The curtain came down on the Raphael Jackson 2013 AA Baseball league Sunday at the D.C. Canegata Ball Park, but not before the last place Cobras beat the 40-Plus Hurricanes 10-9 in a thriller.
The cellar-dwelling Cobras had beaten every other team in the league except the Hurricanes, but that mission is accomplished.
Batting first, the Cobras showed their offensive intent by plating two runs on an RBI single by Leanardo Castillo and a Hurricanes error to take the early 2-0 lead. The 40-Plus Hurricane were equal to the task in the bottom of the inning as they tied the game at two on an RBI single by Tony Peguerro and a sacrifice fly off the bat of Tony Cruz, Jr.
The Cobras were back on the attack in the top of the second inning as they came up with two more runs on an RBI single by Leanardo D’Paula and Castillo to retake the lead at 4-2. The Hurricanes answered with one run in the bottom of the inning on Kenny Milligan’s sac fly to trail by one at the end of two completed innings, 4-3.
The Cobras extended their lead to 6-3 in the top of the third. An RBI single by Otoniel Perierra in the top of the fourth and the Cobras led 7-3. The Hurricanes got one back in the bottom of the inning on Cruz Soto’s RBI double to trail 7-4 at the end of four.
The Hurricanes closed the gap to within one run as they picked up two unearned runs in the bottom of the fifth after the Cobras failed to score in the top of the inning.
Cruz’s sac fly in the bottom of the seventh tied the game at seven after seven innings of play.
The Cobras picked up the go-ahead run in the top of the eighth on yet another Hurricanes miscue, but the ‘Canes were able to tie the game at eight in their half of the inning on Juan Burgos’s sac fly.
The Hurricanes got two quick outs in the top of the ninth, but with two on and two out, Jose Guerra delivered a two-run double that proved to be the game-winner. Trailing 10-8 in the bottom of the inning, the Canes tried to rally to tie or win. They came up with one run on Dwayne Brannigan’s RBI single, but it was not enough.
Castillo got the win on the hill for the Cobras, while David Samuel took the loss. Top batters for the winners were Castillo (4 for 5 with two RBIs), Guerra (3 for 5 with two RBIs), Grayson Ryland was (2 for 4). For the Hurricanes, Peguerro was 4 for 5 with one RBI, Soto 2 for 2 with one RBI and Cruz, Jr., was 1 for 4 with one RBI.
