On a drizzly Sunday, Nov. 5 at Point Reyes Station’
Love Field, the Indios baseball team defeated local rivals the Venados
3-2 to win the championship crown of the Bay Area's Amigos Unidos League.
Crowns and titles were the rage in Point Reyes this weekend as the teams
played in cold, wet weather that can best be described as a Royal pain.
In front of more than 300 energetic fans, the Venados
played a fairly efficient game, but this contest was virtually determined
by the Indios all the way; even the two runs scored by the Venados were
ceded them by Manager Alphonso Martinez' championship club.
With workhorse hurlers Indios' Ian Keene and Venados'
Toby Carpenter returning offense to its impoverished state of game one,
the Indios struck first in the third inning on a single by Nimo Huerta
and a hit-by-pitch call on my series MVP, Paco Padilla; RBI's on a sacrifice
and a single by Luis Simpson and Jose Alarcon plated Nimo and Paco for
an early 2-0 lead – they would never trail. Alarcon would also
single in the sixth and score what proved to be the winning run on a
clutch single by Orlando Guiton.
Venados offense mirrored drab weather
Meanwhile the Venados, despite a 3-for-4 day by Aaron
Carpenter seemed doomed to try and light their offensive fuse with matches
subjected to the predominant moisture. Eric Larsen doubled in the sixth,
but it was a throwing error that allowed him to score; and while Jake
Halliday drove in Mike Carpenter in the seventh, it was a dropped pop
fly that allowed the inning to continue for the score.
The officiating was generally good, save for a rather
hair-trigger expulsion of a player regarding a ball-strike call.
As he had done while winning game two, Manager Martinez
relieved pitcher Ian Keene, this time with the versatile Mario Saldaño
who effectively stifled the Venados to protect the 3-2 win.
Kudos to both teams who gave the fans three one-run
games, all contested to the last out; plaudits also to the fans, the
Love family, the Lion's Club (and other food volunteers), the Point
Reyes Light, KWMR Radio and once more to the Indios, the true Reyes
of Punta de Los Reyes!!!