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reds1 · 03-21-2016, 12:16 AM

Kingston Pelicans (87-67) vs. Balmoral Giants (86-68)
Season Matchup: 8-7 in favour of Kingston

Kingston: Runs scored – 690 (4th in WL); runs allowed – 608 (2nd), def. eff. – .706 (4th).
Balmoral: Runs scored – 709 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 648 (3rd), def. eff. – .714 (1st).

The Western League Pennant welcomed the old along with the new as the Balmoral Giants made their first post-season appearance. They finished just one game in the standings behind the Kingston Pelicans, who are no strangers to the playoffs. In fact, they have never missed the playoffs yet, finishing first in the standings four times and second place twice. But this season saw no dominant team emerge in the West; in fact, no team reached 90 victories for the first time.

As with the Eastern Pennant, injuries could play a role in who ultimately triumphs in the West.
Kingston will be without RHP Harley Bracher (10-13, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.20 FIP), who experienced shoulder swelling while pitching back on February 11. He will be most likely unavailable for the entire playoffs. However, LF Jayden Tennant (.333/.430/.541, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R, 25 BB, 1.5 WAR) may be back in time to start for the Pelicans for Game 1, after breaking his elbow bone after being hit by a pitch back on December 7.

Balmoral will be missing their starting RF Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 85 R, 65 BB, 5.1 WAR), who strained his elbow after attempting to haul in a large fish back on March 13. He will definitely be unavailable for the duration of the playoffs.

Kingston Park played host to the first two games, with 26,928 and 27,174 in attendance for Games 1 and 2 respectively.

It was a battle between the old guard and the new kid in town. Let’s play ball!

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Game 1

RHP Joey Cumberledge (21-7, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) took the hill for Kingston, while RHP Tristan Purss (16-15, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) got the call for Balmoral.

Top of the 3rd:
Balmoral got on the board first when 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen led off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then promptly grounded into a 1-6-3 double play. But during CF Damon Purcell’s subsequent at-bat, a wild pitch by Joey Cumberledge allowed Cattanach to come in to score the game’s first run.
Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 4th:
With one out, RF Daniel Martin draws a walk and moves to second when SS Katsunan Chikafuji reaches first safely on an error (E8).
With two out, LF Jayden Tennant singles to drive in Martin and the game is tied up.
Balmoral 1 – Kingston 1

Bottom of the 9th:
The game remains deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth, when Katsunan Chikafuji leads off and takes a 0-1 pitch from Tristan Purss and crushes a walk-off home run into the left field bleachers. Kingston takes game 1.
Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2

Player of the Game: Joey Cumberledge pitched all nine innings, with 6 H with 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA).

For Balmoral:

Tristan Purss was handed a tough loss, going 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-1, 1.13 ERA).

Allen Cattanach went 2-4, with 1 R.

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Game 2

For Game 2, RHP Francis Slocock (9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) got the start for Kingston, while RHP Henny Akerval (19-10, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) took the ball for Balmoral.

Bottom of the 4th:
No runner got past 2B until the fourth inning, when RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji, 1B Fergus Chitty and 2B Mo Symes all hit singles off of Akerval to drive in the game’s first two runs.
Balmoral 0 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 5th:
Daniel Martin added to the Pelicans lead with a one-out, line drive solo home run to leftfield.

In the bottom of the ninth, 3B Otton Overbeek led off with a single, but three straight fly outs ended the inning and game. Kingston now enjoyed a 2 games-to-none lead heading into Giants territory.
Balmoral 0 – Kingston 3

Player of the Game: Francis Slocock went the distance, with 6 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA).

Daniel Martin went 3-3, with 1-2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB.

For Balmoral:

Henny Akerval took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (0-1, 3.38 ERA).

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Game 3

Balmoral’s Foster Field hosted its first playoff game with 26,499 in attendance. 25-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) pitched for Kingston in his first playoff appearance, while RHP Soren Heinke (10-13, 3.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) started for Balmoral.

