60's DIVISION
60's DIVISION: WHOLESALE OUTLET ARE YOUR CHAMPIONS — AND WOW, WHAT A WAY TO DO IT
If you like your championships decided quietly, look away now. Wholesale Outlet, one of the coldest-hitting teams in the 60's Division for most of the regular season, closed out the most improbable run of the year by beating a New Dawn Awning team that had dominated all summer — not once, but twice, in the same night, and the second game will be talked about for years.
Game 1: Wholesale Outlet 15, New Dawn Awning 11
New Dawn actually struck first and led 4-3 through two innings, looking every bit like the top seed they'd been all season. Then Wholesale's bats — the same ones that were so quiet for months — erupted for 5 runs in the third to seize an 8-4 lead they'd never relinquish. New Dawn kept chipping away but never got the deficit back below two, and Wholesale closed it out 15-11 to force the winner-take-all Game 2.
Game 2: Wholesale Outlet 21, New Dawn Awning 20 — THE CHAMPIONSHIP
This. Was. The. Game.
New Dawn came out of the gate like a team determined not to let this series slip away, they had a comfortable 8-1 lead at the end of the third inning, then after four it was 10-4. Wholesale could be heard in their dugout encouraging each other not to give up, the intensity and focus was there, they just needed to execute. Both teams put up 5 in the fifth, then they each did it again in the sixth to bring the tally to 20-14 in New Dawn’s favor. New Dawn had a comfortable lead, all they needed to do was play for three outs and the 2026 crown was theirs. It was within their grasp going into the seventh and final inning — one clean frame away from celebrating a dominant season.
Instead, Wholesale Outlet's lineup turned in the biggest half-inning of their season. The rally started with a leadoff walk for Terry Barrow, then consecutive singles from George Lamb, Wayne Magliulo, Mike Brewer, and Roger Brewer, they were building momentum and you could feel the electricity in the stands. The 50’s teams waiting on the sidelines were amped, the energy was palpable. Magliulo and Mike Brewer had each knocked in a run on their singles, the score was 20-16 when Roger Brewer’s single loaded the bases. Dusty Shaw was the man who thrust a spear into the heart of the lion when he crushed a triple to right center field, clearing the bases. The crowd was losing its mind, the tying run was now on third and the winning run at the plate. WITH. NO. OUTS.
Bobby Delgado, stepped to the plate with nerves of steel and punched a clutch single to score Shaw. Tie game. Tension at a fever pitch, New Dawn barking communications at each other, Les Bevis steps to the plate and hits a single to put the speedy Delgado on his horse, sprinting around the bases with determination. Hitting the brakes was absolutely not an option. New Dawn’s outfield fielded the ball, hit their cutoff man, threw to the plate…TOO LATE…Delgado scores. WHOLESALE OUTLET WINS! Oh em gee….WHOLESALE OUTLET WINS! Unbelievable.
After chasing the whole game, seven runs later, Wholesale Outlet had completed a stunning turnaround, 21-20, and the championship belonged to the team picked to finish near the bottom of the standings back in April.
The signature swing of the night belonged to the team that lost. In the second inning of Game 2, New Dawn's Mike Cacy came up with the bases loaded and did something you'll see once a season if you're lucky: he legged out an inside-the-park grand slam, circling the bases while the ball rolled around in the outfield to turn a laugher into a laugher-and-a-half. But on this night it was Wholesale Outlet who had the last laugh. It's the kind of at-bat that should have been the highlight of the championship — instead, it'll be remembered as the biggest hit in a losing effort, buried by the greatest comeback of the season.
A few more numbers worth knowing:
George Lamb and Roger Brewer both went a combined 7-for-8 across the two games for Wholesale, and Paul Supat drove in 6 runs on the night. Rodney Johnson stayed hot, going 6-for-8 with 3 singles and 3 doubles. For New Dawn, Butch Maciel (6-for-7) and Rick Salton (6-for-7) kept the offense humming all night — it just wasn't enough.
1.000 Club (min. 3 AB)
Only one man was perfect at the plate and it was Steve Grimm (New Dawn), 5-for-5 with a homer and 4 RBI.
