Texaco Pirates Rally to Win Bahamas Tournament Opener

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 5/25/07 2:32:56 AM 
From:  "Jim Flanagan" <jim(at)fastpitchwest.com> 

 
Subject:  Texaco Pirates Rally to Win Bahamas Tournament Opener
 
    

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Texaco Pirates' First-Ever Bahamas Invitational Tournament
Man-O-War Cay, the Bahamas
May 24, 2007



THE TOURNAMENT

Manager Haziel McDonald's Texaco Pirates have been competing
in the
AAU International Tournament for a number of years, improving
from a
consolation bracket championship in 2003 to third place in the
championship bracket this year, following their first ever ISC
World
Tournament last summer at Kitchener, Canada.

This year, Haziel and the Pirates decided to host a tournament
of
their own, on the Man-O-Way Cay (pronounced "key"] in the Bahamas,
about an hour plane ride off the coast of Florida. Boasting a
dream-vacation destination -- an island in the sun, and a spectacular
beach-front field, Haziel went all out to make the tournament
a
successful one, but also to spare no effort in making sure that
the
players and fans would have the best experience possible. Somehow,
amidst all of the other tournament preparations, Haziel found
time to
shuttle players and visitors on his boat (from the Marsh Harbor
Airport to Man-O-War Cay, meeting and greeting them dockside,
with
assists from a number of his Texaco Pirates team and hosting
a dinner
for a number of his guests. Thursday, he was up in a cherry picker
putting new light bulbs in at the field and making the final
preparations. By 8pm Friday night, he was in uniform, making
out the
lineup for his beloved Pirates in the tournament opener.


Man-O-War Cay is a tournament destination like no other, set
on an
idyllic island in the Bahamas, where the mode of transportation
around
town is a golf cart and the field is but minutes from the downtown
Marina area. The streets resemble wide, smooth sidewalks, where
players drive past the homes of Man-O-War residents in golf carts,
on
their way to the games, and provide an enticement for fans to
head
down to the ballpark to see what's going on. It is a quiet New
England style village of sorts, with a reputation in the Bahamas
for
building some of the finest boats in the world, something they
continue to do to this day.

Those arriving at the field on opening night of the tournament
saw
rows of golf carts lining either side of the street leading into
the
ballpark, a scene that might have one thinking they were at a
PGA
event, with a shotgun start. Locals set up concession tents behind
home plate, next to a sea wall from which you can hear the waves
breaking. In the daylight hours leading up to game time, a sparking
turquoise ocean provided a picture postcard backdrop to the field.

On opening night of the tournament, Pirates manager Haziel McDonald
was the man-of-the-hour-on-Man-O-war, serving as the master of
ceremonies, welcoming players and fans alike, and introducing
a group
of local school children on hand to sing the Bahamian National
anthem
before the first pitch. On hand to umpire were ISC umpires, Mssrs
Gretz and Scott, who arrived at the game by walking out the door
of
the guest house they are staying in, behind first base. Following
pre-game festivities, Miami won the coin toss, and took the field.
Three batters into the game, Rhys Casley of the Pirates brought
the
crowd to its feet with a towering home run over the right field
fence,
and the first ever Bahamas Invitational saw its first run scored.


GAME ONE


Thursday, May 24, 2007, 8:00 p.m.

TEXACO PIRATES/the Bahamas 4
Miami Presidente/Florida USA, 3

Game one was a night of dominant pitching with Rob Scheller and
Doug
Sleep combining for 18 strikeouts for the host Texaco Pirates,
while
their counterpart, Rob Schweyer struck out 15 for visiting Presidente
team of Miami, Florida. But in spite of sometimes overpowering
pitching, it will likely be the home run slugging that Bahamas
fans
will remember from this opening act, which saw the host Texaco
Pirates
rally from down 3-1 in the 6th, to win 4-3, scoring two in the
6th and
one in the 7th. Six of the seven runs scored in the game came
across
the plate on home runs.

Rhys Casley, Barry Kahler and Grant Albury had big nights for
the host
Texaco Pirates. Casley had a towering home run and a double,
scoring
two and driving in one, Kahler a game-tying 2-run homer in the
sixth,
while local Man-O-War Pirate Grant Albury provided two hits,
including
the biggest one of them all, a tie-breaking seventh inning home
run
that provided the margin of victory.

