June 24, 2007 — Any doubts as to who is the team to beat in the Raphael Jackson AA baseball league this season should have been put to rest Saturday night when the surging Mets knocked off the defending champions Vikings by a score of 10-2 behind a strong three-hit pitching performance by Nick Collabella. In the pass few weeks the Mets have shown that they have what it takes to go all the way. With two of the top pitchers in the league, a very potent offense and a good enough defense, the Mets have now established themselves as the favorites to win it all.
Batting first the Mets drew first blood, scoring one run on an RBI double off the bat of the league’s hottest hitter, Juan Santana. The Vikings had no answer in the bottom of the inning.
An RBI double by Luis Moreno in the top of the second plated the Mets second run, but this time the Vikings were able to answer in the bottom of the inning with one run on an RBI double off the bat of pitcher, Collin King, to trail 2-1 at the end of two innings.
The score would remain that way until the bottom of the fifth when the Vikings tied the score at two on an error by the Mets third baseman, Miguel Rodriguez. That would be the last run the Viking would score in the game.
The Mets took control of the game in the top of the sixth when they erupted for six runs as the Vikings starter, King, lost the strike zone and walked several batters. A two-run double by Santana, bases-loaded walk drawn by Tony Cruz, and a couple of Vikings miscues accounted for the Mets' six runs in the inning.
The Mets would close out the scoring for the game in the top of the seventh, plating two more runs on a long two-run home run off the bat of their power-hitting catcher, Moreno, for a final score of 10-2.
Collabella went the distance in picking up the win for the Mets, while Collin King got the loss for the Vikings. The Mets was led at the plate by Moreno who was 2 for 3 with a home run and three RBIs, Santana was 2 for 4 with two RBIs, and Cruz was 2 for 4 with one RBI. For the Vikings, three hitters were 1 for 3.
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