We have grown accustomed to seeing at least one of these two teams in the final game of the season.  When Louise & Jerry’s and McSwiggans Pub square off, we know we will be on the edge of our seats.  To make it even more intriguing, this was a 1 versus 2 seed matchup, the best of our league going head to head in the last game of 2016 with bragging rights and a championship title on the line.

            Louise & Jerry’s came in as the lower seed, but these rivals know each other a little too well to care about rankings.  This was going to be a dog fight.  The game saw 5 lead changes and both teams let opportunities slip through their fingers.  It was a defensive struggle, as both teams limited the damage by their opposition on this cold December night.  Louise & Jerry’s stranded 8 runners in scoring position and McSwiggans stranded 3 themselves, two of which came in a key moment of the game.

            Louise & Jerry’s got off to a hot start in this one.  They would plate two runners in the very first inning.  Tony Muccioli started the scoring off, plating Ted Serro on and RBI single.  He would later score on and RBI walk by Chris “Cutty” Lyons.  McSwiggans Pub, however, could have had it much worse.  They were able to get out of a bases loaded jam that could have made this one ugly early.  McSwiggans Pub would tie the game at 2 after a two-run blast in the second off the bat of Dan Lyons with Brandon Doyle on base.

            Louise & Jerry’s didn’t wait long to retake the lead.  Tony Muccioli plated Jude Bracken in the third and then scored himself on an RBI single by Stephanie Trstensky.  Both teams added a run in the 4th and Louise & Jerry’s took a 5-3 lead into the 5th.  John Scafidi scored on an RBI single by Stephanie Pitner for Louise and Jerry’s and Rob Lennon scored on a Brandon Doyle RBI single for McSwiggans Pub.

            Momentum began to shift in McSwiggans Pub favor after that.  They would hold their opponent scoreless over the next two innings while they saw 3 runners cross home to take a 6-5 lead.  Dan Lyons scored on an error off the bat of Sue Bara in the 5th and Brandon Doyle and Dan Lyons both launched solo shots in the 6th.  However, that 5th inning may be the one that haunts McSwiggans Pub the most, as they had the bases loaded with just one out and could not capitalize.

            Louise & Jerry’s trailed for the first time in the game going into the 7th inning.  How would they respond?  With the highest scoring inning either team would post of course.  After two singles and a walk, they had the inning set up perfectly with the bases loaded and no outs.  Ted Serro came through with an RBI double that plated one.  A potential second run was cut short at home plate.  A walk loaded the bases again and Jude Bracken came through with a productive out on a sacrifice fly to center.  Tony Muccioli capped off the 3-run inning, singling home Ted Serro again to take an 8-6 lead.

            After a 1-2-3 bottom of the 7th, McSwiggans Pub had just two innings left against a tough team to score on.  They had their work cut out for them, because this also meant holding the potent Louise & Jerry’s bats quiet.  The defense would do their part and shut out their opponent over the final two frames.  Rob Lennon led off the bottom of the 8th with a solo homerun that cut the deficit in half.  This would be all that they could muster up though, as McSwiggans stranded the game tying run on first base in both of the final two innings.  With one homerun remaining, they were just a swing away from victory.  But this night would belong to Louise & Jerry’s.

            What was so impressive about Louise & Jerry’s victory was the lack of the long ball.  They are known to possess several power hitters throughout their lineups.  On this night, however, not a single ball would leave the park in their favor.  Instead, they just kept hitting the ball hard and plugging away.  They were not distraught over leaving so many opportunities on the bases.  That’s what has defined this group all season: resiliency.

            Player of the Game honors for each team in this championship matchup go to the two shortstops.  Tony Muccioli led the Fall 2016 Co-Ed Champion Louise & Jerry’s with his 4 for 4 effort at the plate that included a triple, 2 runs, and 3 RBI’s.  Runners Up McSwiggans Pub can’t blame the loss on Dan Lyons, who went 3 for 4, including 2 homeruns, with 3 runs and 3 RBI’s.

            Congratulations to both teams on two excellent seasons and a hard fought battle for the crown.  Extra congratulations to Louise & Jerry’s for ending the year off right and taking the A Division Championship into the new year.