In a contest full of missed opportunities, the Madison Knights baseball team fell 4-0 in 11 innings to the George Washington Trojans in the “A” Division championship game.
In the final, held at Shea Stadium on June 6, the Knights left seven runners in scoring position, four of which came in extra innings where the championship could have been clinched, but the Knights could not score.
All evening long, the team simply could not get anything started against Trojan ace, left-handed pitcher Francisco Rosado, though they did have their chances. In the bottom of the first inning, the Madison offense threatened with runners on first and second with one out, Rosado was able to get Knights clean up hitter James Wong and left fielder Christopher Salles to pop out to end the threat.
The Trojans answered right back in the top of the second inning, as Madison hurler Victor Cosme struck out the Trojans’ Vioserge Rosa to open the frame.
In the see-saw affair, Madison’s offense came right back in the bottom half of the same inning as Knights catcher Eric Gutierrez drew a walk to put a runner on first with one out. With two down, Madison right fielder Jason Hecker singled to left field for the Knights’ first hit of the game. Yet again, Rosado was able to get out of it, as he got center fielder Kevin Laidlaw to line out to second base to kill the threat.
Despite allowing four base runners through six innings, Cosme was pitching beautifully and did not get into any sort of real trouble until the top half of the seventh inning when he allowed Trojans right fielder Francisco Frias to single to center to put a runner on first with one out. Madison skipper Vinny Caiazza decided enough was enough as the Knights skipper took Cosme out of the game with the pitcher tossing 86 pitches through 6 1/3 innings and put in usually dependable lefty Jonathan Farina, who got himself into some trouble that same inning, giving up a single to Rosa to put runners on first and second with one out. The lefty struck out Estrella and got second baseman Miguel Nunez to ground out to end the threat with the game tied at zero aside.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Knights still could not brew up anything against Rosado as the side went down in order. Now, the game needed extra frames for everything to be decided as a title hung in the balance. Once again, Farina got himself into some trouble in the ninth. With one out, the lefty allowed back-to-back G.W. singles to put runners at first and second. But Farina bailed himself out as he got Rosa to pop out and forced Estrella to ground out into a fielder’s choice to fend off another Trojan threat.
In the bottom half of the ninth, Madison’s best threat came to life as Wong singled off of Trojans’ reliever Xyruse Martinez, who came in from second base to replace Rosado. Then, Martinez proceeded to plunk Salles to put runners on first and second with just one out. But Madison’s Michael Triolo flew out to center while the runners held at first and second, with two away. Once again, the Knights did a terrific job in stretching Martinez as Eric Gutierrez drew a walk to load the bases with two outs and the winning run at third. Once again, in a game of missed opportunities, designated Hitter Edward Lenahan struck out to kill another Madison threat.
In the 10th, Farina allowed two consecutive singles but was able to get out of it by inducing a fielder’s choice and a fly out to the second base to fend off another G.W. attack. In the bottom of the frame, Madison threatened once again as right fielder Jason Hecker reached on a Mike Antonio throwing error to first base with no one out. Laidlaw smacked a single right in the hole between short and second to put runners on first and second with no out.
But first baseman Ryan Quigley hit a laser right back to the mound as Martinez threw to third to get Hecker by a mere half step. Now, the Knights had the winning run on second with one out. Chris Dantuono struck out swinging while James Wong was caught looking to retire another lengthy Madison threat to end the inning.
In the top half of the 11th inning, after allowing back-to-back singles that placed runners at first and second with no outs, Farina struck out Rosa for the first out of the frame. Then, Caiazza instructed Farina to intentionally walk Estrella and to go after the designated hitter Miguel Nunez, hoping for the double play, to end the inning as the bases were loaded with one out.
Unfortunately, the plan failed as Nunez singled in two scores for the first runs of the game that placed G.W. ahead 2-0. Farina would allow two more scores on a Mike Antonio single before he struck out left fielder Yeriel Nieves to end the frame, but the damage was done as the Knights faced the daunting task of coming back from four runs down. The Knights were only able squeeze out a walk as they fell short of winning Brooklyn’s first baseball championship since 1995.
