Set It Off completed one of the most dominating season in the Bob Owens Slow pitch Softball League when they beat the Coolers, 16-15, Thursday night at the D.C. Canegata Ball Park to wrap up an undefeated season as the 2012 league championships. José Burgos’ two-run, walk off homer in the bottom of the seventh sent the Set It Off fans into wild celebration, which lasted well into the night at the ball park.
The Coolers batting first got one run in the top of the first inning on a solo home run off the bat of Jose Berrios to take the early 1-0 lead. Set It Off had had no answer in the bottom of the inning and, in fact, the Coolers ace, Warren Brooks, kept their powerful line up scoreless for the first three innings.
The Coolers extended their lead to 3-0 in the top of the second on RBI singles by Carlos Morales and Martin Charles, and then pushed it to 4-0 in the top of the third on an RBI single by Brooks.
After the Coolers failed to score in the top of the fourth, Set It Off’s big bats finally came alive in the bottom of the inning. They erupted for five runs on two-run home runs by Miguel Rodriguez and Juan P. Santana, and a solo shot by Tony Pegaro to take a 5-4 lead at the end of four completed innings.
The Coolers answered mightily with five runs in the top of the fifth to retake the lead at 9-5. They scored five runs on two-run home runs by Berrios and Andrea Ponce and a solo shot by Brooks. Set It Off was two runs better in the bottom of the inning when they exploded for seven runs on two-run shots by Fernando Quesada and Juan R. Santana, an RBI single by Orlando Benitez, and a couple of Coolers miscues to lead 12-9 after five innings.
The Coolers put another six runs on the board in the top of the six to retake the lead at 15-12. Berrios led the attack with his second two-run home run of the game, Roderick Moorhead delivered a solo shot, and RBI singles by Brooks, Morales, and Oto Pereira accounted for all the runs. Set It Off closed the gap to 15-14 in the bottom of the inning on a two run single by Rodriguez and the stage was now set for Burgos late inning heroics.
After the Coolers failed to score in the top of the seventh, Burgos came to bat in the last of the inning with one out and a runner on first. Brooks delivered a pitch that sailed into the power zone and Burgos jumped all over it for the game winning two-run, walk off homer.
Wilfredo Carmona pitched the victory for the new champs, while Brooks got the loss.
Top batters for the winners were Rodriguez, 3 for 4 with a home run and three RBIs; Burgos, 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs; and Quesada, 2 for 4 with a home run and two RBIs.
For the Coolers, Berrios was 3 for 4 with three home runs and five RBIs; Brooks, 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs; and Ponce, 4 for 5 with a home run and two RBIs.
