After one week of Raphael “Tight Shoes” Jackson AA Baseball League action, the team that was supposed to be a sure victory on everyone’s schedule stands as the only one left undefeated.
The 40 Plus Hurricanes, after surprising the Cobras, 9-3, last Saturday, were back at it on Sunday when they stunned the Vikings, 15-7, at the D.C. Canegata ballpark in a game that was not as close as the score would indicate.
After the Vikings scored three runs in the top of the first inning, the Hurricanes, made up primarily of men 40 to 50 years old, erupted for 10 runs on seven hits in the bottom of the inning and never looked back. They finished with 15 runs on 12 hits and four errors, while the Vikings, getting most of their runs in garbage time, scored seven runs on six hits and one error.
Gilberto Belardo picked up the victory on the hill for the Hurricanes in relief of starter, Juan Samuel, while Jalen Weeks got the loss.
Top batters for the Canes were Jose Morales (2 for 4 with four RBIs), Raymond Cintron and Carmelo Torres (2 for 3 with one RBI), and Cruz Soto was (1 for 1 with two RBIs). For the Vikings Jahmoy Williams and Stephen Walwyn were both 1 for 2 with one RBI, and Shaun Matos was 1 for 3 with one RBI.
In Sunday’s late game the Cobras rallied for six runs in their last at bat to burn the Dominicanos, 8-7. Dominicanos starting pitcher Juan Santana gave his team five innings of one-hit baseball before his bull pen let him down.
The Cobras finished with eight runs on five hits, while the Dominicanos had seven runs on four hits. Top batters for the Cobras were Lamech Mathew (1 for 3 with three RBIs), Elijah Felix (1 for 2 with one RBI) and Jose Martinez (1 for 4 with one RBI). For the Dominicanos, Encido Bon was 2 for 3 with one RBI and Juan S. Santana was 1 for 4 with one RBI.
