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2012 Ettare Division Champion Orioles Season Highlights

2012 Ettare Champion Orioles Team Photo!
(Back Row) Matt Fraser, Mark Brouse, John Pardo, Chris Rains, Chris Highlander, Brian Brouse, Andrew Saratorre, Sal Sanchez, Chris Cooper, Angel Cordero, Steve Chase. (Front Row) Ryan Fulton, Isaiah Brouse (ball boy), Nathaniel Brouse (bat boy), Andrew Sheehan, Chris Conroy. (Photo submitted by Angelo Cordero).

Regular Season Summary

After having won the last two championships in the American Division, the Orioles set out 2012 looking for a three-peat. However, 2012 would bring a unique set of challenges. As usual the Orioles would need to replace some key players from a year ago. Gone from last year?s version were two-thirds of what was arguably the league?s best outfield, John Seifert and Joe Newman. Also gone from last year?s squad were catcher Matt O?Brien (Twins), and O?s pitcher Brian Seifert. Though Seifert was able to join his teammates for a couple of starts in 2012, he was absent basically the entire season. To make matters worse, after merely three weeks into the season, shortstop and new pitcher Mark Brouse injured his ankle and was unable to play until the second round of the playoffs.

If the Orioles were to repeat and win a third title, they would have to do it in an expanded division against some of the tougher teams. New in 2012 was the creation of the Ettare Division. This new aluminum-bat division was created by merging the American and Pacific Divisions. It was the only division that featured two champions from a year ago — the Braves (defending Pacific Division champs) and the Orioles (defending American Division champs). Joining the two champs in the expanded division were the White Sox, Red Sox, Padres, Yankees, Pirates, Mariners, and Rays. The Knights made the move south from the San Francisco league to complete the 10-team powerhouse division.

In order to replace the lost talent from a year ago, the Orioles picked up John Pardo (from the Mariners), Andrew Saratorre, Matt Fraser, Ryan Fulton, and Chris Highlander. Pardo provided depth behind the plate and, along with Fulton, some valuable innings on the mound. Highlander and Fulton stabilized the left side of the infield. Saratorre and Fraser gave the O?s another solid outfield. The newcomers also proved to be valuable offensive players, as the O?s once again were the division?s top offensive team.

Playoff Summary

2012 Ettare Division Champion Orioles Celebrating
The Orioles celebrate their 2012 Ettare Division Championship. (Photo Submitted by Angelo Cordero)

The Orioles made the playoffs as the number three seed and opened the double-elimination post-season tournament by taking on a very tough Pirates team. After falling behind early, the O?s were able to defeat the Buccs 18-8 and move on to the second round for a match against the Braves.

The Braves gave the O?s a tough battle. However, the Orioles managed to prevail with a narrow 4?3 win and moved on to the semi-final round. The semi-final round pitted the O?s against the top-seeded White Sox, which were the only team to have swept the Orioles in the Regular season. Despite falling behind early in the encounter, the Orioles managed to mount a rally and ended up prevailing 10?6 and moved onto the Championship.

In the Championship the O?s wound up facing the White Sox once again. This time, however, the O?s took an early 6?1 lead by the second inning. However, the White Sox would not give up easily. Pardo, who started the championship game, was able to contain the White Sox hitters through 5 innings. However, by the 7th inning the O?s clung to a narrow 7?5 lead. With one out in the top of the 7th the White Sox managed to start their rally. A hit-batsmen was followed by two singles and a double to drive in three runs. A fourth run scored on a wild pitch, and by the time the O?s were able to retire the side, the White Sox had taken a two-run lead at 9?7. A shocked O?s team was retired in order in the bottom of the seventh, and it looked as though the Sox had stolen all the momentum, and were only six outs away from forcing a second game. Ryan Fulton managed to find a way to keep the Sox silent in the top of the eighth, and maintain the deficit at two runs for the O?s as they went into the 8th inning. The first two hitters for the O?s were retired quickly with harmless fly balls to the outfield, but that?s when the O?s offense would explode.

With two outs in the eighth Saratorre singled to right to start the mother-of-two-out-rallies. Chris Rains worked a walk and Chris Conroy singled to drive in Saratorre. Chris Cooper doubled to deep right-center to tie the game at 9. Matt Fraser followed with a walk and Andrew Sheehan blasted a bases-clearing triple to deep center. Fulton reached on an error, driving in another run. Sal Sanchez and Brian Brouse followed with singles before the third out was finally recorded. By the time the inning ended the O?s had sent a total of 12 hitters to the plate, scoring 8 runs, and taking a commanding 16?8 lead.

With the lead, the O?s sent Chris Rains to the mound for the final inning. The White Sox did mount a rally scoring 3 runs in the 9th, and loaded the bases. However, the deficit was too great for the Sox to overcome. With the bases loaded and two outs, Rains induced a ground ball to second that Brian Brouse was able to corral by diving to his left and throwing the runner out at first to secure the win for the O?s.

With the win the O?s manage to complete the three-peat and win the first ever Ettare Division Championship. 2012 was the fourth consecutive Championship appearance for the O?s. Despite a third-place finish during the regular season, the O?s managed to sweep their way through the playoffs knocking off the defending Pacific Division Champion Braves and the top seeded White Sox twice.