2025 PCBL AA-Division Fall Championship

December 14th @ Conejo Creek
Royals (4-6) -vs- Doinks and Dingers (6-4)
Photos (courtesy of @david_manigault)

 

Underdogs reigned supreme in the big game this fall, as the 3-seeded Doinks and Dingers took on the 4-seeded Royals for the 2025 AA Fall Championship.  These 2 teams met 3 times in the regular season, with the Doinks taking 2 of 3.  But the suddenly-hot Royals had won 5 of their last 6 games, so the stage was set for an exciting match-up!

 

Leading off the first, Royals manager Mike Miller hit a single to right.  Designated runner Andrew Miller went first-to-third when Alex Uy followed up with a single, and scored on a Gabe Sgambati ground out, giving the Royals a quick 1-0 lead.  Oliver Lopez singled home Uy, and after Sergio Renteria walked, Michael Citro and Jake Romo hit back-to-back doubles to extend the lead to 5-0.  Daniel Gutierrez reached on an error to bring home one more, giving the Royals a comfortable 6-0 lead.

 

 

The Doinks came to the plate hungry.  With 1 out (on a Sportcenter-calipher play by Oliver Lopez and Kyle Tanaka), speedster Nick Rogers reached on an error and quickly swiped second.  Billy Crothers singled him home, and Rohit Manimaran singled him to third.  Spencer Laine knocked in Crothers on a fielder's choice, and with 1 inning in the books, the Royals led 6-2.

 

Both starting pitchers settled down after that.  The Doinks' Nick Peterson put up 3 zeroes, and the Royals' Kyle Tanaka put up 2 zeroes.  The score was still 6-2 heading into the bottom of the 4th, when Billy Crothers led off and reached 2nd on an error.  Peterson helped his own cause and doubled him home, cutting the lead to 6-3.

 

Each hurler put up another zero, bringing us to the top of the 6th.  After 2 quick outs, Taj Stansberry reached on a sun-aided single to shallow left.  Giovanni Smith worked a 7-pitch walk, bringing the top of the order back up.  Mike Miller quickly fell behind 0-2, before lining an rbi-single into left field, chasing Peterson from the game.  The Royals weren't any easier on reliever Justin Jimenez.  Alex Uy and Gabe Scambati both walked, plating another run, before Oliver Lopez and Sergio Renteria reached on back-to-back errors to extend the Royals' lead to 11-3.

 

With the Doinks' big lefty bats coming up, the Royals turned to a lefty arm themselves - closer Gabe Sgambati.  After a quick strikeout, an error and stolen base put a runner in scoring position for the Doinks with Billy Crothers coming up again in a big spot.  He didn't disappoint, lining a double to right center.  The runner on second had to hold up until the ball dropped, and it cost the Doinks big.  Centerfielder Andrew Miller hit cutoff man Alex Uy, who threw a strike to catcher Daniel Gutierrez, nailing the runner at the plate for the second out.  Rohit Manimaran singled home Crothers, but was erased at first on a nasty pick-off by Sgambati.  After 6, the Royals led 11-4.

 

 

Jimenez worked around a few baserunners in the 7th before the Doinks threatened again.  Spencer Laine tripled to right, and after an Eddie Lopez walk, scored on a Joseph Mora single.  With men on the corners, Gabe Sgambati dug deep and struck out the next 2 hitters to escape the jam, swinging the momentum back to the Royals.

 

Alex Uy doubled and Gabe Sgambati walked to lead off the 8th.  After a 5-3 double play, Sergio Renteria came through with a clutch hit, extending the Royals' lead to 12-4.  The Doinks made some noise in the bottom of the frame, but after  Justin Jimenez was hit by a pitch and moved to second on a passed ball, Royals catcher Daniel Gutierrez caught him trying to swipe 3rd.  Alex Evans and Nick Peterson both walked (with Evans swiping a pair of bags on a bad ankle), putting runners on the corners for Billy Crothers yet again.  But the Royals were finally able to get the slugger out on a jam shot to second baseman Gabe Sherman, bending but not breaking yet again.

 

In the top of the 9th, the Royals responded one more time.  Jake Romo led off with a hit by pitch, and one out later, back-to-back singles by Taj Stansberry and Giovanni Smith gave the Royals a 13-5 lead heading into the bottom of the 9th.

 

 

Rohit Manimaran led off with a single, and one out later scored on a Spencer Laine double.  After swiping third, Laine tried to score on a ball in the dirt, but a close play at home went the Royals' way and Laine was called out.  Eddie Lopez reached on an error with 2 outs, but was caught stealing 3rd on another close play, ending the Doinks' comeback and earning the Royals their 3rd championship!

 

Congratulations on the Doinks on a great season, and a hard fought championship game.  But this ended up being a day for the boys in Columbia blue - the Royals are your 2025 Fall AA Champions!

 

 

 

 

Congratulations to your Fall 2025 AA-Division Champion Royals!

 

 

Royals   6   0   0   0   0   5   0   1   1   13  14  5
Doinks   1   0   0   1   0   1   1   0   1    6  13  4

 

 

Pitching Stats
WP Kyle Tanaka (Royals)   5IP, 0ER (3R), 7H, 4K, BB (co-MVP)
LP Nick Peterson (Doinks) 5.2IP, 7ER (9R), 7H, 6K, 4BB, HBP
S  Gabe Sgambati (Royals) 4IP, 2ER (3R), 6H, 6K, 3BB, HBP, PO (co-MVP)
Justin Jimenez (Doinks) 3.1IP, 2ER (3R), 5H, 2K, 4BB, HBP

 

Royals
Alex Uy - 4-4, 2 2B, 2R, 2BB
Jake Romo - 2-4, 2B, 2R, 2RBI, HBP, SB
Mike Miller - 2-6, 2R, RBI
Taj Stansberry - 2-4, R, BB, SB
Daniel Gutierrez (catcher) - 4 runners caught stealing

Doinks and Dingers
Billy Crothers - 2-4, 2B, 3R, RBI
Rohit Manimaran - 3-4, R, RBI, SB
Joseph Mora - 3-4, RBI
 

Completing a Cinderella 2025, the worst-to-first Royals surprised everyone by winning the fall 2025 championship after finishing 1-16-1 in the spring.     Daniel Gutierrez and Mike Miller tied for the team MVP, while Kyle Tanaka won the team Cy Young (finishing 2nd in the division) and Alex Uy won the team batting title (.416.)  Uy also led the team in hits (17, 2nd in the AA), Miller led in runs (18, 2nd in AA) and walks (14, led the AA), Nick Perez and Uy led in rbis (10) and Andrew Miller led the team in steals (18, 2nd in the AA.)  Most impressively, in our championship game, every single player reached base and either scored a run or knocked one in - a "team victory" in every sense of the phrase!   Thank you all for a great season - let's run it back in 2026!       #goRoyals