2006 PCBL Summer Season Wood Bat Champions

Red Sox Sock it to the Cubs to claim Summer Wood Bat Title
By Scot Sweet / PCBL Staff Writer   

It was another beautiful evening at El Cariso Park in Sylmar for this year's Summer Wood Bat Championship between the #1 seed Cubs (10-1) and the #3 seed Red Sox (8-1-1). Five weeks prior to this championship contest, the Red Sox dominated the Cubs in league play at Birmingham high school, shutting them out by a convincing 12-0 margin. They would come back in this championship as the underdogs to the top seed, hoping to recreate the events of August 3rd and thereby capture the Summer Wood Bat Championship.
  
The visiting Red Sox draw first blood in the top of the 1st inning with 2 runs on 4 hits, including RBI singles from Ethan Slimak and Steve Nelson. The Cubs would come back with a run in the bottom of the inning due due a shaky start by the Sox starting pitcher who allows 4 walks in the inning to force home a run.
  
The Sox add another pair of runs in the top of the 2nd, courtesy of RBI singles by Ethan Slimak (his second RBI single in as many at bats) and Justin Collins. The White Sox extend their lead to 4-1 through an inning and a half. Back come the Cubs in the bottom of the 2nd inning with 2 runs of their own; brought on by an RBI single from Juan Fernandez, a single by Stan Spancer and a second consecutive base on balls by Anthony Chevrier. The Cubs pull to within one, now trailing 4-3 through two complete innings.
  
The 3rd inning goes scoreless as the Sox come up in the top of the 4th to try and extend upon their narrow 1-run lead. Gibby Munoz leads off with a walk; followed by leadoff hitter Jarrod Schwartz who singles to put two runners on. The next two batters would be retired, sending up the always dangerous Justin Collins who walks to load the bases for Steve Nelson. A balk on the pitcher would send a runner home and a pass ball would score a second run for the Sox. Shortly thereafter, Nelson would bang an RBI double to give the Sox 3 runs in the inning; now leading 7-3.
  
The scoring would stop until the top of the 7th inning. The Red Sox hold a 7-3 lead and would send up Justin Collins who starts things off with a leadoff double. The next two batters would be retired, sending up Rob Coppola with one on and two out. He doubles home Collins. Josh Nadler is the next batter and he slaps an RBI single to keep the inning alive for Landon Bress. Bress singles home Nadler to keep the ball rolling for Gibby Munoz, who adds to the hit parade with an RBI single of his own. The Red Sox would settle for 4 runs on 5 hits and would now take a commanding 11-3 lead in this Summer Wood Bat Championship.
  
The Cubs would be unable to get any offense going in the bottom of the 7th, sending the Red Sox up in the top of the 8th with a huge 8 run lead and little to worry about at this point. To make matters worse for the Cubs, they promptly add 3 more runs in the inning; courtesy of singles by Ethan Slimak (his third), Justin Collins (his third hit and second RBI) and Steve Zorn (his third hit, producing 2 RBI's).
  
The Red Sox extend to a 14-3 lead through 7 1/2 innings of play and they never look back; holding the Cubs to 3 runs on 6 hits and defeating the top seed in grand fashion by a final score of 14-3. The Sox rack up 14 runs on 19 hits in the type of offensive flurry that they have been known for many times in the season.
  
Congratulations to the 2006 Summer Wood Bat Champion Red Sox for such a convincing championship victory!
  
Game MVP: The MVP award would have to be split in this championship game. First, to the Red Sox offense as a whole; who can credit every player in their lineup with at least 1 base hit!
  
Secondly, to well-rounded Red Sox pitching. Starter Raul M. pitched 5 complete innings, allowing 3 runs (2 earned) on 3 hits and struck out 4; which was great considering he struggled in the first inning after allowing 4 walks and then regrouped to have a good outing. Seth Schornick and Austin Bryant both served 2 solid innings of relief, holding the Cubs scoreless the rest of the way and giving up only 3 hits between them. A solid combined relief performance by the duo!