Bottom of the 3rd:
Both pitchers managed to keep the game scoreless in the early innings, but in the third, Balmoral came close. Soren Heinke led off with single and reached second when LF Andrew Jensen singled with one out. With two out, CF Damon Purcell singled. Heinke then tried to score from second but was cut down at home plate to end the threat and the inning.
Kingston 0 – Balmoral 0

Bottom of the 5th:
In a 10-pitch at-bat, C Brian Pittman fouled off 4 straight pitches before drawing a lead-off walk. 2B Allen Cattanach singled with one out, moving Pittman to second. After SS Francisco Rodríguez walked with two out to load the bases, Damon Purcell singled to score Pittman. On the same play, Cattanach attempted to score as well, but was thrown out to end the inning and limit the damage for Kingston.
Kingston 0 – Balmoral 1

Top of the 9th:
With Ah-cy Yao starting in relief of Heinke, PH Bob Kight led off the inning by slamming a 1-1 pitch into dead centerfield (425 ft.) to tie the game up and send it into extra innings.
Kingston 1 – Balmoral 1

Top of the 11th:
The game remained tied until Daniel Martin took a 1-1 pitch from Yao for a one-out solo home run to left-centerfield. SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty immediately followed with a single and a walk respectively. LF Jayden Tennant then singled on the first pitch from Yao, scoring Chikafuji. After 2B Mo Symes walked to load the bases, PH/C Freddie Duran singled with two out to score Chitty and give the Pelicans a 3-run lead.

In the bottom of the 11th, LHP Patrick Denman gets the Giants to go down in order, striking out the last two batters. Game 3 is in the books and the Pelicans now sport a 3 games-to-none lead in the series, looking to finish the Giants off the next day.
Kingston 4 – Balmoral 1

Player of the Game: Despite the loss, Soren Heinke got game honours, going 8.0 IP, 2 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA).

Damon Purcell went 3-5, with 1 RBI.

Ah-cy Yao got hung with the loss, going 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 1 blown save (0-1, 13.50 ERA).

For Kingston:

Charlie Gilbert did not get the win, but went 9.0 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-0, 1.00 ERA).

In relief, Patrick Denman went 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (1-0, 0.00).

Daniel Martin went 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB.

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Game 4

26,344 returned to Foster Field to see if the Giants could finally figure out the Pelicans before it was too late. As in Game 1, Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss got the start.

Top of the 1st:
Kington went for the jugular when, with one out, RF Daniel Martin hit a full-count single. SS Katsunan Chikafuji immediately followed with a triple to score Martin for the game’s first run. 1B Fergus Chitty and LF Jayden Tennant then doubled and tripled respectively, scoring two more before a stunned Giants team could get out of the inning.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0

Bottom of the 2nd:
The Giants responded in the second. 3B Otton Overbeek and 1B Roger Tyler led off with singles to put runners on the corners. A 5-3 ground out by RF Ramón Tavira scored Overbeek, putting Balmoral on the board.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1

Bottom of the 4th:
CF Damon Purcell leads off with a single and promptly steals second. Otton Overbeek immediately follows with a single, scoring Purcell and getting the Giants to within a run.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 2

Top of the 5th:
Kingston gets those runs back in the top half. After Joey Cumberledge leads off with a single, Daniel Martin draws a one-out walk. With two out, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant hit back-to-back singles, scoring both Cumberledge and Martin.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 2

Bottom of the 5th:
But Balmoral responds in a big way. LF Andrew Jensen singles with one out and moves to second when SS Francisco Rodríguez reaches base safely on an error (E6 popup). Doubles by Damon Purcell and Roger Tyler score three, tying the game at five runs apiece.
With two out, Ramón Tavira is intentionally walked. But Brian Pittman comes through with a double to centerfield, scoring Tyler. Tavira attempts to score as well on the same play, but is thrown out at home to end the inning.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6

Bottom of the 7th:
With RHP Simon Chell pitching in his second inning of relief to Joey Cumberledge, Francisco Rodríguez leads off with an infield single. With one out, Otton Overbeek doubles him home, giving the Giants a two-run lead.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7

Bottom of the 8th:
Although RHP Brady Murdy comes in to start the inning for Kingston, the onslaught continues. Tristan Purss, 2B Allen Cattanach and Andrew Jensen hit consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. That sets the stage for Francisco Rodríguez, who triples in all three runners. After Damon Purcell in intentionally walked, Otton Overbeek hits a sac fly, scoring Rodríguez and increasing the Giants lead.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 11

Top of the 9th:
CF Jamie Couch leads off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Katsunan Chikafuji singles to put runners on the corners. Couch comes in to score when Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5). Kingston’s final run scores on another error (E6) with two out. After 3B Terry Maxwell draws a walk, Balmoral finally seals the win by inducing a groundout (1-3) from C Ellis Oram. The Giants avoid the sweep and lives to fight another day.
Kingston 7 – Balmoral 11

Player of the Game: Otton Overbeek went 3-4, with 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R.

