New Orleans, Miami Take League Pennants in The Dixie

DIXIE – The Miami Pirates and the New Orleans Black Hats have won the Eastern and Western League – respectively – Championship Series’, each of them winning in two games out of three, and with the series wins, take their league pennants.  They will face each other in the 3 game Dixie League Championship Series (DLCS).

In a victory that was predicted and expected, The New Orleans club swept the last two games of the Western League Championship Series (WLCS) 11 – 8, and 12 – 11, after their unexpected 9 – 12 upset loss in Game 1 to the Texas Confederates.  The Black Hats are an AF Pro Bowl nominated team, and were tied for 1st on last weeks AF Top 25.  They have led the Dixie League all season, amassing a  41-13-1 regular season record and 125 points on the year.

Also heavily favored, but also needing three games to secure the Pennant, were the Eastern League’s Miami Pirates (30-25-0, 113 pts) who beat the Florida Jesters in the Eastern League Championship Series (ELCS).   The Pirates opened the series with a convincing 15 – 6 victory over their cross-state rivals, but the Jesters came back in Game 2 with a narrow 4 – 3 victory, forcing a Game 3.  Miami wrapped things up in week 14, eliminating Florida 8 – 6.

The Black Hats and the Pirates will now face off in the best of 3 DLCS, where New Orleans is heavily favored to bring the Dixie Cup over to the West for the first time in League history.  The Black Hats won the teams’ week 5 inter-league contest by a 12 – 1 margin, and will hope to repeat that outcome.  Should Miami pull off the upset, it will be the second Florida ball club to capture the League Championship after the Jacksonville Pirates (no connection) won it in the 2012 season.  The Black Hats (playing as the New Olreans Breakers) lost the League Championship last season to the now defunct Richmond Spiders.