Berkley Hills and Martella's in finals
July 26, 2012 - Years of perserverance have finally paid off for the Berkley Hills Renegades club. After living in the shadow of Delweld and Martella's Pharmacy for six years, the Renegades won the regular season this year by 2 games over both clubs, earning a spot in the national tournament. Their first round series win over Laurel Auto Group advanced the club into the playoff finals, where they will meet Martella's for a chance to represent Johnstown as the host entry. The loser of the series will advance as the Flood City (Johnstown runner-up) entry.
This will be the first time in 5 years that Delweld will not compete in the national tournament. Chris Delsignore's club won the league championship from 2007 through 2010 and were the runner-up entry last season. They were also the host entry in 1999 and 2003. Delweld struggled in the beginning of the season, but road a 13-2 streak in the middle of the season to climb in the standings. The failed to clinch the regular season title, losing both of their final games to Berkley Hills, and then dropped 3 of 4 games to Martella's in the playoffs.
The Pharmacists were hot-and-cold to start the season and were only 11-7 at the mid-point of the season. Chris Pfiel's club ended strong, however, going 9-1 in their final 10 games. Their first round playoff win over Delweld coupled with the Renegade's win secured the Pharmacists their 2nd consecutive appearance in the national tournament. They were also the Johnstown entry in 2002, 2004 and 2005 as the Johnstown Grays.
The Berkley Hills Renegades started strong at 12-3 and never looked back. They dropped 4 in a row late in the season, allowing Delweld and Martella's to pull close, but finished with 4 wins to regain the top spot. In the playoffs, the Renegades eliminated newcomer Laurel Auto 3-games-to-1 despite a lopsided 13-1 loss in game 3.
The championship series begins tonight (Thursday June 26th) at 7:00pm at the Point Stadium in Johnstown. The teams will continue the best-of-5 series Friday through Monday as necessary. All games will begin at 7:00pm at the Point Stadium.
Visit the Johnstown City League website for up-to-date scores and information.