15-Nationals

Pepe’s Sports Page 18AAA Player of the Week MOSES PICHARDO (ST. LUCIE DODGERS) Three-run homer carries Dodgers into playoffs with win over Reds 18AAA Pitcher of the Week JEREMY DOOLEY (STARS) Fires one-hitter with 8 K’s as Stars whip Cardinals Pepe’s Sports Page 18AA Player of the Week JOHN ORRICO (HURRICANES) Celebrates birthday with seven hits in Hurricanes’ twin bill 18AA Pitcher of the Week JOSE PENA (HURRICANES) Six hitter, 7Ks nails down regular season title for the Canes Players and Pitchers of the week receive a $10 gift certificate from the Sports Page, Jog and Lantana Rds, Lantana in shopping center, redeemable for food and beverages. Weekly awards mailed to team managers.

Pepe’s Sports Page 18AAA Player of the Week MOSES PICHARDO (ST. LUCIE DODGERS) Three-run homer carries Dodgers into playoffs with win over Reds 18AAA Pitcher of the Week JEREMY DOOLEY (STARS) Fires one-hitter with 8 K’s as Stars whip Cardinals Pepe’s Sports Page 18AA Player of the Week JOHN ORRICO (HURRICANES) Celebrates birthday with seven hits in Hurricanes’ twin bill 18AA Pitcher of the Week JOSE PENA (HURRICANES) Six hitter, 7Ks nails down regular season title for the Canes Players and Pitchers of the week receive a $10 gift certificate from the Sports Page, Jog and Lantana Rds, Lantana in shopping center, redeemable for food and beverages. Weekly awards mailed to team managers.

The Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to nip the Caribbean Stars 5-4 to win the 18AAA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. The Daytona Beach Rangers edged the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 to cop the 18AA title. Click on headline for the complete story. Click on Standings (Citrus Classic) for the final pool standings. INDIANS RALLY TO NIP STARS IN AAA FINAL The Palm Beach Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Caribbean Stars 5-4 and annex the 18AAA Championship in the NABA's first Citrus Classic Tournament. Though they led for much of the game 3-0, the Indians went to the final inning trailing 4-3. With two outs, Billy Shore lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle to ignite what proved to be the winning rally. Chris Murphy, who earlier in the tournament had hit three home runs in one game against the Stars, ripped an 0-2 pitch to the left field fence that just eluded Stars' leftfielder Amado Dinzey. It was a long single and scored Shore all the way from first. Rob Wiley followed a long single down the left field line sending pinch runner Andy Lewis to third. Matt Bautz than cracked a hard ground ball to third that got by Jose Espino, Lewis trotting home with the winning run. Earlier, Lewis provided the Indians with their first run on a solo, first inning home run, the first of his three hits. Wiley's sacrifice fly made it two nothing after Jared Green and Lewis and an infield error loaded the bases in the fourth. They upped it to 3-0 the next inning on Billy Campbell's two out RBI single. The Stars, shut out for five innings by the Indians' Zack Hackley finally hit the board in the 6th. Juan Perez was hit by a pitch. Jose Guillen doubled down the left field line and both scored on a sacrifice fly to short right field hit by Jose Espino and an error. The Stars got two more in the top of the ninth when Trovin Valdez doubled, stole third and scored on a wild throw. They took a 4-2 lead on Rudy Garcia's two out single, only to have the Indians win it in the bottom of the inning. Hackey went the route, giving up six hits and fanning nine. The loss went to lefthander Jeremy Dooley who had registered eight straight outs until the Tribe rallied. The Indians claimed their first NABA national tournament title and their third Florida tournament championship. They had previously won the now defunct Sunshine Classic twice, including the last one in 1998 at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter. DAYTONA TOPS CHICAGO IN AA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The Daytona Beach Rangers completed a perfect 5-0 slate by downing the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 at Lantana Sports Complex to capture the 18AA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. Catcher Tony Felt doubled home a run in the first inning to give the Rangers a 1-0 advantage. Chicago came back to take a short lived 2-1 lead with two runs in the third. Two walks, a double steal, an infield out and an RBI single by Joe Ogrodnik put the River Bandits on top 2-1. Daytona Beach, however, regained the lead on a two-run triple by Craig Corbett in the bottom of the third. They added an insurance run in the 6th on back to back singles by Andy Boysen and Corbett and a sacrifice fly by Clint Hendry. The Chicagoans found themselves short handed when six of their players had to leave for the return trip home. Pool players from the Palm Beach league kept them in the game however, including pitcher Dwayne Cabral who went the distance but suffered a tough luck defeat. An errant throw after striking out a batter in the third allowed Corbett to bat and his triple proved the back breaker. Lefthander Armand Molleur went eight innings for the win and manager Bruce Wile pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save.

The Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to nip the Caribbean Stars 5-4 to win the 18AAA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. The Daytona Beach Rangers edged the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 to cop the 18AA title. Click on headline for the complete story. Click on Standings (Citrus Classic) for the final pool standings. INDIANS RALLY TO NIP STARS IN AAA FINAL The Palm Beach Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Caribbean Stars 5-4 and annex the 18AAA Championship in the NABA's first Citrus Classic Tournament. Though they led for much of the game 3-0, the Indians went to the final inning trailing 4-3. With two outs, Billy Shore lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle to ignite what proved to be the winning rally. Chris Murphy, who earlier in the tournament had hit three home runs in one game against the Stars, ripped an 0-2 pitch to the left field fence that just eluded Stars' leftfielder Amado Dinzey. It was a long single and scored Shore all the way from first. Rob Wiley followed a long single down the left field line sending pinch runner Andy Lewis to third. Matt Bautz than cracked a hard ground ball to third that got by Jose Espino, Lewis trotting home with the winning run. Earlier, Lewis provided the Indians with their first run on a solo, first inning home run, the first of his three hits. Wiley's sacrifice fly made it two nothing after Jared Green and Lewis and an infield error loaded the bases in the fourth. They upped it to 3-0 the next inning on Billy Campbell's two out RBI single. The Stars, shut out for five innings by the Indians' Zack Hackley finally hit the board in the 6th. Juan Perez was hit by a pitch. Jose Guillen doubled down the left field line and both scored on a sacrifice fly to short right field hit by Jose Espino and an error. The Stars got two more in the top of the ninth when Trovin Valdez doubled, stole third and scored on a wild throw. They took a 4-2 lead on Rudy Garcia's two out single, only to have the Indians win it in the bottom of the inning. Hackey went the route, giving up six hits and fanning nine. The loss went to lefthander Jeremy Dooley who had registered eight straight outs until the Tribe rallied. The Indians claimed their first NABA national tournament title and their third Florida tournament championship. They had previously won the now defunct Sunshine Classic twice, including the last one in 1998 at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter. DAYTONA TOPS CHICAGO IN AA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The Daytona Beach Rangers completed a perfect 5-0 slate by downing the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 at Lantana Sports Complex to capture the 18AA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. Catcher Tony Felt doubled home a run in the first inning to give the Rangers a 1-0 advantage. Chicago came back to take a short lived 2-1 lead with two runs in the third. Two walks, a double steal, an infield out and an RBI single by Joe Ogrodnik put the River Bandits on top 2-1. Daytona Beach, however, regained the lead on a two-run triple by Craig Corbett in the bottom of the third. They added an insurance run in the 6th on back to back singles by Andy Boysen and Corbett and a sacrifice fly by Clint Hendry. The Chicagoans found themselves short handed when six of their players had to leave for the return trip home. Pool players from the Palm Beach league kept them in the game however, including pitcher Dwayne Cabral who went the distance but suffered a tough luck defeat. An errant throw after striking out a batter in the third allowed Corbett to bat and his triple proved the back breaker. Lefthander Armand Molleur went eight innings for the win and manager Bruce Wile pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save.

The Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to nip the Caribbean Stars 5-4 to win the 18AAA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. The Daytona Beach Rangers edged the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 to cop the 18AA title. Click on headline for the complete story. Click on Standings (Citrus Classic) for the final pool standings. INDIANS RALLY TO NIP STARS IN AAA FINAL The Palm Beach Indians rallied with two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning to edge the Caribbean Stars 5-4 and annex the 18AAA Championship in the NABA's first Citrus Classic Tournament. Though they led for much of the game 3-0, the Indians went to the final inning trailing 4-3. With two outs, Billy Shore lined a 3-2 pitch up the middle to ignite what proved to be the winning rally. Chris Murphy, who earlier in the tournament had hit three home runs in one game against the Stars, ripped an 0-2 pitch to the left field fence that just eluded Stars' leftfielder Amado Dinzey. It was a long single and scored Shore all the way from first. Rob Wiley followed a long single down the left field line sending pinch runner Andy Lewis to third. Matt Bautz than cracked a hard ground ball to third that got by Jose Espino, Lewis trotting home with the winning run. Earlier, Lewis provided the Indians with their first run on a solo, first inning home run, the first of his three hits. Wiley's sacrifice fly made it two nothing after Jared Green and Lewis and an infield error loaded the bases in the fourth. They upped it to 3-0 the next inning on Billy Campbell's two out RBI single. The Stars, shut out for five innings by the Indians' Zack Hackley finally hit the board in the 6th. Juan Perez was hit by a pitch. Jose Guillen doubled down the left field line and both scored on a sacrifice fly to short right field hit by Jose Espino and an error. The Stars got two more in the top of the ninth when Trovin Valdez doubled, stole third and scored on a wild throw. They took a 4-2 lead on Rudy Garcia's two out single, only to have the Indians win it in the bottom of the inning. Hackey went the route, giving up six hits and fanning nine. The loss went to lefthander Jeremy Dooley who had registered eight straight outs until the Tribe rallied. The Indians claimed their first NABA national tournament title and their third Florida tournament championship. They had previously won the now defunct Sunshine Classic twice, including the last one in 1998 at the Roger Dean Complex in Jupiter. DAYTONA TOPS CHICAGO IN AA CHAMPIONSHIP GAME The Daytona Beach Rangers completed a perfect 5-0 slate by downing the Chicago River Bandits 4-2 at Lantana Sports Complex to capture the 18AA championship of the NABA's inaugural Citrus Classic. Catcher Tony Felt doubled home a run in the first inning to give the Rangers a 1-0 advantage. Chicago came back to take a short lived 2-1 lead with two runs in the third. Two walks, a double steal, an infield out and an RBI single by Joe Ogrodnik put the River Bandits on top 2-1. Daytona Beach, however, regained the lead on a two-run triple by Craig Corbett in the bottom of the third. They added an insurance run in the 6th on back to back singles by Andy Boysen and Corbett and a sacrifice fly by Clint Hendry. The Chicagoans found themselves short handed when six of their players had to leave for the return trip home. Pool players from the Palm Beach league kept them in the game however, including pitcher Dwayne Cabral who went the distance but suffered a tough luck defeat. An errant throw after striking out a batter in the third allowed Corbett to bat and his triple proved the back breaker. Lefthander Armand Molleur went eight innings for the win and manager Bruce Wile pitched a scoreless ninth inning for the save.