[chucksabr]

Incredible Game Ends in Extra Innings at 15-14.

As much as the devotees of the sport of baseball claim to thrill to a taut match ruled by pitchers hurling zeros at hapless opposing batsmen, few events rouse the emotions of a crowd of spectators quite like what the Americans like to call a “barn-burner”, one in which so many runs are scored on each side that the game ends with some perhaps still uncertain of who won.

Such was yesterday’s match between the Chesterfield and Blackburn Rovers clubs at Ewood Park. Rovers jumped off the mark to a quick four runs lead in the very first innings. Spiteites chipped away with single runs in the second and fourth to draw within two, as Rovers answered with one each of their own in the fourth and fifth to regain the margin. Chesterfield then scored five in the seventh including a home run by third baseman Roberts, which Rovers answered with a single run in their seventh for a seven runs draw between the two.

Rovers looked to have the game salted away by scoring three in their eighth innings, but gave the lead away by yielding three runs on a base on balls, error and outfield fly out, and the game was drawn at ten going into the tenth innings.

Chesterfield, who have been in Champions' form of late by winning 13 of the last 16 games, bade for a 14th of 17 with a four runs tenth innings featuring a single, two twos and three walks, but in a match like this no lead is safe, and that was proven in the bottom of the innings. For even though it started fairly quietly with two outs, runners on first base and third and only one run scored, the bottom fell out of the game, for what followed were, in succession: base on balls; base on balls; single (two runs); hit by pitch; base on balls (run); and base on balls (run and match). Never had the seeming inaction of four pitches thrown outside the strike zone precipitated such rousing cheering as was heard in Blackburn during this game. That, dear reader, is the beauty that is baseball.