The team stampeded through the first half, completing its first undefeated league half in team history. The six-win streak included impressive wins of 19-6 and 21-4, but it was a dramatic come-from-behind 11-9 win over second place Delta Star Electric that put the team on top to stay.

Guaranteed a spot in the league championship game at the end of the year, AWA turned its attention to a stint in "B" League for the second half, compiling a respectable 3-3 record. Meanwhile, Fiesta Lanes and Mariani's finished the second half of the "CC" League in a dead heat, which meant a playoff game between those two this evening, with the winner facing AWA for the title.

Fiesta Lanes had won the first half of the "C-1" League with a 6-0 record, and proved it was no fluke by recording a 5-1 mark in the "CC" League. Clearly this was a team that was on the rise and fully confident of their chances, and they looked real good in whipping Mariani's for their spot in the "CC" finals. On closer examination, we could see that Fiesta Lanes was pretty much the same bunch of guys who made up a Straw Hat Pizza squad that AWA had battled against in the early '80s. While AWA had taken three of the four games played between the two during those years, each contest was a close, heated affair with no love lost among the players. This added dynamic created an extra layer of intensity that grew as the game wore on.

AWA struck in the first inning when Bruce Christie sliced a double to right center and then scored when brother Brian Christie singled through the middle. In the second, singles by Mark Christie and Steve Barrett, followed by an error, loaded the bases. Earl Yagi lifted a sacrifice fly to right to make it 2-0.

Meanwhile, Fiesta Lanes threatened to score in each of the first two frames, but they came away empty, stranding a runner at third each time. However, in the third, Fiesta Lanes broke through to tie the game. A double and three consecutive one-out singles had two runs in and runners at first and second when Bruce turned in an outstanding play at shortstop. Charging a well-hit grounder, in one motion Bruce fielded the ball and tagged the runner from second. He then made an off-balance throw to first to complete the double play and kill the rally.

In the top of the fourth AWA broke the tie with Greg Brown's agressive baserunning providing the spark. After opening the inning with a hit, Greg surprised the Fiesta Lanes defense when he tagged and moved up to second on Joe Sammut's fly to right, sliding in safely just under the tag on a very close play. The Fiesta Lanes dugout howled its disapproval over the safe call, but video replays showed the call to be correct. That bit of daring on the bases paid off as Greg scored on Mark's single to center.

Runs had been kept to a minimum due to some brilliant defense on both sides, but the best was yet to come as AWA took its tenuous 3-2 lead into the last of the fifth. The situation did not look good when Fiesta Lanes opened the inning with a couple of hits, putting runners at first and second. Working carefully to the next hitter, Earl fell behind three balls and no strikes to the next batter. With the top of the order coming up, Fiesta Lanes was poised to take the lead.

Then -- in an instant -- it was over. Earl came in with the 3-0 pitch, and the batter smoked a one-hopper down the third base line. Played out as if it had been rehearsed dozens of times, Mike Applegate dove to his right and snared the ball at the base, slapping the bag, jumping to his feet, and wheeling a throw to second. Gary Matsushita made a terrific pivot at second, and rifled a throw to first, where Dave Jackson gave it the big stretch, completing the triple play. Bedlam ensued on the AWA side of the field. High fives abounded in the dugout.

But this game was far from over. Both teams traded zeros in the sixth, and AWA continued to hold its very frail 3-2 advantage heading to the top of the seventh. In AWA's final at bat, Mark stung a one-out single and moved to third when Barrett's drive to right barely eluded the diving outfielder, putting Steve at second with a double. Steve Sammut was then intentionally walked to load the bases with the hobbled Earl coming up. But Neil Christie was brought in as a pinch-hitter and promptly drilled a hit to left, scoring one run. Mike then shot a single to center, good for another run, and Gary's long sacrifice fly to left scored the thrid run of the inning, giving AWA a 6-2 lead.

Earl was reinstated into the lineup so he could take the hill for the bottom of the seventh. Only three outs remained for the celebration could begin. The team almost didn't get them. After a leadoff single, the next hitter hit a grounder wide of third. Mike gloved it but had difficulty getting the ball out of his glove, and he could only get a force out at second instead of the double play that would have pretty much would have meant the end for those guys. That's when Fiesta Lanes brought out the hitting sticks. Three consecutive line drive hits to center had one run in and the bases loaded. The next guy ripped a shot down the left field line. Two more runs came in, and with the score now 6-5, the Fiesta Lanes fans were delirious. But amidst the celebration was Joe at catcher, who cooly called for the ball and tagged home plate, appealing that the runner from second base had failed to touch the plate. The umpire agreed, and the player was emphatically rung up. The cheers of joy turned to cries of outrage, and an extended argument ensued. But the umpire stood firm.

The score was amended to 6-4 and, more importantly, the outs were extended to two. The attention now turned to the Fiesta lanes hittier at the plate -- the very same hitter who had bounced into the triple play two innings before. Swinging at the first pitch, he drilled a liner to left center. Tom Sukup, who had cheated in a bit, was in perfect position to make the play.

It was over. The Boys of AWA, after a six-year drought, finally got to hold up the league championship trophy again.