Championship Final Series: Sunsets' Late Rally In Game 3 Clinches Sweep Of Tritons

                For the first time in 28 seasons, the Sunrise Sunsets have won a league championship.
                The Twilighters rallied for four runs in the bottom of the eighth and then held on for an 11-10 win over the Tri-Cities Triton in Game 3 of the Championship Final Series to complete the sweep.
                Ryan Thompson's three run home run in the eighth tied the contest and then, later in the inning, a seeing eye single by Eric Bigham brought home Jimmy Schariest with the go ahead run.
                Thompson began the game as the Sunsets' starting pitcher and was on the hook for the loss until his blast tied the score. Thompson pitched four and two thirds innings, allowing five earned runs on 10 hits, but remained in the game after yielding the mound duties to Jason Van Tol.
                It was Van Tol, who permitted one run on two hits in four and a third innings of relief, who earned the win.
                Eric Silverberg started for the Water Dwellers, but lacked his normal sharpness and surrendered six runs on just five hits in two and two thirds. Tre Dingus was charged with the loss after allowing one run on one hit and three walks in a third of an inning.
                The Sunsets opened the scoring with a pair of runs in the bottom of the first. Chris Price's RBI double sent Ronnie Rocca home, and an RBI single by Tommy Tritz delivered Price. The Tritons, with their backs to the wall after losing the first two games of the best of five series, struck back four four runs in the top of the second. A pair of Sunset errors, a sacrifice fly by Dingus, and an RBI single by Jay Warman put the Sons of Poseidon in front.
                The lead did not last long, however, as the Twilighters tied the score with two runs in the bottom of the frame on a two run home run by Schariest.
                In the third, the 'Sets took a 6-4 lead on an RBI double by Demetrio Green and a run scoring single by Thompson.
                In the top of the fourth, the Tritons tied the score at 6-6 when Zac Miller drilled a two run home run. The Water Dwellers then added three runs in the fifth, keyed by a two run single by Dingus, to build a 9-6 advantage. 
                The Sunsets cut the gap to 9-7 in the bottom of the fifth, picking up a run when Tritz brought home Mike Govern with a two out RBI single. The score remained the same until the eighth.
                In the top of the frame, the Tritons got an insurance run as Agner "Management" Martinez delivered a two out, pinch hit, RBI single to center to score Jay Warman. However, the Tritons' coverage would prove to be insufficient.
                In the bottom of the inning, with reliever Matt Arlick in his fifth inning of work, his longest outing since returning from an elbow injury suffered earlier this season, Tritz led off with a ringing double. Green drew a walk and up stepped Thompson, representing the tying run.
                Thompson unloaded a arching shot to deep left center that easily cleared the fence for a game tying home run.
                After getting the first out of the inning on a pop up, Arlick felt severe pain in his elbow after falling behind Schariest, two balls and one strike. The Tritons replaced Arlick with Dingus, who had taken the loss as starting pitcher in Game 2. Dingus clearly lacked his best stuff as he walked Schariest, unloaded a wild pitch, and yielded an RBI single to Bigham that put the Sunsets in front, 11-10.
                After Bigham was out attempting to steal, Dingus walked Cal Menechino and Mike Govern before being replaced on the hill by Warman, who escaped the jam without further incident.
               Down to their last three outs, the Tritons reached Van Tol for a hustling one out double by Magdiel Sanchez. After John Hardardt pinch ran for Sanchez, Van Tol issued a two out walk to Dingus to put the go ahead runners on base, but then recovered to retire Warman, last season's league MVP, on a pop up to Green at first.
                As the ball settled in Green's glove, the Twilighters, including injured player/manager Brandon Hull, still with his arm in a cast after Thursday's surgery. swarmed the field in celebration.
                After the game the editors of South Florida Baseball Report voted Tritz the Playoff MVP award winner. 
                In the playoffs, Tritz had two complete game wins and a 1.50 ERA, as well as, hitting .367 with six RBI and eight runs scored. It was the second time that Tritz has been so honored in his career.
                For the Tritons, this marked their second consecutive fruitless trip to the Championship Final Series. Manager Mike Whittaker, however, optimistically noted that he will have the core of his team returning for next season's championship run. The Sunsets, too, should expect to be fit for their reign as champions, as Hull should retain the nucleus of his title winning club.
                Game 2 Highlights-Twilighters Trounce Tritons: The Sunrise Sunsets took a commanding two games to none lead in the best of five Championship Final Series with a 12-3 win over the Tri-Cities Tritons in Game 2.
