Bauerstown Grizzlies – 2021 AA Champions
After opting to sit out the 2020 season due to the pandemic, the Bauerstown Grizzlies were eager to return to the diamond in 2021. There was uncertainty heading into the season what this version of the Grizzlies would look like on the field as the team only returned nine players from the last season played in 2019: Noah Hernandez, Austin Martz, Jake Morgan, Riley Quinlan, Steve Richey, Jordan Van Thiel, Joe Zangaro, Nick Zangaro, and Adam Zulka. Five new players were added to round out the 2021 roster: Pat Carlson, Trevor Freyvogel, Michael Gazica, John Kobler, and Matt Murslack. Coach John Nites returned for his fifth season to manage the Grizzlies. When the season began in April, the Grizzlies wasted little time showcasing what they were capable of achieving in 2021.
During the season opener, Richey, Kobler, and Zulka combined to no-hit and shutout the Bakery Square Bandidos, the team that went on to lead the league in runs scored this season. The Grizzlies went on a run to start the season and jumped out to an 8-0 record before suffering their first defeat. With the hot streak to begin the regular season, the team set their sights on securing the one seed and home field advantage for the playoffs. This goal was accomplished after obtaining a win against the South Side Eagles in the second to last weekend of regular season play. By clinching the one seed, the Grizzlies avoided all single elimination rounds and received an automatic bid into the best of three Semifinals. When playing on their home turf at John Nites Field, the Grizzlies were undefeated in the regular season and finished with a 19-3-1 record overall.
Bauerstown drew a tough matchup against the South Oakland Ducks in the Semifinals. The Ducks lineup presented a difficult matchup, and they had the pitching to slow down the Grizzlies offense. Game 1 of the series was tightly contested, knotted up at 2-2 heading into the bottom of the 6th inning. The Grizzlies offense pushed across five runs to build a five run lead heading into the last inning and won the game 7-2. The offense carried over into Game 2 on the road at Spring Hill, with the Grizzlies winning 14-7 to secure a spot in the Championship Series.
The seven seed, Pittsburgh D2, got hot at the right time and made a push for the title. They eliminated the #2 seed Bandidos in a single elimination game and #6 seed Cranberry in the Semifinals series. The Grizzlies and D2 squared off in the 2016 A Championship, with D2 emerging as champions. Bauerstown was determined to not let history repeat itself. Game 1 at Herschel was a pitching duel. In the fourth inning, the one seed Grizzlies managed to score three runs to extend their lead to 4-0. Kobler struck out 12 batters in 6 innings of work, while only allowing 1 run. Zulka finished out the game in the seventh inning to secure a 5-1 victory for the Grizzlies. Game 2 returned to Bauerstown with a chance for the Grizzlies to earn their first NABA Championship. Martz set the tone with a solo home run in the bottom of the second to give the Grizzlies a 1-0 lead. The scoring carried over into the bottom of third for the Grizzlies as they broke out for four runs to extend the lead to 5, and the Grizzlies did not look back on their way to a 7-1 victory. Zulka tossed a complete game, allowing only 2 hits, 1 run, and striking out 9. The Bauerstown Grizzlies are the 2021 AA Champions!
The four man pitching staff of Freyvogel, Kobler, Richey, and Zulka was excellent all season. All four pitchers went on to finish the year top five in ERA. Carlson, Kobler, N. Zangaro, and Zulka led the charge offensively. The Grizzlies finished the regular and postseason unbeaten on John Nites Field at Bauerstown, accumulating a combined 14-0 record.
