NALB 2015 World Championship Series - Game 1

K. Fields
2016-10-05T19:15:09-04:00
Baseball

The NALB 2015 World Championship Series features two powerhouse teams—the Key West Corals (106-56) and the Brooklyn Knights (115-47). The last time two NALB teams with over 100 wins played for the championship was 2009 when the Knights faced the Stade Maples.

Pitching for Key West in the opener was Ronaldo ‘Groove Thing’ Mijangos (21-7, 2.72 ERA). Mijangos started his major league career with the Corals in 2004. After six seasons in Key West, he signed as a free agent with the Knights. His four seasons in Brooklyn produced a 56-30 record. He returned to the Corals in 2015 and delivered another terrific season. The Knights starter in game one was Tony Tamayo (18-7, 3.59 ERA), a 25 year old righty with a 98 mph fastball and a devastating curveball. Tamayo led the NALB in strikeouts this season with 273, a personal best.

Both teams are known for good hitting and power hitting in particular. The Corals put that power to good use in the opener. An infield single by Ricardo Gonzaléz started the game. He scored on a Yuan Li double. Next, third baseman Adelmo Porcayo blasted a shot to left field, which traveled over 470 feet. Key West had a quick 3-0 lead. The Knights scratched out a run in the fifth inning thanks in part to an error by Porcayo. They could manage no more scoring against Corals pitching, however. Catcher Matthew Loy hit a solo home run in the top of the eighth to provide extra insurance for the formidable Corals bullpen. Key West had won the first game on the road. One point of note was Tony Tamayo’s amazing 13 strikeout performance, which set a new NALB playoff record.

Final score: Key West 4, Brooklyn 1

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Key West     3 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0   4  6  1
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0   1  6  0

W: R. Mijangos
L: T. Tamayo
S: A. Trillio