Bandits rally to win title

They say you appreciate things a little more if you have to struggle to get to the top. Well, in the West Chester Adult Baseball League Championship Series the Bandits had to battle back from a Game 1 loss, and in Game 3 Thursday night at Hoopes Park, the Bandits rallied from three runs down to take the league championship with a 8-3 victory over the Red Men. The Bandits won the title with a sixrun fifth inning, with the big blow being a towering three run home run by Albert Choi.

“It was a fastball a little bit up and a little in,” Choi said. “I really enjoyed playing in this league this summer and I was just happy to replaying baseball after not having spring baseball at college. And to win the championship just makes it that much better.”

The Red Men held a 3-0 lead going to the bottom of the second inning courtesy of a two-run moon shot home run by Tom Alexander in the top of the inning off Jake Good. But, the Bandits battled back in the bottom of the second inning and closed the gap to 3-2 on a two run single by

James Vito.

The scoring slowed down as both Red Men starter Joe Hurley and Bandits’ reliever Chris Sparacino held both offenses in check until the Bandits came up in the bottom of the fifth inning. After getting the first out, Hurley walked Vito and gave up a sharp single to Ben Watson to put men on first and third with one out.

Ken Jarema hit what looked like a double play ball but the Red Men shortstop booted the ball, allowing Vito to score and tie the game at 3-3. Up stepped Choi and on a 1-1 count, he lofted a high, towering drive just inside the left field foul poll and the Bandits led 6-3. When the inning was over it was a 8-3 Bandits lead on six runs on five hits.

Sparacino got in a little trouble in the top of the sixth inning as the Red Men tried to rally. A one-out double by Armen Asadouran and a single by Zack Wright put men on first and third with one out. But Sparacino struck out the dangerous Cole Chesnet and got Ryan Howe on a long fly out to center field and it was still 8-3 game after six innings.

Dylan Heid pitched the top of the seventh for the Bandits and allowed the Red Men only a leadoff double but the Bandits closer did the jobs he finished off the Red Men and the Bandits hoisted the league trophy as 2020 West Chester Adult League champions.

“Playing in this league is great,” Bandits second baseman Casey Caulfield said. “We did not play baseball this spring and this field is like two minutes from my house and to come out here with all theses guys and have a whole lot of funned win this league is a pretty cool feeling.”