Francisco Rodríguez went 2-5, 1-3B, 3 RBI, 3 R.

Tristan Purss picked up the first playoff win of his career, going 9.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 158 PI (1-1, 3.18 ERA).

For Kingston:

Joey Cumberledge took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (1-1, 2.57 ERA).

Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB.

Fergus Chitty went 2-5, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R.

Katsunan Chikafuji went 2-5, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 2 R.

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Game 5

After allowing Game 4 get away from them, Kingston came into Game 5 determined to finish the Giants off. 26,138 witnessed the action live and endured an 84 minute rain delay in the 5th inning. Game 2 starters, Kingston’s RHP Francis Slocock and Balmoral’s RHP Henny Akerval, faced each other again.

Top of the 1st:
Kington wasted no time as CF Jamie Couch and RF Daniel Martin led off with back-to back singles to put runners on the corners. 1B Fergus Chitty then flew out, scoring Couch for the game’s first run. Following him was LF Jayden Tennant, who slammed a two-out two-run home run to left-centerfield. Just like that, the Pelicans jumped out to an early lead once again.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0

Bottom of the 1st:
Balmoral gets one of those runs back in the bottom half. 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen lead off with a walk and single respectively, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then grounds into a double play (5-4-3), scoring Cattanach.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1

Bottom of the 2nd:
The Giants come up big in the second. A first-pitch single by RF Ramón Tavira and a walk by C Brain Pittman lead off the inning. Henny Akerval then moves them up a base with a sac bunt. Allen Cattanach then singles, scoring Tavira. Up next is Andrew Jensen who smashes a 3-run homer into right-centerfield, instantly giving Balmoral a two-run lead.
Kingston 3 – Balmoral 5

Top of the 4th:
Fergus Chitty leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches third base on 2B Mo Symes’ one-out double. After C Ellis Oram is intentionally walked with two out, Francis Slocock comes through with a single, scoring both Chitty and Symes to tie the game.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 5

Bottom of the 6th:
CF Damon Purcell gives the lead back to Balmoral with a one-out solo home run to leftfield off of RHP Brady Murdy.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6

Bottom of the 7th:
Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and moves up to second base on Brain Pittman’s sac bunt. RHP Ricardo Díaz comes through with a double, scoring Tavira for the Giants’ seventh run.
Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7

Top of the 9th:
Jamie Couch singles with one out. Down to their last out, SS Katsunan Chikafuji doubles, scoring Couch. Fergus Chitty follows with a single, bringing Chikafuji home. That ties the game up, sending into extra innings for the second time in the series.
Kingston 7 – Balmoral 7

Bottom of the 10th:
Facing LHP Patrick Denman, Damon Purcell leads off with a walk and promptly steals second. After Otton Overbeek is intentional walked, PH Shannon Walker singles. But Purcell is thrown out at home, preserving the tie. Ramón Tavira is also intentional walked, loading the bases. That sets the stage for Brian Pittman, who draws a 5-pitch walk, scoring Overbeek and giving the Giants their second consecutive victory in the series.
Kingston 7 – Balmoral 8

Player of the Game: Damon Purcell went 4-5, with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB.

Otton Overbeek went 4-5, 1 R, 1 BB.

Andrew Jensen goes 2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R.

Ramón Tavira went 2-4, 2 R, 2 BB.

Henny Akerval got a no-decision, going 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (0-1, 5.54 ERA).

Ah-cy Yao picked up the win, going 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2nd blown save (1-1, 10.80 ERA).

For Kingston:

Jayden Tennant went 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K.

Francis Slocock went 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (1-0, 3.38 ERA).

Patrick Denman took the loss, going 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 0 K (1-1, 2.70 ERA).

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Game 6

The series returned to Kingston, with the Pelicans still needing just one win to punch their ticket to the United Cup finals. Balmoral was looking to continue their newfound momentum on the road. The game was a rematch of Game 3 starters: RHP Charlie Gilbert for Kingston and RHP Soren Heinke for Balmoral. 27,299 attended, seeing if their hometown heroes could wrap it up.

