DARE
I SAY…EN FUEGO!
EN
FUEGO DOMINATES THE COMPETITION TO WIN THEIR FIRST EVER PALM SPRINGS
TOURNAMENT
February
23, 2002
BIG
LEAGUE DREAMS, CATHEDRAL CITY – FINAL: En Fuego 19, Team Swoosh 6
En
Fuego banged out 12 hits and scored 13 runs in the bottom of the
first inning to set the tone for the rest of the championship match
against Team Swoosh at Yankee Stadium, Big League Dreams. They added
another six runs in the third inning en route to their first ever
“Palm Springs” tournament win. They held the powerful Team
Swoosh down allowing just six runs winning 19-6 to take the title.
Tournament
MVP outfielder Cade Gaspar led the way for En Fuego going 3-for-3
with four RBI in the final game. Shortstop Brett Nista also went
3-for-3 and added three RBI. “This has to be one of the best
line-ups we’ve ever assembled.” Said Coach Craig
Watkins.
“With Cade, Nista and Wade (Jackson), we felt pretty good going
into the tourney.” The three sluggers added a lot of offense to an
already potent line-up. En Fuego averaged 21.5 runs per game while
allowing only 10.8.
En
Fuego battled it out for their first win of the day defeating
Louisville Sluggers 22-17. In that game Gaspar went deep for one of
his team leading four home runs in the tourney and collected four
RBI on his way to a team leading 16 for the tourney. All while
batting leadoff.
Jackson and first baseman Ryan Sauers each went 4-for-4 and
added three RBI apiece.
In
game two, En Fuego faced off with another tough opponent Top Shelf
and won with ease 16-4. En Fuego Outfielder Rory O’Leary went
4-for-4, homered and drove in four runs in the win. With the
competition strong and very experienced En Fuego was surprising
their opponents with two solid wins to start the tourney.
In
the semi-final game En Fuego scored often and early to send Team
Swoosh to the loser bracket. Gaspar set the tone with four hits and
six RBI while Nista belted his second home run in the tourney and
drove in three runs. Outfielder Greg Reynolds added four RBI while
collecting four hits for En Fuego who left Team Swoosh literally
bowing down in the 29-16 pummeling.
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