March 29, 1943
Eastern League: Suns, Legends Square Off for First Place
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154 games were not enough to claim sole possession of first place in the Eastern League this season. The Brunswick Legends and Embro Suns finished tied atop the standings, with 103-51 records each. For the first time in the United Leagues, a one-game playoff was required to settle the issue and determine home field advantage in the upcoming Eastern League Pennant Series.
Embro led the regular season matchup, taking 8 of 15 games from Brunswick. But the game was held at Brunswick’s Babe Ruth Park with almost 31,000 in attendance. It would take extra innings in an error-filled game to finally settle the matter. Ten errors were committed in total, 8 by the Suns. It was a fitting end to a wild and woolly season in the Eastern League.
RHP Myung-gu Son (23-8, 2.57 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) got the start for Embro. LHP Wilson Villas (21-7, 3.26 ERA, 1.38 WHIP) took the mound for the Legends.
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Top of the 1st:
The Suns wasted no time, as SS José Sánchez led off with a double. Back-to-singles by C Denzel Fontaine and 1B Jim Friend scored Sánchez for the game’s first run.
A fielder’s choice (6-4) and fly out scored Fontaine, giving the Suns the early lead.
Embro 2 – Brunswick 0
Bottom of the 1st:
With one out, C Maurice Evans doubled. But Evans injured himself while running the bases and was replaced with PR/C Phil Flood.
1B Stuart Bentham immediately followed with a single, putting runners on the corners. Back-to-back walks issued to RF Mark Elston and SS Mathew Shelley scored Flood for Brunswick’s first run.
3B Derek Sakurai then hit into a 4-6 fielder’s choice, scoring Bentham to tie the game.
Embro 2 – Brunswick 2
Top of the 2nd:
SP Myung-gu Son reached base on an error (E8) with two out. José Sánchez immediately followed and took a 2-0 pitch from Villas for a two-run blast to leftfield.
Embro 4 – Brunswick 2
Bottom of the 5th:
Stuart Bentham doubled with one out. After Mark Elston grounded out (6-3), Matthew Shelley followed with a double, scoring Bentham to get the Legends to within a run.
Embro 4 – Brunswick 3
Top of the 6th:
3B Yoshifumi Tamura led off with a single. With one out, LF Tony Blakeney and 2B Kian Meadmore hit back-to-back singles, scoring Tamura and restoring Embro’s two-run lead.
Embro 5 – Brunswick 3
Bottom of the 6th:
LF Rovilson Valdevieso led off, reaching base on an error (E6). 2B Vince Bailey immediately followed, reaching first on a fielder’s choice (5-4).
SP Wilson Villas then reached base on another error (E2), putting runners on second and third. CF Harry Chatwin then singled, scoring Bailey.
With two out, Stuart Bentham singled, scoring Villas and tying the game up once again.
Embro 5 – Brunswick 5
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In the bottom of the ninth, back-to-back errors by the Suns put Legends on second and third base with one out. But Vince Bailey hit into a fielder’s choice (6-2), preventing Derek Sakurai from scoring the winning run. PH Conor Chantler then grounded out (U3) to end the inning and send the game into extra innings.
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Top of the 10th:
With LHP Rob Fields pitching, RF Charles Usherwood led off with a walk. 3B Dennis Ducay then reached on an error (E5), putting runners on second and third. PH Darren Blume was then intentionally walked to load the bases.
With one out, CF António Rodríguez drew a four-pitch walk to score Ducay for the go-ahead run.
Embro 6 – Brunswick 5
Bottom of the 10th:
Ace RHP Colm Soper took the mound to start the inning for Embro. But a single by PH Samuel Lobb, a walk to Stuart Bentham and a single by Mark Elston loaded the bases with one out. After Soper got Matthew Shelley to fly out (F8), Derek Sakurai singled, scoring Lobb and tying the game up once again.
Embro 6 – Brunswick 6
Top of the 12th:
After a scoreless 11th, Dennis Ducay led off with a first-pitch home run to left field off of Rob Fields, returning the lead to the Suns.
Embro 7 – Brunswick 6
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In the bottom of the twelfth, Brunswick put runners on first and second with two out, thanks to a Matthew Shelley single and an error (E6) allowing Derek Sakurai to reach base safely.
But Colm Soper got Rovilson Valdevieso to pop up (F5) on the first pitch to end the inning and the game.
Embro finally claimed first place and earned home field advantage in the upcoming Eastern League Pennant series against these same Brunswick Legends.
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Player of the Game: José Sánchez went 3-5, 1-2B, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 2 R.
Jim Friend went 3-5, 1 RBI, 1 BB
Myung-gu Son went 9.0 IP, 10 H with 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 4 K.
Colm Soper (17-8, 2.19 ERA) picked up the win, going 3.0 IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K
For Brunswick:
Stuart Bentham went 3 for 6, 1-2B, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB.
Wilson Villas went 7.0 IP, 9 H, 5 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 2 K
Rob Fields (2-8, 3.91 ERA) took the loss, going 3.0 IP, 1 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 1 HR.
Maurice Evans sprained his knee in the first inning while running the bases. He is out 1-2 weeks.
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