Top of the 2nd:
3B Otton Overbeek get the Giants on the board first with a first-pitch one-out solo home run to the leftfield bleachers.
Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 2nd:
Kingston responds, thanks to Soren Heinke’s control issues. C Ellis Oram singles with one out and reaches second on Charlie Gilbert’s sac bunt. Heinke then surrenders four straight walks to CF Jamie Couch, RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty. Oram and Couch come into score, giving the Pelicans the lead.
Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2

Top of the 3rd:
LF Andrew Jensen draws a 4-pitch walk with one out. After a fielder’s choice at 2nd (4-6), back-to-back singles by CF Damon Purcell and Otton Overbeek scores SS Francisco Rodríguez to the game up.
Balmoral 2 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 3rd:
With one out, 3B Terry Maxwell doubles. He is followed by Ellis Oram who singles, putting runners on the corners. Charlie Gilbert hits a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Maxwell.
Balmoral 2 – Kingston 3

Top of the 4th:
RF Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and reaches second on a C Brian Pittman ground out (6-3). Soren Heinke and 2B Allen Cattanach immediately follow with back-to-back doubles, scoring Tavira and Heinke.
After Andrew Jensen reaches base on an error (E6), putting runners on the corners, SS Francisco Rodríguez singles, scoring Cattanach to give Balmoral a 2-run lead.
Balmoral 5 – Kingston 3

Top of the 8th:
Brian Pittman draws a one-out walk on four straight pitches and reaches second when PH Shannon Walker singles on the first pitch. After a fielder’s choice (6-4) moves Pittman up to third, Andrew Jensen comes through with a single, scoring Balmoral’s final run.

In the bottom on the ninth, RF Daniel Martin leads off and gets hit by a pitch from RHP Ricardo Díaz. But Díaz then gets Katsunan Chikafuji, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant to all fly out, ending the game and tying the series up at 3-games apiece.
Balmoral 6 – Kingston 3

Player of the Game: Soren Heinke picked up the win, going 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 1 K (1-0, 1.80 ERA). He also set a Western League playoff game record with 8 walks.

Otton Overbeek went 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R.

For Kingston:

Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (0-1, 3.71 ERA).

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Game 7

After being down three games to none, Balmoral has battled back to tie the series, setting up a winner-take-all Game Seven. 27,172 filled Kingston Park to see who could finally pull it out.
Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss faced each other for the third time in the series.

4th Inning:
Although there was no scoring in the inning, it was not without drama. In the top of the 4th, Joey Cumberledge was forced out of the game after getting SS Francisco Rodríguez to fly out for the second out. He complained of shoulder stiffness and was replaced by RHP Simon Chell.

In the bottom of the 4th, SS Katsunan Chikafuji singled with one out. After 1B Fergus Chitty walked on four straight pitches, LF Jayden Tenant singled. Chikafuji then tried to score, but was thrown out at home, preserving the scoreless tie.
Balmoral 0 – Kingston 0

Top of the 5th:
3B Otton Overbeek leads off with a single and reaches second on a 1B Roger Tyler ground out (3-1). RF Ramón Tavira is given a free pass. C Brian Pittman then singles, scoring Overbeek, who beats out the throw. With two out, 2B Allen Cattanch triples, scoring both Tavira and Pittman.
Balmoral 3 – Kingston 0

Bottom of the 6th:
Fergus Chitty doubles with one out. Jayden Tennant immediately follows, and after fouling off five straight pitches, he takes a 2-2 pitch from Tristan Purss and wallops it into the left-centerfield bleachers (409 ft.) to get the Pelicans to within one.
Balmoral 3 – Kingston 2

Top of the 7th:
Brian Pittman leads off with a single. He reaches third base thanks to a sac bunt by Tristan Purss and a ground out (4-3) by Allen Cattenach. During LF Andrew Jensen’s subsequent at-bat, RHP Brady Murdy is called for a balk, forcing in Pittman and eliciting angry cat calls from both the bench and stands (NO WAY!)
Balmoral 4 – Kingston 2

Bottom of the 7th:
C Ellis Oram leads off with a double and reaches third on a sac bunt by Brady Murdy. CF Jamie Couch then grounds out (3-1), allowing Oram to score and getting Kingston back to within a run.
Balmoral 4 – Kingston 3

Bottom of the 9th:
With LHP Ah-cy Yao taking over from Tristan Purss, PH Lenny Wyatt leads off with a walk. PH Bob Kight then tries to move him over with a sac bunt, but he hits into a double play instead.
Down to their last out, PH Brandon Channing draws a 4-pitch walk. RF Daniel Martin then singles. Channing beats out the throw at third, allowing Martin to take second.
Katsunan Chikafuji then draws a walk, loading the bases. Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5), scoring Channing to tie the game up.
Jayden Tennant follows and sends the crowd and his teammates into jubilation when he hits a game winning single, scoring Martin.

