Mocka Rays claim second title in three years
This time last season, the Middleboro Mocka Rays and their devoted fans left Trum Field dejected when the team lost to the Boston Havoc in Game 5 of the 18+ Division Finals, and failed to defend the franchise's first-ever title.
Fast-forward to the present day, and the Middleboro Mocka Rays are the champions of the 18+ Division for the second time in three years, defeating the South Shore Giants three games to none in the best-of-five Championship Series.
The Mocka Rays players and their fans celebrated on the field and late into the night last Wednesday, after pulling off the three-game sweep and becoming the first Wild Card team in 18+ Division history to close out the postseason with a championship.
"This team is resilient and we showed that this season", said the Mocka Rays' third-year Manager Tyler Ferdinand. "The past two seasons we earned the No. 1-seed and an automatic bid to the semifinals. This year we got the 5-seed and had to win two play-in games to reach the semis."
The path to the championship was certainly an unconventional one for the now two-time 18+ champs. After finishing the 2022 regular season with the fifth-best record at 14-9-1, the Mocka Rays entered the postseason as a Wild Card team and were a long shot to take home the 2022 crown.
"All of us knew what this team was capable of talent-wise, regardless of our seeding", said Ferdinand. "It was just about our full lineup being available in the playoffs and we knew we'd roll."
And roll they did. In their two 'do-or-die' single-elimination Wild Card games, the Mocka Rays dominated the opposition, first defeating the No. 6-seeded Boston Lobos (12-12) by a final score of 13-1 in a 5-inning shortened game, and then thrashing the No. 4-seeded Waltham Cutters (15-9) one night later, 22-2.
The pitching duo of Justin Sylvia (3 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, BB, 3 K) and Jonathan Matos (4 IP, 3 H, ER, 0 BB, 7 K) combined to go 2-0 with 10 K's, allowing just one earned run in the Wild Card round, while the offense erupted for 35 runs on 34 hits, with 9 (4 doubles, 5 triples) of those hits going for extra bases.
The Mocka Rays earned their third straight trip to the postseason semifinals, and a chance to avenge last year's finals loss to the defending champion and top-seeded Boston Havoc.
The Havoc finished the 2022 regular season with a league-best 21-2-1 record, including a record-setting 19-game win streak to begin the season, earning Omar Ortiz Manager of the Year honors.
The reigning 18+ champs led the league with a franchise-record 201 runs scored and just 65 runs allowed. They looked to make it back to the finals for a fifth straight season, but standing in their way was a best-of-five semifinal showdown with bitter rivals, the Middleboro Mocka Rays.
In Game 1 of their semifinal series, right-hander John Medina (9 IP, 7 H, 0 ER, BB, 6 K) and southpaw Nick Radcliffe (8.2 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 9 K) engaged in a pitcher's duel for the ages.
With neither starting pitcher allowing a run through 7 full, the game headed into extras. With one out in the bottom of the 9th, the Havoc's Ryan Foley (0-2, R, 2 HBP) reached first after getting plunked by a pitch for the second time in the game. A fielder's choice one batter later moved Foley into scoring position for Nate Perkins (1-4, RBI, K), who drove him in with a clutch 2-out RBI single. The Havoc walked off with the dramatic 1-0 win and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
The Game 1 hero continued to stay red-hot at the plate for the Havoc in Game 2. In his first two at-bats, Perkins (2-3, R, 2 RBI, 2B, 3B) knocked in two runs and scored another, while the Havoc's Game 2 starter Seth Perkins (6.2 IP, 3 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K) held the Mocka Rays to just two runs on two hits through five innings of work.
Trailing 3-2 in the bottom of the 6th, the Mocka Rays refused to go down easily. Tyler Ferdinand (2-4, 3 R, K) led off the inning with a double and would later score on a Drew Boli (2-3, RBI) RBI single that tied the game at 3-3.
With the Havoc unable to push a run across in the top half of the 7th, the Mocka Rays came up to bat in the bottom half with a chance to pull off some walk-off magic of their own.
Down to their last out before the start of extra innings, Ferdinand hit what appeared to be an inning-ending ground ball back to the pitcher, but was able to use his speed to force an errant throw and get himself into scoring position. Thomas Lenane (0-3, RBI) followed with a hard-hit ground ball that was misplayed by the Havoc shortstop, allowing Ferdinand to score from second and the Mocka Rays to walk off with the 4-3 Game 2 victory.
Jonathan Matos (7 IP, 9 H, 3 ER, 2 BB, 7 K) earned the complete-game win for the Mocka Rays and improved to 2-0 in the postseason.
