Our TV Antiques entry in the San Diego Memorial Day Tournament went 1-4.Three of the games were decided by one run.
We opened up with a 10-3 loss to the LA Dodgers. Jim Collins pitched better than the score indicated, but a collection of defensive mistakes followed by the Dodgers’ cashing in, kept the Dodgers in control of the game. We got the deficit down to 4-3 at one point, but then gave the Dodgers too many free outs.
We played better in the second game on Saturday. Kevin Spaise pitched himself into and out of trouble throughout the game. Lots of walks and then key strikeouts kept us close. We tied the score at 7-7 in the top of the 7th. Unfortunately, the San Diego Buzzards were home team. Sam Ceci drove a walk-off single to left for the win.
The Greenwood Ridge Dragons jumped ahead right away in the Sunday morning game. Final score was 13-1.
We got a win in the afternoon game on Sunday over the CA Tribe. Clyde Jones pitched well to keep us close. We went into the bottom of the sixth down 5-4. Robin South singled, stole second, and moved to third somehow. Randy Cobb walked. Denny Brown drove in the tying run with a hit, and John Hughes put us ahead with another single to drive in Cobb. Angelo Crudale relieved Clyde in the 7th to nail down the 6-5 win.
That resulted in a 6 seed for the playoffs. The top 4 teams were the Dragons, LA Dodgers, LA Athletics, and SD Storm. The SD Buzzards were the 5 seed, we were 6th based on head to head over the CA Tribe who were the 7 seed. The SD Heat were the 8 seed.
The Buzzards and Heat went extra innings, before the Buzzards won it.
In our semi-final game against the CA Tribe, the Tribe started hot, scoring 6 runs in the top of the first. We chipped away at the lead and got back in the game. We were behind 9-7 going into the bottom of the 7th. The Tribe brought in Carlos Bryson to close it out. Dave Douglas opened with a hit. Jim Kenney singled down the left field line with Douglas moving aggressively to third. With Kevin Spaise batting, John Hughes, Kenney’s courtesy runner, was caught stealing on what some of us thought was one of Bryson’s classic balk moves. Spaise walked. Denny Brown walked. Randy Cobb grounded out to drive in a run and bring us to 9-8. Angelo Crudale walked to load the bases back up with two outs. 
Panos Lagos worked the count to 3-2, and then smacked a line drive right at the second baseman. A couple of feet either way we win by one instead of losing by one.
The Tribe then beat the Buzzards in the finals of our bracket (Group 2).
Other winners: LA Athletics beat the Dragons in the finals of Group 1. The Seattle Silver Foxes beat Paladin in Group 3. The Taos Tortugas beat the Salt Lake City Dodgers in Group 4.
Jim Collins was our team MVP.
Team photo (left to right): Walt Boggan, Panos Lagos, Glenn Bowers, Jim Kenney, Mike Hanks, John Hughes, Denny Brown, Bill Bay, Greg D’Arte, Robin South, Randy Cobb, Jim Collins. Missing: Angelo Crudale, Dave Douglas, Clyde Jones, Kevin Spaise.
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