guys. Good hitting & fielding but no pitching depth compared to the CDMSBL!
Heres to your continued health & success , Gregg W
__________________
Gregg Woolston
Damn Yankees 55+ over
gwool08@gmail.com
