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Vranich Tosses Two-Hitter in Finale, while Hanker, Lopes and Otte Power Offense

In So Cal ASA Alliance play May 21-22, 2005 at Lancaster, California, the Long Beach Black Sox scored 38 runs in 4 games Sunday including 8 in the title game against Primetime., an 8-0 shutout for winning pitcher Chuck Vranich. Chuck Vranich surrendered just two hits to Primetime. Fred Hanker and John Otte drove in two runs each, while Damian Guerrero, Chris Minogue and Dan Fleming added one RBI each, as the Sox pounded out 10 hits. The momentum swung to Long Beach early, as Joe Nuanez was called out for leaving third on what otherwise would have been a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rick McCarthy, to end a Primetime scoring threat in the first.

Scoring Recap:

Black Sox Third: Benny Guerrero got things started with a single to left; Chuck Chaple walked, followed by a single by Andy Martinez to load the bases. Fred Hanker singled to right field to bring home Guerrero and Chapel, sending Martinez to third. Damian Guerrero followed with a line drive RBI single to left, perhaps the hardest hit ball of the game, scoring Martinez, before a double play ended the inning. Three runs, four hits. (Score: 3-0 Black Sox)

Black Sox Fourth:Dale Lopes opened the inning with a triple to the left centerfield gap, a ball that went to the fence. John Otte hit a towering fly ball that carried over the right fielder’s head, scoring Lopes and Otte. Two runs on two hits; (Score 5-0 Black Sox)

Black Sox Fifth:Chuck Chapel opened the inning with a walk, and scored when a ball hit by Andy Martinez was thrown wide of first, Martinez advancing to second. Chris Minogue singled to left with two outs, scoring Martinez. Two runs on one hit, and one error. (Score 7-0 Black Sox)

Black Sox Sixth:John Otte reached on an infield error at first on the throw. Marcel Bernal singled to center, Otte stopping at second. With one out, Dan Fleming singled to center field, scoring Otte, and ending the game. One run on two hits and one error. Final Score, 8-0 Black Sox.

Primetime could not get untracked offensively, mustering only two hits in the game, a single by Jimmy Buentello in the first and a single by Brian Webb in the third. Meanwhile, the Sox defense was stellar, with Otte running down a long fly off the bat of Johnny Nuanez, five putouts by shortstop Andy Martinez, including a web-gem back hand play in the third, and a gem by third baseman Dan Fleming on a hard hit ball by Jimmy Buentello in the 6th. The breaks and bounces seemed to go Long Beach’s way. Even a line drive hit by Joe Nuanez in the sixth that richocheted off of Chuck Vranich took a Long Beach bounce to second baseman Chuck Chaple for a 1-4-3 putout. Vranich was not hurt on the play. Aside from a one-out walk to Joe Nuanez in the first and single by Buentello that put Nuanez on third, Primetime did not have another runner reach second base. (more…)