The Big Bats
Wholesale's Les Bevis and Paul Supat (both .750, 6-7 RBI) and George Lamb (.875, 5 RBI) helped carry the champs; New Dawn got a great night from Chris Aguiar and Steve Grimm even in the loss.
5+ RBI Club
Les Bevis (7, Wholesale), Chris Aguiar (5, New Dawn), Mike Cacy (5, New Dawn — his grand slam game), Paul Supat (6, Wholesale), George Lamb (5, Wholesale).
50's Division: A NIGHT OF NAIL-BITERS
While the 60's title was being decided in walk-off fashion, the 50's Division was busy putting on its own show — every single game this week was decided by one run or came down to the final inning.
Capital Gold Bail Bonds 25, Legacy Sports Bar 24
Legacy Sports Bar came in unbeaten in the postseason and looked like they'd stay that way — this one was tied 5-5 after one, tied again 10-10 after two, and Legacy built a lead as big as four runs (17-13) through four innings. They still led 24-23 heading into the bottom of the seventh, needing just three outs to stay perfect. Lefty Ted Ursino and Troy McKim lead off the inning with a pair of singles, Billy Valine slapped a single of his own to score Ursino. Tim Ramsey was intentionally walked to bring up Dave Moylan, who made Legacy pay for the act of disrespect when he punched a single to score McKim. Capital Gold walked it off, 25-24, and ended Legacy's unbeaten run in the cruelest possible fashion.
Elite/Onyx 23, Hunter's Barber 19
This one wasn't nearly as close on the scoreboard for most of the night — Elite/Onyx jumped out to a 17-4 lead through four innings and looked to be cruising. Hunter's Barber had other plans, chipping away with 5 runs in the fifth, 5 more in the sixth, and 5 more in the seventh to make it a close game. It just wasn't quite enough ground to make up, and Elite/Onyx held on, 23-19.
Incredible Pets 20, Epic Sports Cards 19
The closest game of the night, decided by a single run after being separated by a single run for almost the entire evening. This game was like Rocky and Apollo Creed trading punches and inflicting damage swing after swing. Incredible Pets led by exactly one run after 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings — this was as tight as softball gets. Epic Sports Cards finally broke through with a two-run fifth to grab their first lead of the game, 17-16, but Incredible Pets answered immediately with a 4-run sixth to reclaim it for good and win, 20-19.
In a losing effort, Epic's Travis Hale hit a grand slam in the second inning — the second slam of the night across both divisions — and finished with 8 RBI on the day. It kept Epic in a game they nearly stole, but Incredible Pets' late surge was just enough to hold them off.
Elsewhere, Legacy's Matt Widell went 5-for-5, Al Smythe and Ted Ursino combined to go 9-for-10 for Capital Gold, and Derek Wilson hit two home runs for Hunter's Barber in a losing cause.
1.000 Club (min. 3 AB)
Al Smythe, Ted Ursino, Dave Moylan (Capital Gold), Matt Widell (Legacy), Dan Arevalos (Elite/Onyx), Shant Hagopian, Jay Zetz, Brian Kelly, Mike Surita (Incredible Pets), Joe Johnson (Epic), Chris Fry, Steve Ballez, Pat Williams, Mike Tobin, Mel Martin, Jeff Braskamp, Fernando Sanchez (Elite/Onyx), and Josh Kline, Jeff Kerns (Hunter's Barber).
The Big Bats
Travis Hale and Marko Andrade were the headliners at .750 with multi-homer, multi-RBI nights — but Ted Ursino, Mike Tobin, and Brian Kelly all matched them by going a perfect 3-for-3 or better with 5 RBI apiece.
5+ RBI Club
Travis Hale (8, Epic — the grand slam), Marko Andrade (6, Legacy, 2 HR), Ted Ursino (5, Capital Gold), Mike Tobin (5, Elite/Onyx), Derek Wilson (5, Hunter's Barber, 2 HR), Brian Kelly (5, Incredible Pets), Paul Flores (5, Legacy).
