Morgan Stanley wins crown

Throughout the season, The UPS Store and Morgan Stanley have battled each other every time they’ve met. All of those meetings, except for one, were decided by two or fewer runs and many of the games had been decided in the last inning.

The AAA playoffs are a double-elimination format. UPS beat Morgan Stanley in the second-round of the playoffs, but Morgan Stanley fought its way back up to the championship bracket and needed to beat UPS twice to win the playoffs, which it did.

On June 2, Morgan Stanley defeated UPS, 4-2. Tyler Jackson pitched a complete game for UPS and Zach Washer was the starting pitcher for Morgan Stanley.

Jackson pitched a wonderful game for UPS. After the first inning, he only allowed four base runners and didn’t give up a run. Zach Washer and Joshua McManus split the pitching duties for Morgan Stanley and combined for eight strikeouts.

The teams meet again on June 4, with Morgan Stanley winning, 3-1.

Congratulations to UPS on winning the AAA regular season with a 13-1-2 record, and to Morgan Stanley for winning the AAA postseason playoffs. Both teams advance to the District 55 Tournament of Champions, which began Monday. UPS plays its first tournament game at 6:30 p.m. today at Riddle Field.

— Submitted by Eric Wills (Manager, UPS) and Rob Smith (Manager, Morgan Stanley).

AA Division

Lumberyard 9, Hodes-Milman Angels 8: The energy at Riddle Field was high when Lumberyard and Hodes-Milman Angels met to determine this season’s postseason tournament winner.

In an exciting game, Lumberyard rallied from a five-run deficit to edge the Angels.

The Angels had one of their powerhouse pitchers, Enzo Sadler on the mound and, backed by second baseman Dylan Brashier and Noah Linder, sent Lumberyard down in order in the top of the first. The Angels got on the scoreboard first with runs earned from Charlie Pillsbury and Jett Roche. In the top of the second, Lumberyard’s William Michelson singled and two outs later Sam Burgi hit a hit a two-run home run to tie the score. The Angels, however, were unfazed and came back in the bottom of the second to take a 7-2 lead when Jackson Yelland, Dylan Finkelstein, Jack Finkelstein, Travis Booth and Pillsbury all scored.

In the top of the third, Lumberyard came alive, getting runs from James Loughlin, Lance Detweiler and Cole Fink before another big hit to the outfield by Burgi brought in Michelson and Kelly Smith to tie the score again.

The Angels regained the lead when Yelland scored on Booth’s RBI.

In the top of the sixth, Loughlin’s grounder drove in both Casey Sorensen and Francis Pillsbury and put Lumberyard back in front, 9-8.

The Angels had the tying run on base with two out in the bottom of the sixth, but Michelson recorded a game-ending strikeout.