The Yankees won the URA Major Baseball title for 2011.
Coming out of the losers bracket needing to beat the Yankees two times is no easy task, but the Cubs were fired up and roared out of their den, putting the pressure on early going up by scores of 2-0 and 4-2.
That’s when the seasoned Yankees settled in and used their patented aggressive hitting and tortuous base running to get back in the game and take the lead, 7-4 in the 3rd inning. After the visiting Cubs batted in the 4th, still trailing 7-4, Mother Nature decided to wreak havoc on the URA Complex and doused the hopes of any celebration Thursday night with buckets of rain and treacherous lightning.
Technically, at this juncture, the game was a “complete game” however after consulting with both Head Coaches , URA Baseball president Steve DeNucci issued the following declaration “We will continue the game in its entirety Friday night. As an organization, we feel it’s the best decision to support our players, many of them who are playing their last URA game before moving on to bigger and better things. After all, these are Unionville kids in both dugouts and on both sides of the field. This isn’t like a District final and it’s Unionville vs. another organization. It should be about the kids – our kids!”
So after numerous e-mail exchanges, phone calls, umpire scheduling and another field preparation, the Yankees and Cubs returned to the field to battle it out Friday night and determine the champion. The parking lot was jammed and the complex was littered with parents, siblings, grandparents and great grandparents – it was a sight to behold and the Cubs and Yankees did not disappoint the crowd.
Led by Rourke Dillon (2 hits) & the golden arm of Foster Loyer on the hill, the Cubs continued to stay in the game. Matt Mainwaring’s leadership and cannon of an arm behind the plate kept the Yankees from their running ways and an absolute SportsCenter highlight catch by Isaac Lacombe with the bases loaded kept the Cubs within reach.
However, the battle tested, seasoned Yankees led by Kyle Garvey (3 hits, 3 shutout innings pitched) and with David Mercner, Joseph Bendinelli and Jimmy Fournier all chipping in 2 hits each it proved to be just too much for the young Cubs. The championship capped off an amazing turnaround season for the Yankees who went just 1-11 last year, to an incredible 12-2 and League Champions the following season!
Following the game, Yankees Head Coach Jay Garvey praised the Cubs and warned everyone to watch out for this team next season.
Members of the 2011 URA Major League Champion Yankees are: Joshua Avalos, Joseph Bendinelli, Jimmy Fournier, Matthew Fuchs , Kyle Garvey, Ben Horine, David Mercner, Alex Patrone , Spencer Pellegrino, Nate Talley and Ayden Wardius. Head Coach, Jay Garvey and Assistant Coaches were Bob Fournier, Randy Mercner and Ben Horine.
The URA Minor Champion Bulls celebrate their championship.
In the Minor Division, the Bulls held off the Rockhounds, 5-2, to complete an undefeated postseason to win the title.
