Thre crew broke social distancing protocol breifly to pose for this final picture of the season.
We left off with the Chinese Gourmet holding a 1-0 lead over Rock Warriors in the best of three championship. Rock’s Chad Lonergan started the scoring in game two and his team added two to take a 3-0 lead after a half inning. CG turned a double-play on Kevin Duprey to end Rock’s at-bat. They used that momentum to score three of their own to tie it after one inning but stranded runners on the corners. Colby Raymond scored in the second for Rock to put them up 4-3 and then they shut CG down 1-2-3, including a sweet web gem by shortstop Michael Charron Jr. Rock had a huge third inning, batting through their order while scoring six to take their biggest lead, 10-3. They got the first two home runs of the game after Duprey and Josh Stevens both hit two-run shots. In the bottom with one out, CG’s Dalton Hotchkiss got a single and although he’s one of the fastest runners that quickly became two outs after he got thrown out at third trying to get some extra bases. CG got one back but stranded another two runners. Lonergan led off the fourth with a solo homer and Buddy “Not the Dog” Bartlett had a RBI single to go up 12-4. CG matched them in the bottom with Joe Doherty’s solo shot and Willie Goulette’s RBI but John Gatto suffered a “Cold Beer K” to end the inning with a 12-6 deficit. The fifth was the only inning Rock did not score and Troy “Cowboy” Gilbertson made them pay with a two-run bomb into the woods to bring CG to only four runs down, their closest since the game began. Unfortunately for them, Rock exploded in the sixth with five runs. Both Bartlett and Warren “I’m a Big Boy” Bombardier hit two-run homers. That made Warren’s biggest fans, Emma and Hannah Bombardier, really happy. CG did not get a hit the rest of the game and Gatto suffered another CBK. Meanwhile Bartlett and Stevens both drove in a run to give Rock the 19-8 victory and tie the series 1-1.
The first ever Chittenden Championship would be decided in this crucial Game 3.
Runs were at a premium in this affair. CG started out how they ended last game, without a run in sight. They managed a hit but also saw Gilbertson suffer a CBK looking in the first. Lonergan and Bartlett continued their hot streaks to put Rock up 2-0 after one inning. The second was worse for CG since Dyno-Mike Davis Jr was not so great and suffered a “CBK” but his cousin Nick “Bat Javelin” Davis’ was worse because he went down swinging, stranding runners on the corners to end the inning. Duprey scored in the bottom to make it 3-0. “CBK’s” were flowing for CG with Gatto getting another in the third. Lonergan scored in the bottom of the third for a 4-0 lead. The only blemish for Rock this game was Troy Somers “CBK” in the fourth, for CG it was everything. CG had their best chance to do something in the fifth, only facing a six run deficit. They loaded the bases with two outs but Gatto grounded out to the pitcher to end the inning. The Lonergan and Bartlett show lit up in the bottom with each blasting a home run. Gilbertson drove in Hotchkiss in the sixth to finally put CG on the scoreboard. He was standing on third with two outs, hoping to score, but Jordan “Little T” Tolar CBK’d to end the inning. The seventh was uneventful except when Geoff “Jeff” Bloomer got tagged out to end the game and give Rock Warriors the Chittenden Championship. Congratulations to this years champs, winning the title in their first season in the league. Championship MVP honors went to Lonergan who was 11 for 13 with 2 home runs, 2 RBI and 7 runs scored. A close 2nd was Bartlett who, in only two games, was 6 for 9 with 3 home runs, 9 RBI and 5 runs scored. They both played some great “D” but this championship win was a solid team effort.
This pandemic season has come to a close and it would not have been possible without the help from these great folks: Bartstow School and Principal David St. Germain, Brandon Remick, Josh Stevens and Rock Landscaping, Jeffrey Hedgewald, the Mountain Times, Will Burdick, Alex Ramage, Kevin Eaton, Jordan Tolar, Mike Davis Jr, Collin Clark, Nate Gilman, First Stop Board Barn, the fans and all the great players that make up this league. Congrats once again to Rock Warriors. Thanks to all for a great season!
