The Tropics end their 2056 Brewster Season with a four-game series against playoff bound Long Beach Surfers.
Game 1- The Tropics come out flat against the Surfers as Hawaii is tagged with a shutout loss. Hawaii’s offense managed just three hits and four walks. Vicente Mendez, Adam Backhouse and Thomas Kramer each had a hit for the Trops.
Hawaii’s pitching was horrible from the start. Tomas Franco pitched just 1.2 innings allowing two runs on four hits and two walks as he falls to 1-2 with a 7.40 ERA. Troy ‘Teddy Bear’ Reynolds was worse as he allowed four runs om five hits in an inning of work.
Long Beach wins 8-0.
Game 2- Hawaii scores four runs but the Surfers offense is hitting on all cylinders as they get another win. Hawaii starter Semih Gurani was dinged for four runs on nine hits while striking out two batters in 2.1 innings. He took the loss and falls to 2-6 with a 3.67 ERA. The Teddy Bear made another appearance in the series going 2.2 innings. He allowed a run on two hits with two Ks. Luis Perez was shaky but pitched 1.1 scoreless innings. He gave up three hits, walked two and fanned three batters.
Karunamaya Makarand has had a season that he would like to forget. He showed a bit of what he is capable of, going 2 for 4 with a homer to lead off the game and a double. He scored two runs and drove in one. Adam Backhouse was 2 for 5 with a walk and scored a run. Angelo Lucchesi was 2 for 5 with two doubles, scored a run and drove in one.
Long Beach wins 8-4.
Game 3- The Surfers break the Hawaii bullpen late scoring five runs in the 9th and get a walk off win. Three Hawaii relievers coughed up the lead beginning with John Moore. Moore allowed a run in the 8th then another in the 9th before being removed for Luis Perez. Perez had pitched in Game 2 but looked shaky. He looked worse in this one as he gave up three runs on three hits while getting just one out. He gave the ball to Bill Phillips whol completed the feat of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory. He allowed a run on two hits to take the loss to fall to 0-6 and also get his 4th blown save.
Ricardo Tapia had a nice start allowing just three hits with five Ks in four innings. Bill Williams followed with three scoreless innings. He gave up two hits with a K before the wheels fell off for the rest of the bullpen.
Shafiq Zahir was 3 for 4 with two homers. He scored three runs and had two RBI. Carlos Sanchez came on in the 8th and hit a two-run homer to make the score 5-1.
Long Beach wins 6-5.
Game 4- The Hawaii Tropics show some heart in the season and series finale. Trailing 3-2 in the top of the 9th, Hawaii scored four runs to take the lead 6-3. Then reliever Juan Martinez set down the Surfers 1-2-3 to get the win. Martinez pitched three no hit innings with three Ks as he improves to 4-5 with a 3.65 ERA. Gerardo Rea made the final start for Hawaii in 2056 throwing 89 pitches in six innings. He allowed three runs on six hits and four walks. He struck out three in a no decision.
2B Adhyapayana Mehta led the comeback and was the Player of the Game. He was 2 for 5 with a two-run homer and then drove in the go-ahead run in the 9th. Vicente Mendez was 1 for 2 with two RBI. Mitch Wareham was 1 for 3 with a walk, an RBI and scored two runs.
Hawaii wins 6-3.
The Surfers win the series 3-1.
GM Jim Walker said, “This season had more downs than ups but that’s the way things happen. The Pacific Division and Frick League is full of fantastic GMs. You have to get everything right and have some luck on your side to win.”
