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| Vipers 2010 AWL Champs |
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By Dan Hawkins 2/27/2010
Yuma, AZ. The Calgary Vipers are the 2010 AWL champions after defeating the San Luis Athleticos 8-1 in a game shortened to eight innings by the rain sweeping through southern Arizona.
The Vipers first baseman Steve Bralver was named the game's MVP, going 4 for 4 and 3 RBIs, including a two-run homerun in the first inning. Calgary's starting pitcher Marcus McKenzie was just as impressive, pitching eight innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out ten Athleticos hitters.
The Vipers got three runs in the first inning after Shane Sullivan doubled to lead off the game and then scored on a Danny Heller RBI single. Bralver then came up to the plate and crushed a ball over the left field fence to make the score 3-0 Calgary at that point.
San Luis got on the board in the bottom of the first inning with it's only run of the game after Toshi Sasa walked with one out and the next batter up, Domenic DiRicco, doubled to drive in Sasa. After one inning of play, it was 3-1 Calgary.
Calgary did not score again off San Luis starter Berek Fasking (3-2) until the sixth inning. Bralver led off the sixth with a single and after Jeff Hughes was retired on a fly ball to left field, Tony Kostelnik hit a double, scoring Bralver.
The Vipers got two unearned runs in the seventh inning after Sullivan hit his second double of the game with one out. Alex Hall was retired for the second out, then Danny Heller hit a ball to shortstop Pablo Garcia, who threw the ball over to first base, where Chase Fitzpatrick could not handle the throw and allowed the ball to get to the fence, pushing Heller to second base and scoring Sullivan. Bralver then came up with his third RBI of the game, singling home Heller.
The eighth inning proved Calgary with two more runs as Kostelnik walked and was moved to second on a Bryan Marquez single. A passed ball moved both runners up 90 feet to second and third base, setting up a two RBI single from Brandon Fowler one out later. This made the score 8-1 and proved to be the final margin of the game.
The game was delayed by rain in the bottom of the seventh inning with one out and two Athleticos on base. Toshi Sasa was at the plate with a 1-0 count when home plate umpire Dan Heredia called for a rain delay. Fortunately the delay only lasted 11 minutes as both teams got back out on the field. The game was eventuall called at 4:42 pm local time when the rains returned in force and made the field unsuitable for play. The game was ruled official after the eighth inning.
Calgary finished the season 13-9 and San Luis dropped to 13-9 for the year.
The 2010 AWL season ends with a record 57 players being signed to pro contracts, including Rylan Sandoval with the New York Mets and Ivan Villeascusa with Mexico City.
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