SAN DIEGO, Calif. - Suspense, heartbreak, pure joy, and excitement; the 2018 SCCBL Championship had it all.  The series went to a third a final Game Three to decide the champion, and what a series it was. It took 14 innings on Sunday, but the San Diego Force emerged victorious in a 2-1 win over the Inland Valley Bucs to claim the title.  The pitchers’ dual lasted almost four hours and was arguably the most competitive game of the most competitive season the SCCBL has seen in quite some time.

Joshua Sidley (Force/San Diego Christian) wore the cape for the Force, bringing in the winning run with a hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the 14th.

Game One: Force defeat Bucs 9-3

Dalton Schalberg (Force/New Mexico State) got the nod for the Force, earning the win after striking out eight in six innings.  

The Force struck first when Aaron Barkley (Force/Mississippi Valley State) walked with the bases loaded for force in a run in the top of the second.  The offense continued to push runs across through the next two innings, adding four in the third and three in the fourth. Phillip Steering (Force/Hawai’i Hilo) had a big night, going 3-4 including a three-run home run and a two-RBI double.

The Force brought in one final run in the top of the ninth when Ryan Williams (Force/California Baptist) singled in the ninth run.

SCCBL Player of the Year Kory Brown (Bucs) provided all the run support for the Bucs, knocking in all three runs.  A sacrifice fly in the bottom of the third dented the board for the Bucs, before Brown launched a missile over the fence in right-center for a two-run shot.

Avery Wood (Force/Cosumnes River College), Caleb Doughtery (Force/Abilene Christian), and Max Holtzclaw (Force/Shasta College) combined for three innings of shutout relief.

Game Two: Bucs defeat Force 5-2

The Bucs battled back to take Game Two, evening the series to send it to a decisive Game Three.  After the first inning, the teams were knotted at one after Christian Valdez (Bucs/Cal Poly Pomona) and Steering each drove in a run, both on ground balls.  

Monte Montenegro (Bucs/Fullerton College) continued the trend, driving in the go-ahead run on an RBI groundout in the top of the fourth.

The Bucs added to their lead in the top of the sixth, plating three more.  Griffin Hennessey (Bucs) drove in a pair with an RBI single, taking second on the throw.  An RBI single off the bat of Kristian Scott (Bucs) brought in Hennessey to put the Bucs up 5-1.

Johnny Carr (Force/Colorado Mesa) knocked in Drake Pierson (Angelina College) in the comeback attempt for the Force, but this is all they would scratch across.  

Peter Eitapence (Bucs) earned the win for the Bucs, going a solid six innings while giving up two runs.  Jake Wilkerson (Bucs/Cypress College) allowed only two hits in three innings of relief before handing the ball over to Hayden Petrovick (Bucs) who faced the minimum to close out the ninth.

Game Three: Force defeat Bucs 2-1 (14 innings)

Just a few miles from MCAS Miramar, the two top guns in the SCCBL found themselves in a dogfight for the ages in the decisive game of the Championship Series.  It took 14 innings for the Champion to be decided amidst strong pitching from both sides.

Both starters allowed on only run in their time on the mound.  Brennan Piceno (Bucs/CSU San Marcos) tossed seven innings, striking out two while allowing four hits.  Ryan Losman (Force/Southeast Missouri) went eight and a third, fanning an impressive 12 batters while allowing two hits.

The only blemish on Losman’s day came in the in the top of the fourth when a wild pitch moved Dylan Hirsch (Bucs/Loyola Marymount) to third before Valdez brought him in on an RBI groundout to first.

The Force evened the contest in the bottom of the fifth when David Hudleson (Force/College of Southern Idaho) knocked in Williams.

The battle continued for another nine innings, fueled by solid pitching and defense on both sides.  Aaron Bernal (Bucs/Minot State) was the first reliever in the game, holding the Force off the board for an inning and a third.  Losman departed after 112 pitches, giving the ball to Holtzclaw who took over for the next five innings. Petrovick made his second appearance of the series, coming on in the ninth.  Along with striking out three in two and two thirds, he also teamed up with Brown to cut down a runner trying to score on a passed ball, keeping the game going into the evening.

Justin Coleman (Force) came into the game for two thirds of an inning, striking out one of the two batters faced.  Matthew Goytia (Bucs/CSU Pueblo) tossed two and two third for the Bucs, striking out two before running into trouble in the bottom of the 14th.

Pierson led off the inning with a double to spark a bit of momentum for the Force, and Donnie Roethler (Force/Southwest Baptist) was hit by a pitch to put two on.  Williams moved both over with a sacrifice bunt before Junior Coleman (Force/Riverside City College) was intentionally walked. Sidley stepped to the plate with bases loaded, one out, and provided the heroics for the Force, wearing a pitch in the back for an RBI hit-by-pitch to walk off the game.