March 22, 2007 — Although 40 Caliber let Anchor Dive get out to an early nine-run lead, they were able to storm back to nail them, 14-13, in their final at bat Thursday night in the losers bracket of the Bob Owens softball playoffs.
The game, a win-or-go-home affair for both teams, means Anchor Dive will have to say “Sayonara” until next year.
It was a tough loss for Anchor Dive, who, even after 40 Caliber came back to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh, had a chance to get out of the inning.
The score was tied at 13 with two outs, when 40 Caliber’s Freddie Benitez hit what looked liked a routine fly ball to center for what should have been the third out.
The center fielder, however, dropped the ball and Arthur Canaii was able to score from second to win the game.
Anchor Dive came up with three runs in the top of the first inning on RBI singles by Aldemar Santos and Carmelo Torres and a sac fly off the bat of Junior Antoine to take the early lead.
In the top of the second, Anchor Dive erupted for six more runs to push the score to 9-0 after three. Anchor Dive scored six runs on two three-run home runs by Torres and Antoine.
40 Caliber finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with a two-run shot by Angel Soto to now trail by 10-2 after four completed innings of play.
A solo shot by Sylvester Blake in the bottom of the inning brought 40 Caliber one run closer at 10-3 at the end of five.
Anchor Dive again failed to score in the top of the sixth, and 40 Caliber began their comeback in the bottom of the inning. They plated three more runs on three RBI singles by Wayne Scott, Blake, and Arthur Canaii to get to within four at 10-6 after six.
Anchor Dive then scored three runs in the top of the seventh for what seemed like enough insurance runs to pull out the win, but 40 Caliber had other ideas in their half of the inning.
First, Luis Cintron blasted a three-run shot, followed by an RBI single by Orlando Benitez to get to within three at 13-10. Blake, with two outs, then tied the game at 13 with his second home run of the game, a three-run shot high over the centerfield fence. After a single by Canaii, Freddie Benitez, one of the lighter hitters for 40 Caliber, came to the plate and hit the lazy fly ball to center that the center fielder misplayed, allowing the game-winning run to score.
Steve Nisky pitched the win for 40 Caliber, while Allan Woods got the loss for Anchor Dive. Top hitters for 40 Caliber were Soto (3-for-4 with a home run and two RBIs), Blake (2-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs), and Canaii (2-for-2 with two RBIs). For Anchor Dive, it was Torres (3-for-4 with a home run and five RBIs), Antoine (2-for-3 with a home run and four RBIs) and Santos (3-for-3 with two RBIs).
