NALB 2015 Playoffs - League 2 Series

K. Fields
2016-10-02T18:29:36-04:00
Baseball

2015 League 2 Series - St. James Crusaders (83-79) vs. Key West Corals (106-56)

Game 1: Key West 12, St. James 4
Game 2: St. James 3, Key West 3
Game 3: Key West 4, St. James 0
Game 4: St. James 7, Key West 1
Game 5: St. James 2, Key West 1
Game 6: Key West 6, St. James 1
Game 7: Key West 6, St. James 5

There was increased fan interest in St. James this season as the Crusaders reached the playoffs for the first time in thirteen seasons. A lot of the credit goes to rookie manager Paddy Willis. If the Crusaders were a bit of a surprise in 2015, no one was surprised with the success of the Key West Corals. Led by legendary manager Piero Snell, the Corals had League 2’s best pitching staff and best offense. They were a powerhouse team, which won 106 games.

The Crusaders Cory Gregory (13-9, 3.66 ERA) got the first postseason start of his career. The Corals felt confident at home with the league’s best pitcher, Ronaldo ‘Groove Thing’ Mijangos (21-7, 2.72 ERA), on the mound. The Corals flexed their muscles with five home runs, including two by third baseman Adelmo Porcayo. Key West looked nearly unstoppable as they cruised to a 12-4 win in game one.

In game two, the Crusaders started Anastasio Urbáez (10-14, 4.29 ERA) against the Corals Whitney Sanders (10-10, 3.92 ERA). The Corals put up two runs in the first inning before the pitchers settled in. The Crusaders tied the game in the eighth. Catcher MacMorris Holter hit a solo home run in the ninth as St. James evened the series with a 3-2 victory.

Crusaders fans looked to give their team a lift as the series shifted to St. James. Key West started the reliable Mario Torralbo (11-6, 3.45 ERA) while St. James started Wen Xiong (16-11, 3.25 ERA). Game three was very well pitched on both sides. Xiong pitched eight innings and gave up two runs. Torralbo was a bit better, however. He lasted seven innings but gave up only two hits and no walks while striking out nine. The Corals prevailed 4-0.

Not wanting to waste opportunities at home, the Crusaders looked to rebound in game four. Jesús Martínez (15-7, 3.46 ERA) was named the starter for the Corals. The Crusaders opted for Cory Gregory to start his second game of the series. Thanks to ten hits and nine walks plus solid pitching, St. James easily cruised to a 7-1 win.

Game five was the last game in St. James and the Crusaders made it count. Mijangos vs. Urbáez was a great pitching duel. Each pitcher surrendered only a single run and the game went into extra innings. In the bottom of the 13th inning, second baseman Brett Scheer singled home the winning run. Crusaders 2, Corals 1.

In Key West, there was a nervous energy in the stadium for game six. The fans knew their beloved Corals were one loss away from ending a magical season that produced 106 regular season wins. Thankfully for them, their team had no such jitters. Whitney Sanders out-pitched Wen Xiong as Key West convincingly defeated St. James 6-1. The Corals had 14 hits and 3 home runs to go along with excellent pitching.

With everything on the line in game seven, the Crusaders started Cory Gregory for the third time. The Corals went with proven veteran Mario Torralbo as their starting pitcher. An error by center fielder José Hernández cost the Crusaders in the first inning. It contributed to a three run inning for the Corals. The Crusaders came back, however, tying the game 4-4 in the top of the sixth. The Corals quickly took the lead back in the bottom half of the sixth. An error by Crusaders shortstop helped the Corals put two more runs on the board. Down 6-4 in the ninth inning, St. James staged a comeback. They pulled within a run and had a baserunner on third with no outs. Key West’s star closer, Almandeto Trillio, struck out three batters in a row to seal the 6-5 win. The Corals won the series, four games to three.

For his fine play, even in a losing effort, St. James third baseman Hsiao-lou Yuan was given the series Most Valuable Player Award. He hit .406, scored 4 runs and batted in 4 to win the honor.