Potters battle to the end in West Coast World Series final

It was only fitting that the Lincoln Potters had to battle back in their final game of the season Tuesday night; that's what the team did all season. Facing the California Tigers in the West Coast World Series championship at McBean Stadium for the second straight season, Lincoln was aiming to repeat as champion. After falling behind early, the Potters chipped away and eventually surged ahead 8-7 in the top of the ninth inning when hometown product Kenny Winters crossed the plate on a passed ball. But in a heartbreaking twist for Lincoln fans, the Tigers answered in the bottom of the inning. Conner Smith knotted the score with an RBI single before Alec Nava delivered a walk-off single that sealed a 9-8 victory and the championship. "That's kind of how the year has been all year. These guys have just fought and battled no matter what. I am super proud and humble to be able to be the manager for this group," said Potters manager Eli Garcia. "It's just been such a humbling experience for me all summer just to see the guys play the way they did and fight all the way till the end." With many players getting called back to their schools at the end of the Pacific Empire League season, the Potters had to call upon several new names and familiar faces for the West Coast World Series. Zach Chamizo, a Lincoln native, returned for the tournament in his fourth stint with the team and picked up where he left off with seven hits and nine RBIs in the tournament. Chamizo made his mark with a 397-foot homer in Lincoln's 18-3 semifinal win over the NorCal Warriors on Monday. Winters, another Lincoln native, had a strong tournament as well with four hits in four games. "They're super excited to be back here. I know when I played it was super exciting for me to be able to represent Lincoln in such a way and it's the same for them," Garcia said. "Getting someone like Chamizo back is huge. He's been here for forever; we call him Mr. Lincoln. It's fun to be able to play in our backyard." For Garcia, it was a successful first season despite the Potters missing out on the PEL postseason. He led Lincoln to a 37-12 record, the second-most wins in a season since the team started in 2017. Garcia said this season was the foundation of his tenure in Lincoln as he looks to establish sustained success in year two. "There were definitely some learning moments for sure, but I'm always looking to grow and learn," he said. "The group overall that I had this year was a really awesome group. We had a mixture of vets and young guys and the vets did a really good job of taking the young bucks in. Now we are looking to grow and just keep this thing going."