Monarchs Gold advance to semi-final game Sunday 7:30 @ Ned Skeldon Field

After playing over two days due to a rain delay and in extra innings, the Monarchs Gold advance to the semi finals of the NABF CWS after a game winning hit by Brian Bilius in the bottom of the 10th with bases loaded, two outs, and the Braves playing for that third out.

The game started Saturday at 9 AM with heavy rain forecasted. Gold went scoreless in the first as the Braves did also. In the second inning Corey Hornyak hits a hard shot in the gap for a stand up double. Hornyak advances to third when the Braves commit an error on fielding Bret Howard’s grounder. Val Helldobler then hits a single to score Hornyak to put Gold on the scoreboard.

The Braves are held scoreless by Gold defense and excellent pitching by Colin Meinzer for four innings. Gold then scores in the third after Casey Winckowski draws a walk, steals second, and scores after Hornyak smashes another standup double.

Braves score two runs in the top of the 5th on a single, hit batter, and a double.

Gold comes back in the bottom of the 5th inning after Brian Bilius starts the offense with a single, then advances to second on a passed ball. Jake Cappelletty then hits a hard shot single to right center and advances to second on an error by the Braves right fielder, Bilius scored. Cappelletty then scores on a sharp hit single by Brandon McFarland for the second run to make it a 4-2 game.

Gold advances to the quarter finals of the NABF CWS after a decisive win over the Long Island, NY Astros. Gold played the Astros in the championship game of the CWS last year and won in dramatic fashion 3-2. Today’s game eliminates the Astros from the tournament.

After the Astros started the game off with 2 back to back singles the Gold defense shut down the Astros with a 4-6-3 double play by Ryan Mouch, Brian Bilius, and Jake Cappelletty and a third out catch by Tristen Peffley in right field.

Gold started their offense with a leadoff walk by Adam Yunker who advanced to second on a pick off attempt thrown wild by the Astros’ pitcher. Yunker advanced to third on ground out to the opposite field by Bilius, and then scored on a RBI single by Cory Hornyak.

Both sides went scoreless in the second inning. Astros scored their one and only run in the top of the third after a couple singles and a sacrifice fly. Gold came back and scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd after a leadoff walk by Yunker, hit batter by Casey Winckowski and a hard shot double by Bilius after Yunker and Winckowski were running on the pitch.