Miami, for their part, made the most of just two hits, scoring
three
runs in the first two innings. After Casley put the Pirates on
top
1-0 in the top of the first with his home run, Michael Baillou,
Jr.
coaxed a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the first, and came
home
to score on a Carlton-Fisk-esque home run, which had fans craning
their necks to see where it would land. It stayed fair, and gave
Miami a 2-1 lead. The visitors extended their lead to 3-1, when
designated hitter Frank Gonzalez walked to lead off the second
inning,
was sacrificed over to second by Serrano Baillou, and scored
on a
flair single down the right field line by Miami's Tony Currey,
a ball
which fell just beyond the reach of the Pirates right fielder
and
second baseman.

It was the last base runner that Miami would have on the night
however, as Rob Scheller settled in, to retire the next 7 in
a row, 6
on strikeouts, giving way to Doug Sleep, who retired all nine
batters
that he faced, eight of them on strikeouts. But in spite of that
fact,
Miami clung to the 3-1 lead into the 6th inning, riding the right
arm
of Rob Schweyer who had all of his pitches working, most notably
the
big rise ball that no one seemed to be able to catch up with.
But in
the 6th, it was Casley again that provided the spark for the
host
Pirates, lining a vicious double down the left field line, followed
by
a game-tying-two-run-homer to straightaway center by Barry Kahler
to
straightaway center field.

In the top of the 7th, it was local son, Grant Albury, hitting
in the
designated hitter's spot, who provided the margin of victory,
battling
past a two strike count, for the game winning home run to straight
away centerfield. The pitch he hit was a good inside rise that
Albury
appeared to just muscle out of the park. Three "Sleepy" strikeouts
later, and the game belonged to the host Pirates.

BOX

WP-Doug Sleep (5) for Scheller
LP-Rob Schweyer



HR-Rhys Casley (TP), Alexis Hernandez (MP) Barry Kahler (TP,
Grant Albury (TP)
2B-Rhys Casley (TP)
E-Miami (2)
K's: Rob Scheller (TP) 10 in 4 inn; Doug Sleep (TP, 8 in 3 inn;
Rob
Schweyer (MP) 15 in 7 inn.

SCORING RECAP:

Texaco Pirates 1st: Rhys Casley solo homer, 1 hit, 1 run; Texaco
Bahamas 1, Miami FL 0
Miami, FL 1st: Michael Baillou Jr. walked, Alexis Hernandez homered,
1
hit, 2 runs, Miami, FL 2, Texaco Bahamas 1;
Texaco Pirates 6th: Rhys Casley double; Barry Kahler home run,
2
hits, 2 runs, 3-3 tie;
Texaco Pirates 7th: Grant Albury home run, 1 hit, 1 run, Texaco
Bahamas 4, Miami, FL 3

OTHER NOTES:

Players and fans got a scare in the 4th inning when home plate
umpire
John Gretz took a hard drop directly on his knee, which knocked
him
down and nearly out of the game. Gretz recovered and managed
to
finish the game, but was icing down when last seen after the
game.
One does not surrender work in the Bahamas easily.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:
Play continues Friday night:

Friday, May 25

7:30pm EST - Abaco Islands vs. Miami President, FL
9:30pm, EST - Texaco Pirates vs. Abaco Islands

Saturday, May 26
Elimination play begins
3pm EST
5pm EST
7pm EST "If game"

Internet connection permitting, the championship game(s) on Saturday,
May 26 will be broadcast on Ballparkradio.com. Be sure to check
www.ballparkradio.com for "click to listen" link and updates
on
Saturday regarding broadcast schedule. We did complete some testing
yesterday and it appears that we are good to go.

Keep an eye on the Morning Brief blog at Fastpitchwest.com, where
we
are posting updates and some of Maddy's photos in a daily slide
show.

http://www.fastpitchwest.com/morningbrief

All results will be posted to Al's Fastball, so check Al's for
scores
and more.

Best regards,
Jim Flanagan
www.fastpitchwest.com
www.ballparkradio.com
Email: jim (at) fastpitchwest.com  

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