Despite a spirited comeback by the Giants to get back into the series, the Pelicans manage to hold them off, if just barely, to return to their fourth United Cup.
Balmoral 4 – Kingston 5

Player of the Game: Jayden Tennant went 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB.

Ellis Oram went 3-3, 1-2B, 1 R.

Brady Murdy picked up the win, going 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 7.88 ERA).

Joey Cumberledge suffered shoulder stiffness in the 4th inning and will not be available for the United Cup series. He is out 3-4 weeks.

For Balmoral:

Brian Pittman went 3-4, with 1 RBI, 2 R.

Tristan Purss went 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 112 PI (1-1, 3.24 ERA).

Ah-cy Yao got stung with the loss, going 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 3rd blown save (1-1, 9.53 ERA).

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03-21-2016, 12:16 AM	#238
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,899	Kingston Pelicans (87-67) vs. Balmoral Giants (86-68) Season Matchup: 8-7 in favour of Kingston Kingston: Runs scored – 690 (4th in WL); runs allowed – 608 (2nd), def. eff. – .706 (4th). Balmoral: Runs scored – 709 (1st in WL); runs allowed – 648 (3rd), def. eff. – .714 (1st). The Western League Pennant welcomed the old along with the new as the Balmoral Giants made their first post-season appearance. They finished just one game in the standings behind the Kingston Pelicans, who are no strangers to the playoffs. In fact, they have never missed the playoffs yet, finishing first in the standings four times and second place twice. But this season saw no dominant team emerge in the West; in fact, no team reached 90 victories for the first time. As with the Eastern Pennant, injuries could play a role in who ultimately triumphs in the West. Kingston will be without RHP Harley Bracher (10-13, 3.42 ERA, 1.51 WHIP, 3.20 FIP), who experienced shoulder swelling while pitching back on February 11. He will be most likely unavailable for the entire playoffs. However, LF Jayden Tennant (.333/.430/.541, 5 HR, 27 RBI, 21 R, 25 BB, 1.5 WAR) may be back in time to start for the Pelicans for Game 1, after breaking his elbow bone after being hit by a pitch back on December 7. Balmoral will be missing their starting RF Carlton Broadbent (.321/.391/.521, 22 HR, 98 RBI, 85 R, 65 BB, 5.1 WAR), who strained his elbow after attempting to haul in a large fish back on March 13. He will definitely be unavailable for the duration of the playoffs. Kingston Park played host to the first two games, with 26,928 and 27,174 in attendance for Games 1 and 2 respectively. It was a battle between the old guard and the new kid in town. Let’s play ball! -------- Game 1 RHP Joey Cumberledge (21-7, 2.70 ERA, 1.15 WHIP) took the hill for Kingston, while RHP Tristan Purss (16-15, 3.41 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) got the call for Balmoral. Top of the 3rd: Balmoral got on the board first when 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen led off with back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then promptly grounded into a 1-6-3 double play. But during CF Damon Purcell’s subsequent at-bat, a wild pitch by Joey Cumberledge allowed Cattanach to come in to score the game’s first run. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 4th: With one out, RF Daniel Martin draws a walk and moves to second when SS Katsunan Chikafuji reaches first safely on an error (E8). With two out, LF Jayden Tennant singles to drive in Martin and the game is tied up. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 1 Bottom of the 9th: The game remains deadlocked until the bottom of the ninth, when Katsunan Chikafuji leads off and takes a 0-1 pitch from Tristan Purss and crushes a walk-off home run into the left field bleachers. Kingston takes game 1. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2 *Player of the Game:* Joey Cumberledge pitched all nine innings, with 6 H with 1 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 3 K (1-0, 1.00 ERA). For Balmoral: Tristan Purss was handed a tough loss, going 8.0 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 1 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (0-1, 1.13 ERA). Allen Cattanach went 2-4, with 1 R. -------- Game 2 For Game 2, RHP Francis Slocock (9-9, 3.69 ERA, 1.20 WHIP) got the start for Kingston, while RHP Henny Akerval (19-10, 3.50 ERA, 1.32 WHIP) took the ball for Balmoral. Bottom of the 4th: No runner got past 2B until the fourth inning, when RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji, 1B Fergus Chitty and 2B Mo Symes all hit singles off of Akerval to drive in the game’s first two runs. