Pennington Helps Phoenix To AFL Title

The Phoenix Desert Dogs once again finished the Arizona Fall League at the top of the pack, beating the Surprise Rafters by a score of 7-2. It was the Desert Dogs' fourth consecutive AFL title.

The Desert Dogs struggled offensively most of the Arizona Fall League season, but their bats came alive during their winner-takes-all title match with the Surprise Rafters. Phoenix banged out 15 hits on Saturday en route to a convincing 7-2 win.

Oakland A's shortstop prospect Cliff Pennington punctuated a strong end to his AFL campaign with another big game in the championship game. The 2005 first round pick had three hits in five at-bats out of the second spot in the order. He scored two runs and stole two bases for Phoenix.

The game was tight until the eighth and ninth innings, when Phoenix pulled away. The Desert Dogs lost a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the seventh, but responded with two runs in the top of the eighth. Phoenix put the game away with three in the ninth.

A's prospects Pennington, Jeff Baisley, Raul Padron, Jeff Gray, Brad Kilby, James Simmons and Justin Dowdy take home championship rings as players and Todd Steverson, the Midland Rockhounds' 2007 manager and the 2008 manager of the Sacramento River Cats, takes home a ring as a coach with Phoenix.