Spirits (45+) Fall Squad Walks-Off Brazos Championship

(November 10, 2025 – Coppell, TX) It wouldn’t be Spirits baseball if it weren’t dramatic in fashion, and it certainly wouldn’t be a Spirits versus Knights scenario it also wasn’t dramatic. Drama was on full display Monday night as the Spirits watched a late 4 to 0 lead turn into a tie before the squad rallied to walk it off in the bottom half of the seventhing inning at Cowboy Field to earn the NTABL Brazos (40+) Fall Division Championship.

Both the game’s starting pitchers were dealing in the cool temperatures including Knights starter, Tim Trout alongside Spirits starter, Jonathan Duran. Duran pitched 5 innings of no-hit baseball before the Knights strung together a few singles starting with a stick-the-bat out bloop single by Cuauhtemoc Zubillaga. Fortunately for Duran, a few runs on offense combined with solid defense most of the game held the game in check. Duran, who left the game with a lead and a fantastic performance may have not won the game on record, but truly was responsible for holding the Knights bats quiet.

The Spirits were able to load the bags in the first after Eric McPherson flew out and Dee Mauldin drew a walk. Mauldin swiped second base before Travis Hitzeman also walked. Shawn Lee stuck out after swinging at ball that was likely ball four, but Matt Crowell kept the inning alive after drawing another walk from Trout. Trout was able to regain his composure to get Cliff Brade to fly out to leave the game scoreless after the first and to spare his team of any early deficit.

Duran set the Knights in order in the second after recording strikeouts number two and three before the Spirits followed suit by going in order in the bottom frame despite a base-on-balls to Shawn Hunt that eventually turned into a caught stealing after Brade was tagged out when he ran for Hunt.

Duran made it 9 in a row after the third and the Spirits again made some noise but were unable to score. Vinny Diciero reached on an error and was then squeezed at second after Kevin Simmons reached on a fielder’s choice. Stacy Scott followed with the same play to put out Simmons at second base before Mauldin grounded out to close the third.

Jesus Marquez reached on a Spirits fielding error in the fourth and Lorenzo McEwen drew a walk but Duran and company were able to get Marquez at third when Harlen McCaskey reached on a fielder’s choice and then the Spirits infield turned a double-play when Todd Murrah grounded to Scott at second base and flipped to Lee at shortstop for the 4-6-3 put out.

The Spirits offense finally clicked in the fourth after Hitzeman led off with a double down the left field line. Lee followed with a single to short right field before stealing second, and Crowell grounded out to the infield on a check swing to hold the runners. Brade followed with a hard single to center field that allowed both Hitzeman and Lee to score and the game finally showed numbers on the scoreboard. Mike Sopocy kept the inning rolling with a single to push Brade to second but Trout was able to get Hunt to fly out and once again hold the runners. Chris Lewis followed with an infield single to load the bags and Brade later scored on a wild pitch from Trout that was exacerbated by a errant throw from the Knights catcher. This allowed Sopocy to cross the dish and the Spirits held a 4 to 0 advantage before Diciero flew out to end the inning.

“We were close most of the night,” Lee commented later, reflecting on his team’s work at the dish. “I’m not sure if it was the cold weather or maybe we were trying too hard but we weren’t stringing anything together up to that point. Travis (Hitzeman) had a great hit to lead off the inning and then we seemed to grab some momentum and a few of us were able to hit and find our way around the bases.”

Duran closed out the top half of the fifth with another 1-2-3 inning that included his fourth strikeout but the Spirits were held in check during the bottom frame after Scott drew a one-out walk but was replaced by McPherson on a fielder’s choice before Mauldin flew out to keep the game’s score the same.

In the top of the sixth, Zubillaga’s soft contact single led the way for the Knights with one out and he was followed by additional singles from Marc Hepburn and Rodger Battani to plate Zubillaga. Hepburn later scored when Battani broke for second base and the Spirits made the throw to tag him out in the rundown. Marquez grounded out but the Knights were able to cut the score to, 4 to 2.

In the bottom of the inning, HItzeman grounded out before Lee lined out to second and with two outs, Crowell was hit by a Trout pitch. Crowell later stole second base but Brade flew out and the game’s 2-run score remained in check.

“This is one of those instances where I get caught in the decision loop,” Lee continued. “Duran has pitched a great game but the Knights were coming up for the third time so I thought giving them a different look was a good idea.”

Lee turned to Sopocy to close out the game, however, the decision appeared to backfire after McEwen started off by hitting an opposite field single to left. McEwen took second on the throw into the infield and moments later scored after McCaskey went opposite field for a single. Murrah made it three straight and one bad pitch later, McCaskey was across the plate to tie the game.

“I was pretty mad at that point,” Lee continued. “I’m sure it was obvious with my normal tantrum gasps and hat throwing. I wasn’t mad about the scenario. I just felt that maybe I made a mistake in decision-making. I hate to let my guys down and ruined a gem for (Jonathan) Duran. At that point, I felt like maybe I gave them more of what they wanted; no clue. I’m just glad that Mike (Sopocy) has such a great glove because it could have been worse.”

The play Lee referred to happened next as Sopocy delivered to Michael Kubick and promptly snagged a line drive hit at his head before turning and throwing to Mauldin at first to double-up Murrah and more importantly, to get his team out of the inning without any further damage.

The Spirits then settled in for the game’s final half inning and it was Sopocy with opportunity. Trout had different plans, however; getting Sopocy to fly out to record the first out. Hunt then patiently stood in the box and drew a 4-pitch walk that set the table for the game’s final set of fireworks. Brade, a speedy runner and obvious base-stealing target, took to the bag to courtesy run for the catcher. Despite a few jumps and dances, Brade actually stayed at first before Lewis hit a roller to the right side. Battani, the Knights skipper and second baseman, had broke for the bag and was moving opposite direction of the infield foller. He wasn’t able to field the ball cleanly and as a result, everybody was safe.

With two on and one out, Diciero then settled in before fouling off the first pitch. He then took strike two before belting a hard line drive into left center field to walk it off for the Spirits. Brade was able to score easily and the Spirits sealed the 2025 fall campaign with a 5 to 4 walk-off win.

“Great job by Vinny to step in and get us the game winner,” Lee said. “I was trying to encourage him to cut it in half and it’s something he’s been pretty good at all season. He sat in there poised and delivered and it was a great way to end the season.”

Duran finished the day with 6 innings pitched, 5 of which went no-hit, 2 earned off 3 hits while walking one and striking out 3. Sopocy picks up the victory after giving 2 earned on 3 hits before Diciero’s walk-off.

Hitzeman finished the game 1-for-2 with a walk, a double, and a run scored while Lee added a single, stolen base, and a run scored. Brade added a single and 2 runs batted in and a run scored, while Diciero finishes 1-for-3 with the game’s game-winning RBI single. Hunt walked twice and scored, while McPherson and Sopocy each added a hit to close out the Spirits box score.

McEwen added a single, walk, and run scored for the Knights, while McCaskey finished with a single, run batted in and a run scored as well. Zubillago and Hepburn each added singles and runs scored, and Battani rounds out the Knights hitting with a single and a run batted in.

Congratulations to the Dallas Spirits (45+) fall squad on their 8th overall NTABL Championship.

Game Box Score

Ranger Fire, Inc. Players of the Game