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 5th: Daniel Martin added to the Pelicans lead with a one-out, line drive solo home run to leftfield. In the bottom of the ninth, 3B Otton Overbeek led off with a single, but three straight fly outs ended the inning and game. Kingston now enjoyed a 2 games-to-none lead heading into Giants territory. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 3 *Player of the Game:* Francis Slocock went the distance, with 6 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 1 BB, 5 K (1-0, 0.00 ERA). Daniel Martin went 3-3, with 1-2B, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 2 R, 1 BB. For Balmoral: Henny Akerval took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, 1 HR (0-1, 3.38 ERA). -------- Game 3 Balmoral’s Foster Field hosted its first playoff game with 26,499 in attendance. 25-year old RHP Charlie Gilbert (18-11, 2.75 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) pitched for Kingston in his first playoff appearance, while RHP Soren Heinke (10-13, 3.01 ERA, 1.23 WHIP) started for Balmoral. Bottom of the 3rd: Both pitchers managed to keep the game scoreless in the early innings, but in the third, Balmoral came close. Soren Heinke led off with single and reached second when LF Andrew Jensen singled with one out. With two out, CF Damon Purcell singled. Heinke then tried to score from second but was cut down at home plate to end the threat and the inning. Kingston 0 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 5th: In a 10-pitch at-bat, C Brian Pittman fouled off 4 straight pitches before drawing a lead-off walk. 2B Allen Cattanach singled with one out, moving Pittman to second. After SS Francisco Rodríguez walked with two out to load the bases, Damon Purcell singled to score Pittman. On the same play, Cattanach attempted to score as well, but was thrown out to end the inning and limit the damage for Kingston. Kingston 0 – Balmoral 1 Top of the 9th: With Ah-cy Yao starting in relief of Heinke, PH Bob Kight led off the inning by slamming a 1-1 pitch into dead centerfield (425 ft.) to tie the game up and send it into extra innings. Kingston 1 – Balmoral 1 Top of the 11th: The game remained tied until Daniel Martin took a 1-1 pitch from Yao for a one-out solo home run to left-centerfield. SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty immediately followed with a single and a walk respectively. LF Jayden Tennant then singled on the first pitch from Yao, scoring Chikafuji. After 2B Mo Symes walked to load the bases, PH/C Freddie Duran singled with two out to score Chitty and give the Pelicans a 3-run lead. In the bottom of the 11th, LHP Patrick Denman gets the Giants to go down in order, striking out the last two batters. Game 3 is in the books and the Pelicans now sport a 3 games-to-none lead in the series, looking to finish the Giants off the next day. Kingston 4 – Balmoral 1 *Player of the Game:* Despite the loss, Soren Heinke got game honours, going 8.0 IP, 2 H with 0 R, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 K (0-0, 0.00 ERA). Damon Purcell went 3-5, with 1 RBI. Ah-cy Yao got hung with the loss, going 2.2 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 1 blown save (0-1, 13.50 ERA). For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert did not get the win, but went 9.0 IP, 12 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (0-0, 1.00 ERA). In relief, Patrick Denman went 2.0 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 0 ER, 0 BB, 2 K (1-0, 0.00). Daniel Martin went 2-4, 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 BB. -------- Game 4 26,344 returned to Foster Field to see if the Giants could finally figure out the Pelicans before it was too late. As in Game 1, Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss got the start. Top of the 1st: Kington went for the jugular when, with one out, RF Daniel Martin hit a full-count single. SS Katsunan Chikafuji immediately followed with a triple to score Martin for the game’s first run. 1B Fergus Chitty and LF Jayden Tennant then doubled and tripled respectively, scoring two more before a stunned Giants team could get out of the inning. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 2nd: The Giants responded in the second. 3B Otton Overbeek and 1B Roger Tyler led off with singles to put runners on the corners. A 5-3 ground out by RF Ramón Tavira scored Overbeek, putting Balmoral on the board. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1 Bottom of the 4th: CF Damon Purcell leads off with a single and promptly steals second. Otton Overbeek immediately follows with a single, scoring Purcell and getting the Giants to within a run. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 2 Top of the 5th: Kingston gets those runs back in the top half. After Joey Cumberledge leads off with a single, Daniel Martin draws a one-out walk. With two out, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant hit back-to-back singles, scoring both Cumberledge and Martin. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 2 Bottom of the 5th: But Balmoral responds in a big way. LF Andrew Jensen singles with one out and moves to second when SS Francisco Rodríguez reaches base safely on an error (E6 popup). Doubles by Damon Purcell and Roger Tyler score three, tying the game at five runs apiece. With two out, Ramón Tavira is intentionally walked. But Brian Pittman comes through with a double to centerfield, scoring Tyler. Tavira attempts to score as well on the same play, but is thrown out at home to end the inning. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6 Bottom of the 7th: With RHP Simon Chell pitching in his second inning of relief to Joey Cumberledge, Francisco Rodríguez leads off with an infield single. With one out, Otton Overbeek doubles him home, giving the Giants a two-run lead. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7 Bottom of the 8th: Although RHP Brady Murdy comes in to start the inning for Kingston, the onslaught continues. Tristan Purss, 2B Allen Cattanach and Andrew Jensen hit consecutive singles to load the bases with nobody out. That sets the stage for Francisco Rodríguez, who triples in all three runners. After Damon Purcell in intentionally walked, Otton Overbeek hits a sac fly, scoring Rodríguez and increasing the Giants lead. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 11 Top of the 9th: CF Jamie Couch leads off with a first-pitch single. With one out, Katsunan Chikafuji singles to put runners on the corners. Couch comes in to score when Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5). Kingston’s final run scores on another error (E6) with two out. After 3B Terry Maxwell draws a walk, Balmoral finally seals the win by inducing a groundout (1-3) from C Ellis Oram. The Giants avoid the sweep and lives to fight another day. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 11 *Player of the Game:* Otton Overbeek went 3-4, with 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Francisco Rodríguez went 2-5, 1-3B, 3 RBI, 3 R. Tristan Purss picked up the first playoff win of his career, going 9.0 IP, 12 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 3 BB, 2 K, 158 PI (1-1, 3.18 ERA). For Kingston: Joey Cumberledge took the loss, going 5.0 IP, 8 H, 6 R, 3 ER, 3 BB, 3 K (1-1, 2.57 ERA). Jayden Tennant went 2-3, 1-3B, 2 RBI, 1 BB. Fergus Chitty went 2-5, 1-2B, 3 RBI, 1 R. Katsunan Chikafuji went 2-5, 1-3B, 1 RBI, 2 R. -------- Game 5 After allowing Game 4 get away from them, Kingston came into Game 5 determined to finish the Giants off. 26,138 witnessed the action live and endured an 84 minute rain delay in the 5th inning. Game 2 starters, Kingston’s RHP Francis Slocock and Balmoral’s RHP Henny Akerval, faced each other again. Top of the 1st: Kington wasted no time as CF Jamie Couch and RF Daniel Martin led off with back-to back singles to put runners on the corners. 1B Fergus Chitty then flew out, scoring Couch for the game’s first run. Following him was LF Jayden Tennant, who slammed a two-out two-run home run to left-centerfield. Just like that, the Pelicans jumped out to an early lead once again. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 0 Bottom of the 1st: Balmoral gets one of those runs back in the bottom half. 2B Allen Cattanach and LF Andrew Jensen lead off with a walk and single respectively, putting runners on the corners. SS Francisco Rodríguez then grounds into a double play (5-4-3), scoring Cattanach. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 1 Bottom of the 2nd: The Giants come up big in the second. A first-pitch single by RF Ramón Tavira and a walk by C Brain Pittman lead off the inning. Henny Akerval then moves them up a base with a sac bunt. Allen Cattanach then singles, scoring Tavira. Up next is Andrew Jensen who smashes a 3-run homer into right-centerfield, instantly giving Balmoral a two-run lead. Kingston 3 – Balmoral 5 Top of the 4th: Fergus Chitty leads off with a 4-pitch walk and reaches third base on 2B Mo Symes’ one-out double. After C Ellis Oram is intentionally walked with two out, Francis Slocock comes through with a single, scoring both Chitty and Symes to tie the game. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 5 Bottom of the 6th: CF Damon Purcell gives the lead back to Balmoral with a one-out solo home run to leftfield off of RHP Brady Murdy. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 6 Bottom of the 7th: Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and moves up to second base on Brain Pittman’s sac bunt. RHP Ricardo Díaz comes through with a double, scoring Tavira for the Giants’ seventh run. Kingston 5 – Balmoral 7 Top of the 9th: Jamie Couch singles with one out. Down to their last out, SS Katsunan Chikafuji doubles, scoring Couch. Fergus Chitty follows with a single, bringing Chikafuji home. That ties the game up, sending into extra innings for the second time in the series. