2006 DELCAL Championship Recap

The Damascus swept Fordem, for the first DelCal championship for the Damascus Oaks/Volusia Tiggers franchise in more than 25 years of play. The series culminated a remarkable comeback for the Oaks, as the team had been in first place in the Jaquith Division through game 126 but then stumbled down the stretch falling into third place. But they rolled through the play-offs compiling a 12-3 record.

The combination of three lefty starts including two by Santana combined with 7 shutout innings by Borowski, Romero, Crain, and Street stifled the flashes big bats. Yet the series was closer than it looked as, until game 4 the run margin was only 3, 4, and 1 with nearly half the Oaks runs coming in the last 3 innings of the games. The Flashes were definitely in this.

Victor Martinez was the offensive leader with 2 DB, 2 HR, and 7 RBI, hitting .286. Alfonso Soriano hit .538 with 5 runs. But it was Santana going 16 2/3 yielding 4 runs and striking out 18 who was the series MVP. For the Flashes seven different players had either 1 or 2 RBI, but none with more than 2 and four players each had 1 HR.

Game 1 - At Fordem

	Runs	Hits	Errors
Damascus	7	7	0
Fordem	3	6	0

In a duel of aces Johan Santana and Bartolo Colon did their jobs. Santana went 7 2/3

yielding 6 hits no walks and striking out 6 but with 2 HR for a total of three runs for the win. Colon went 6 1/3 yielding only 4 hits and 2 runs.

The scoring came late. Brian Roberts hit a solo shot in the bottom of the 5^th for a Fordem lead. However, Damascus immediately countered with 2 in the top of the 6^thon a two run double by V. Martinez, and Fordem also came right back with 2 as well on a 2-run Bobby Crosby HR. But that was the end of the Fordem scoring.

It remained 3-2 Fordem till the top of the eight. Renee Rivera PH vs J. Walker who had relieved Colon in the 7^th. Don M. replaced Walker with K. Calero, but Riveria managed a batters card single anyways. Soriano went down, but M. Young walked. Lefty V. Martinez striding to the plate sent Calero to the showers. Tom Flash of the Flashes Gordon came in, but he walked Martinez. Manny followed with the game-winning double. Gordon was able to get the last two outs without further trouble.

Injury added to insult as A. Blanco and Albert Castillo drove in 3 more Oaks runs in the 9^th,allowing Huston Street to cruise to an easy save, K’ing 3 and walking 1 over 1 1/3. In the 7^th Jermaine Dye became the only injury of the series for 1 game.

Game 2 - At Fordem

	Runs	Hits	Errors
Damascus	6	13	1
Fordem	3	4	2

The matchup was Ryan Franklin vs Eric Bedard and it was 2-2 till the 6^th. Damascus got 1 each in the second and third including a HR by Matsui. IRod drove in a pair of Flashes on a double in the second.

In the 6^th M. Young drove in two on a single knocking R. Franklin out of the box. J. Nathan put out the fire, but later yielded another two runs in the eight. Again, the Oaks pen was strong with Borowski and Crain combining for 2 2/3 scoreless innings yielding only 2 BB, with Crain notching the save. Chris Shelton went 4 for 4 with a double and triple and two runs scored. This game could have been worse for the Flashes as the Oaks stranded 11 base runners.

Game 3 - At Damascus

	Runs	Hits	Errors
Fordem	3	8	0
Damascus	4	9	3

With the series moving to Koufax Field in Damascus (looking strangely like Oriole Park), the Flashes finally got to chew on a RHP in Brad Radke. But even Brad held in there. He yielded a run scoring ph to C Koskie in the 5^th and a two run shot to Big Pappi in the 6^th. This briefly tied the score after the Oaks had gotten to F. Hernandez for 1 in the 2^nd and then two more in the 5^th when Hernandez was chased with no outs. J. Walker worked out of that jam, but K. Calero yielded a solo HR to V. Martinez in the 6^th to put the Oaks ahead.

Yet again, the Flashes could not touch the Oaks pen as Borowski, Romero and Street combined for 3 innings with 2 hits and 1 BB. Street’s hit allowed was a potentially game tying double in the 9^th but Street worked out of it for the save.

Game 4 - At Damascus

	Runs	Hits	Errors
Fordem	1	5	0
Damascus	6	12	1

Johan Santana was not to be denied. He went 5-1 in the playoffs, and finished off with a gem. He had a 4 hit 2 walk 12K shutout through 8 1/3 before yielding a HR to Travis Haffner before getting the last two outs. The top of the Oaks order drove in all 6 runs with 4 in the 3^rd and 2 in the 6^th. Young had 2 RBI, Ramerez 1 on a HR, and V. Martinez drove in 3 more on a HR.

Bill --- This one was for you!