Feeding off the momentum of their thrilling come-from-behind win in Game 2, the Mocka Rays would go on to win the next two games by scores of 10-0 and 7-3.
Chris Dion (7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 9 K) earned the Game 3 win, tossing a complete-game shutout in his Mocka Rays' postseason debut, while Jonathan Matos (7 IP, 9 H, 3 R, BB, 6 K) improved to 3-0 in the postseason with a complete-game win in Game 4. Jon "Lumpy" Letourneau (2-3, 2 R, 2 RBI, HR, K) and Drew Boli (1-3, R, RBI, HR, K) each homered in the Game 4 win.
For a third straight season, the Mocka Rays advanced on to the 18+ Finals, and would face the winner of the best-of-five semifinal matchup between the No. 2-seeded Merrimack Valley Marlins (17-7) and No. 3-seeded South Shore Giants (15-9).
The Giants, who ranked just 5th in runs scored and 6th in hits on the regular season, tallied 20 runs on 21 hits in the first two games of the series, defeating the Marlins 10-5 and 10-3 in Games 1 and 2, respectively.
The Giants jumped out to a quick 2-0 series lead and climbed within one win of their first finals appearance since winning the title in 2012 when they were known as the "Grays".
After suffering an 8-2 loss in Game 3, that win would come in Game 4, as the Giants shut out the Marlins 3-0 to earn a trip back to the Finals for the first time in over a decade.
Nick Constantine (14 IP, 2.50 ERA, 10 H, 5 ER, BB, 10 K) went 2-0 on the hill for the Giants in the series, while Nelson Correa (5-11, .455 Avg., 6 R, RBI, 2B) and Eddie Guerrero (8-14, .571 Avg., 5 R, 4 RBI, 2 2B, 3B) helped spark the offense, combining to go 13-for-25 with 5 RBIs and 11 runs scored.
For the first time in 18+ Division history, the Middleboro Mocka Rays and South Shore Giants squared off in the best-of-five Championship Series.
In Game 1, the Mocka Rays jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead in the 1st on a Jon Letourneau (2-3, 3 RBI) RBI-double. That lead would grow to 4-0 in the top of the 3rd on a bunt single from Tyler Ferdinand (2-4, R, RBI, K) and a 2-RBI single from Letourneau.
In the bottom of the 3rd, the Giants threatened after loading the bases with one out, however, Mocka Rays' starting pitcher Justin Sylvia (4 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, BB, 4 K) was able to settle down and limit the damage to just one run on an Eddie Guerrero (1-4, RBI, K) RBI single.
The Giants added another run in the bottom of the 4th on an RBI fielder's choice from Alex Fernandez (1-3, RBI) to cut the lead to 4-2, but that was as close as they would come to pulling off the comeback.
Cameron Breault (3 IP, H, 0 ER, BB, K) relieved Sylvia in the 5th, tossing 3 innings of shutout relief to earn the save and secure the 4-2 Game 1 victory for the Mocka Rays.
In Game 2, the Mocka Rays faced an early 2-0 deficit, but would come back to tie the game on clutch RBIs from Mike Knell (1-2, RBI) and Tyler Rondeau (0-0, 2 BB, RBI). This would eventually set the stage for Pat Yee (1-2, RBI, BB, K), who drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 7th, as the Mocka Rays walked off with the 3-2 Game 2 win.
Chris Dion (7 IP, 5 H, 2 ER, BB, 6 K) picked up his second win of the postseason, tossing a complete game 5-hitter, allowing just 2 earned runs while striking out 5.
In Game 3, the Mocka Rays sent out southpaw Jonathan Matos (7 IP, 2 H, BB, 9 K), who pitched masterfully in his fourth appearance of the postseason. Matos tossed a complete-game shutout, allowing just 2 hits to go along with 9 strikeouts, finishing the postseason with a perfect 4-0 record.
The offense, led by Tyler Ferdinand (4-4, R), put up 4 runs on 13 hits, as the Mocka Rays completed the 3-game sweep of the Giants and claimed their second title in three years with a 4-0 Game 3 win.
Overall, the Mocka Rays produced an 8-1 record in the postseason. Tyler Ferdinand (18-30, .600 Avg., 14 R, 7 RBI, 2B, 2 3B, 6 SB) and Thomas Lenane (16-29, .640 Avg., 9 R, 10 RBI, 4 2B, 3B, 3 SB) led the offense, which batted .351 as a team, while the pitching staff posted a 1.56 ERA.
Congratulations to the Middleboro Mocka Rays on winning their second title in three years and becoming the first Wild Card team to bring home the 18+ championship.
Hats off to the South Shore Giants and their manager Nelson Correa, who took his team all the way to the Finals in just his first year at the helm.
