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MOTOR POOL RENEGADES 2006 MSESL CHAMPIONS.....Keith Beaudin's 1-out walk-off grand slam capped off a 5-run 7th inning rally giving the Renegades their 4th title in the past 5 years.....The Renegades came back from an early 8-0 hole and trailed 10-9 entering the 7th before pulling off the dramatic win

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A look back at 2003
BACK TO BACK FOR BISONS

 
 

Determined not to rest on past laurels, the Motor Pool Renegades followed their 2002 championship with another title in 2003. And like 2002, the Bisons clinched their second championship with another dominating 2-game sweep over FHWA. The 2003 regular season was limited to just 8 games because of rainouts and field permit issues but the Renegades still finished with a 6-2 record, good enough for a first place tie with FHWA. The season began on Friday May 16th and the Renegades wasted little time starting up their potent offense as they trounced long time rival Highway Structures 24-12 at a frigid Smith Field. The Renegades banged out 31 hits including 2 homers from Adam Landry. Tom DiPaolo, Chris White, Jamie Jackson and Al Miller also homered for the victorious Bisons. The Renegades saw their record drop to 1-1 with a tough 18-16 loss to FHWA two weeks later at Magazine Field but got back in the win column with a 17-14 win over Maintenance the following week at Smith Field.

The Renegades next played on Friday June 20th and improved their record to 3-1 after blitzing Bridges with a 26-0 shutout win at Smith Field. Al Miller went the distance against his former team to gain his first career shutout. The Bisons made their ’03 Common debut a week later and suffered their second loss of the season in a well played game 11-9 to Highway Structures. Tom DiPaolo, John Megan, John Roche and Chuck Kostro all homered for the Renegades. But just as in the ’02 season, the loss at the Common to Highway Structures would be the last time the Bisons would lose in 2003.

With first place on the line, the Renegades battled FHWA in early July at the Common and squeezed out a hard fought 22-18 win. With “The Nat” on the shelf with a “tired” arm, John Roche was on the mound for the second straight game and earned his first win of the season. The Bisons, as they have done so often in the past at the Common, used the long ball to overcome hard-hitting FHWA. Vin Digilio crushed three homers while Adam Landry and Mike Norian also went deep for the Renegades.

Maintenance gave the Bisons another tough game but the Renegades improved to 5-2 with a 12-8 win at the Common on July 18th. Al Miller was back on the mound and pitched well allowing just 8 runs to pick up his 4th win of the year. John Megan and Brian Fallon each had 4 hits and John Roche smacked his 2nd homer of the season. The regular season ended a week later with the Bisons crushing DCAM 28-15 at Magazine Field. Chuck Kostro hit three homers, John Roche went deep twice while Brian Fallon and Brett Loosian also homered as the Bison bats prepared for another championship run.

The Renegades lost a coin toss with FHWA and were seeded second as the playoffs began on Friday August 22nd nearly a full month after the regular season ended. The Bisons would once again face playoff nemesis Highway Structures, marking the 5th time the two teams had met in the playoffs since the ’98 season.  Highways had won all four previous meetings but this year would be different, however, as the Boys of Bison were determined to rid themselves of the Structures jinx. Game one of the semis was at Magazine and the Renegades jumped out to a 12-3 lead after 3 innings before heavy rain, thunder and lightning descended upon Magazine Field. After much discussion and negotiation that would have made a Philadelphia lawyer proud, the two teams agreed to suspend the game and resume it four nights later at the Common before the regularly scheduled game two. The Bisons made sure there would be no Structure comeback as they continued to batter Tom Highland, scoring 10 more runs while “The Nat” held Highways to just 5 runs as the Renegades took the series opener with a convincing 22-5 win. Miller helped his cause at the plate with 2 homers while Brian Fallon, Chuck Kostro and Jamie Jackson all went yard as well.

Looking to finally hit Structures with a knockout punch, Loosian’s Boys of Summer kept the heat on Highland and the rest of Structures after scoring three runs in the top of the first inning of game two and led 8-1 after 3 innings. They extended their lead to 10-1 with two more in the fifth and after Highways scored two in the sixth to cut the lead to 10-3 the Bisons sent Highways to the mat for good with 5 runs in the top of the seventh to take an insurmountable 15-3 lead.  John Roche hit the only Bison homer in game two while “The Nat” pitched another post season gem holding Highways to just 8 runs in the two games.

After finally conquering Highway Structures, the Bisons were now just 2 wins away from their second straight title. The ’03 finals like the finals of a year before, were a mismatch. The Renegades swept FHWA again, outscoring them in the two games by a combined margin of 45-14. The Renegades crushed FHWA 28-5 in game one at the Common on Tuesday September 9th behind homers from John Megan, Chris White, Brian Fallon and Andy Schlenker. The Bisons clobbered FHWA for 35 hits and were led by John Megan, John Roche and Andy Schlenker who all had 5 hits apiece. Game two took place 3 nights later back at the Common. A confident Al Miller  skipped batting practice in order to make sure Sweetwater was stocked with enough champagne. The Bisons didn’t get off to a good start as FHWA opened the game with 5 runs in the top of the first. The Renegades closed within 5-4 with a 3-run second inning rally and took their first lead of the night at 8-5 with a 4 runs in the third. FHWA tried to make it a series as they tied the game at 8-8 with 3 runs in the top of the fourth but the relentless Renegades took the lead for good with 4 runs in the bottom of the fourth inning for a 12-8 lead. FHWA closed within 12-9 with a run in the top of the 5th but the Bisons clinched the series and their second straight title with 5 runs in the bottom of the 6th extending their lead to 17-9. John Roche, Chuck Kostro and Vin Digilio all homered while Brian Fallon led the Bison 25-hit attack with 4 hits.

 

Norian stepping into the box during season opener

Whitey and Jackson trying to stay warm

"The Nat" greets Norian at Magazine

Bison bench all smiles after blowout of Bridges

Clemmie out at first vs. Hwy Structures

Starting a rally vs. FHWA

Wet night at the Common

Rochie ready to score another Renegade run

Megan and Norian keeping an eye on Jackson

"The Nat" on deck

Celebrating another Bison bomb

Fallon on first at Magazine

Game 1 of semis suspended

Fallon aiming for the Common's right field porch

Highland would finally taste defeat against Renegades

Game one of the finals

Jackson with the double

Whitey planning Renegade victory parade

Bisons savoring GM 1 victory

Finishing off the cooler

One win for Back to Back

Miller with the hardware

Another celebration at the Common

Megan, Loosian and Kostro in the Alleyway

Al being Al

Digilio and Miller champs again

Miller won't let go of trophy as Fallon looks on

Rochie and Norian

A triumphant Miller heads home

Motor Pool Renegades; 2003 MSESL Champs