                Tommy Tritz turned in a complete game performance for the Twilighters, scattering eight hits, walking none, hitting two, and striking out 13.
                Tre Dingus started for the Water Dwellers and was charged with the loss after permitting four earned runs on five hits in six innings. Dingus walked four, hit a batter, and fanned three.
                The Sunsets took a quick 4-0 lead in the top of the first. After two were out, Chris Price drilled a single to center, stole second, and scored on an RBI single by Tritz. After Demetrio Green drew a walk, Ryan Thompson's two run double gave the Sunsets a 3-0 advantage. An error allowed Thompson to score the fourth run of the inning.
                Ronnie Rocca's RBI single in the top of the sixth scored Eric Bigham, giving the 'Sets a 5-0 advantage.
                In the bottom of the frame, however, the Tritons struck for three runs to pull to within two. An RBI single by Adrian Roznowski and a throwing error accounting for the scoring.
                The Sunsets responded with four runs in the top of the seventh, highlighted by a two run single by Jimmy Schariest and a two run double by Rocca, before adding three more runs in the eighth. Jason Van Tol's two run single capped the scoring.
                Tritz, Rocca, Thompson, and Price led the Twilighters with two hits each. Rocca drove in three runs, Thompson and Schariest drove home two a piece. Dingus had three hits for the Tritons.
                The Sunsets were without player/manager Brandon Hull, who had been playing with an elbow injury since mid-season. Hull, who had switched over to first base to try and play with the injury, finally submitted to Tommy John surgery on Thursday and is out for the rest of the series.
                The Tritons find themselves in the same position as they were in last season's Championship Final Series, trailing two games to none. Last season, the Tritons rallied to win Games 3 and 4 before succumbing to the Broward Cubs in the fifth and final game.
                In hopes of extending the series, the Tritons are expected to send Eric Silverberg to the hill in Game 3 on Saturday. During the season, Silverberg compiled a 2-5 record, but had a sterling 2.57 ERA. The Sunsets are expected to tab Ryan Thompson as their Game 3 starter as they seek a series sweep. Thompson went 4-0 with a dazzling 1.45 ERA in the regular campaign.
                Game 1 Recap-Sunsets Shutout Tritons: The Sunrise Sunsets triumphed in the opening game of the Championship Final Series with a 2-0 whitewash of the Tri-Cities Tritons.
                Kyle Ruwe tossed a complete game five hitter, striking out 10, and walking none. John Hardardt started for the Water Dwellers and suffered the hard luck loss. Hardardt allowed one earned run on just two hits in five innings. Hardardt walked three, hit three, and fanned seven.
                After a scoreless first inning, the Twilighters got on the board in the bottom of the second. Tommy Tritz led off with a single, but Hardardt fanned the next two batters before Jimmy Schariest reached on an error. Hardardt hit Cal Menechino with a pitch to load the bases and then Eric Bigham battled back from an 0-2 count to draw a walk that forced home Tritz.
                In the fifth, the Sunsets increased their advantage as Brandon Hull led off with a soft single to right, stole second, advanced to third when Tritz bounced into a force play, and scored on a wild pitch.
                Ruwe worked around a two out single by Tre Dingus in the sixth and a leadoff single by Zac Miller in the seventh, but, otherwise, held the Tritons at bay.
                In fact, the Tritons had only two runners advance as far as second all game. In the top of the second, Denzel Nickerson singled with one out and stole second and third, but was left stranded. In the fourth, with Tritons trailing by a run, Jay Warman led off with a single, but was erased on an unorthodox double play and he tried to go all the way to third as Miller grounded out to short.
                On the play, Hull, who was forced to move to first base to accommodate his damaged throwing elbow, took the throw and was able to will the ball across the diamond to retire Warman at third. It almost certainly will be Hull's last memorable throw of the season as he is scheduled to undergo Tommy John surgery next week.
                One bright note for the Tritons was the perfect outing turned in by reliever Matt Arlick, who retired all nine batters he face, striking out six. Unfortunately for the Sons of Poseidon, Ruwe also retired the final nine batters he faced, as well.
                The Tritons will try and recover, while the Sunsets will hope to increase their lead, as the series continues with Game 2, scheduled for Tuesday night. The Tritons will send Dingus to the hill, while the Sunsets are expected to counter with Ryan Thompson.

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