2019 PCBL Major Division Spring Championship
August 3-4, 2019 @ College of the Canyons / Conejo Creek
Team Roccos (10-7-1) -vs- Platoon (18-0)
Photos
 

The Spring 2019 Major Championship Series pitted two of the PCBL's best against each other - the 3-seeded Team Rocco's against the top-seeded Platoon.  While Team Rocco's fought hard all season to finish with a 10-7-1 record, the Platoon took the easy route, going 18-0 in the regular season and receiving a bye in the opening round of the playoffs.  The sole blemish on the Platoon's season was a loss to the Spring 2018 champion Blue Jays in the semi-finals.  Would that motivate the Platoon to finish what they started, or was that the vulnerability that Team Rocco's needed to see?

 

 

 

Game 1

 

Kyle Raskin took the mound for Platoon and worked around a walk for a quiet first.  Rob Orozco took the mound for the visiting Rocco's in the bottom of the inning and ran into trouble early.  Tim LeSuer walked, and Chad Avena and Sal D'Angelo followed with back-to-back hit by pitches, loading the bases.  Steve McGrath cashed in one run with a sac fly, and Jimmy Loyd singled home another.  After 1 inning, Platoon led 2-0.

 

The second inning wasn't much better for Orozco, as Robert Reeves Jr led off with a single.  He moved into scoring position on a ground out, and scored on a 2-out single by Avena.  D'Angelo singled, and McGrath walked to load the bases again, but Orozco escaped the jam.

 

 

 

With Raskin cruising along putting up zeroes, the Platoon put up more offense in the bottom of the 4th.  Raskin helped his own cause and led off with a single.  LeSuer folowed with a single of his own, and one out later, D'Angelo singled home one, and McGrath doubled home another.  After 4 complete, the Platoon had a 5-0 lead.

 

But that's when Team Rocco's decided to finally show up.  With one out in the top of the 5th, Rob Orozco singled, and Christian Cardenas was hit by a pitch.  Alex Dinsmore promptly doubled both runs home, cutting the lead to 5-2.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Both teams settled in for a few innings, with the score still 5-2 heading into the 7th.  Team Rocco's needed some runs, and their rally looked pretty similar to the last time.  Orozco led off with a single, and Cardenas doubled him to 3rd.  One out later, Brian Bistagne singled home the pair and chased Raskin from the game.  Ryan Brockett entered and stopped the bleeding, but Platoon's lead was cut to 5-4.

 

As they had all season, Platoon answered back in the bottom of the inning.  McGrath led off reaching on an error.  Jimmy Loyd and Jeff Bezjian each singled to load the bases, but McGrath was cut down at home on a fieler's choice off the bat of Gio Mazzloa for the first out.  But Robert Reeves Jr cashed in a pair on a 2-run single, and then with 2 outs, Tim LeSuer doubled in 2 more.  Back-to-back walks chased Orozco from the game, but the damage was already done.  After 7 complete, Platoon led 9-4.

 

 

Brockett worked a quick 8th, striking out a pair, before Platoon put the game on ice.  Jimmy Loyd led off with a single, but was caught stealing.  Jeff Bezjian followed with a single, and Gio Mazzola walked.  Reeves Jr singled for his third hit of the game to load the bases, and with 2 outs, pinch hitter Eddie Knips singled home one.  Another pinch hitter Adrian Rodriguez singled home another, and Platoon led 11-4 heading into the 9th.

 

It only took Brockett 8 pitches to shut the door in the 9th, and the Platoon took game 1 with a final score of 11-4.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Game 2

 

 

With a championship in their sights, the Platoon sent Cy Young runner-up Zach Mercer to the mound to bring home the trophy.  Team Rocco's countered with Andy Frakes.  Both pitchers worked a quiet first before Platoon made some noise in the 2nd and 3rd.

 

Steve McGrath hit a triple to lead off the second, scoring 1 pitch later on a Jimmy Loyd single.  Tim LeSuer led of the third with a double, scoring one out later on a Sal D'Angelo single, making it 2-0.

 

Mercer ran into some trouble in the bottom of the 3rd, as Christian Cardenas and Evan Steinmetz reached on back-to-back one-out singles.  But Cardenas was picked off second by Mercer, who escaped the jam unscathed.

 

 

 

Rocco's finally got on the board in the bottom of the 5th.  Martin Orozco Jr walked, and Cardenas reached on an error.  Alex Dinsmore knocked in Orozco, reaching on an error himself, and Rocco's trailed 2-1 after 5.

 

But like last game, and the entire season, Platoon came storming right back.  In the top of the 6th, LeSuer led off with another double.  Chad Avena singled him to 3rd, and Sal D'Angelo singled him home.  Adrian Rodriguez, running for D'Angelo, swiped second, and McGrath plated Avena on a sac fly.  Jimmy Loyd concluded the scoring with an rbi-single of his own, and Platoon extended their lead to 5-1.

 

 

 

Platoon continued to put on the pressure in the 7th and 8th.  Robert Reeves Jr led off the 7th with a double, scoring on an rbi-ground out by Anthony Gallo.  In the 8th, Avena led off with a single, moved into scoring position after Steve McGrath walked, and scored on a Jimmy Loyd single.  With Mercer putting up zeroes, Platoon took a 7-1 lead into the bottom of the 9th.

 

With their backs truly against the wall, Team Rocco's had one last hurrah in them.  Zach Wiley led off with a single, moving into scoring position on a Nick Dinsmore groundout.  With 2 outs, Andy Frakes singled him home, but that was all Rocco's had in them.  Mercer struck out the final batter he faced, and Platoon brought home the title.

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to Team Rocco's, who's shown great improvement the last few years to become one of the top major division teams!  But this series, and season, belong to the Platoon - your Spring 2019 Major Champions!