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 7 Bottom of the 10th: Facing LHP Patrick Denman, Damon Purcell leads off with a walk and promptly steals second. After Otton Overbeek is intentional walked, PH Shannon Walker singles. But Purcell is thrown out at home, preserving the tie. Ramón Tavira is also intentional walked, loading the bases. That sets the stage for Brian Pittman, who draws a 5-pitch walk, scoring Overbeek and giving the Giants their second consecutive victory in the series. Kingston 7 – Balmoral 8 *Player of the Game:* Damon Purcell went 4-5, with 1 HR, 1 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Otton Overbeek went 4-5, 1 R, 1 BB. Andrew Jensen goes 2-5, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R. Ramón Tavira went 2-4, 2 R, 2 BB. Henny Akerval got a no-decision, going 5.0 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K (0-1, 5.54 ERA). Ah-cy Yao picked up the win, going 2.1 IP, 3 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 0 BB, 0 K, 2nd blown save (1-1, 10.80 ERA). For Kingston: Jayden Tennant went 2-5, 1 HR, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 K. Francis Slocock went 4.1 IP, 11 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 1 K, 1 HR (1-0, 3.38 ERA). Patrick Denman took the loss, going 1.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 5 BB, 0 K (1-1, 2.70 ERA). -------- Game 6 The series returned to Kingston, with the Pelicans still needing just one win to punch their ticket to the United Cup finals. Balmoral was looking to continue their newfound momentum on the road. The game was a rematch of Game 3 starters: RHP Charlie Gilbert for Kingston and RHP Soren Heinke for Balmoral. 27,299 attended, seeing if their hometown heroes could wrap it up. Top of the 2nd: 3B Otton Overbeek get the Giants on the board first with a first-pitch one-out solo home run to the leftfield bleachers. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 2nd: Kingston responds, thanks to Soren Heinke’s control issues. C Ellis Oram singles with one out and reaches second on Charlie Gilbert’s sac bunt. Heinke then surrenders four straight walks to CF Jamie Couch, RF Daniel Martin, SS Katsunan Chikafuji and 1B Fergus Chitty. Oram and Couch come into score, giving the Pelicans the lead. Balmoral 1 – Kingston 2 Top of the 3rd: LF Andrew Jensen draws a 4-pitch walk with one out. After a fielder’s choice at 2nd (4-6), back-to-back singles by CF Damon Purcell and Otton Overbeek scores SS Francisco Rodríguez to the game up. Balmoral 2 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 3rd: With one out, 3B Terry Maxwell doubles. He is followed by Ellis Oram who singles, putting runners on the corners. Charlie Gilbert hits a sac fly to centerfield, scoring Maxwell. Balmoral 2 – Kingston 3 Top of the 4th: RF Ramón Tavira leads off with a single and reaches second on a C Brian Pittman ground out (6-3). Soren Heinke and 2B Allen Cattanach immediately follow with back-to-back doubles, scoring Tavira and Heinke. After Andrew Jensen reaches base on an error (E6), putting runners on the corners, SS Francisco Rodríguez singles, scoring Cattanach to give Balmoral a 2-run lead. Balmoral 5 – Kingston 3 Top of the 8th: Brian Pittman draws a one-out walk on four straight pitches and reaches second when PH Shannon Walker singles on the first pitch. After a fielder’s choice (6-4) moves Pittman up to third, Andrew Jensen comes through with a single, scoring Balmoral’s final run. In the bottom on the ninth, RF Daniel Martin leads off and gets hit by a pitch from RHP Ricardo Díaz. But Díaz then gets Katsunan Chikafuji, Fergus Chitty and Jayden Tennant to all fly out, ending the game and tying the series up at 3-games apiece. Balmoral 6 – Kingston 3 *Player of the Game:* Soren Heinke picked up the win, going 7.0 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 8 BB, 1 K (1-0, 1.80 ERA). He also set a Western League playoff game record with 8 walks. Otton Overbeek went 2-5, 1 HR, 2 RBI, 1 R. For Kingston: Charlie Gilbert took the loss, going 8.0 IP, 12 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 1 K (0-1, 3.71 ERA). -------- Game 7 After being down three games to none, Balmoral has battled back to tie the series, setting up a winner-take-all Game Seven. 27,172 filled Kingston Park to see who could finally pull it out. Kingston’s RHP Joey Cumberledge and Balmoral’s RHP Tristan Purss faced each other for the third time in the series. 4th Inning: Although there was no scoring in the inning, it was not without drama. In the top of the 4th, Joey Cumberledge was forced out of the game after getting SS Francisco Rodríguez to fly out for the second out. He complained of shoulder stiffness and was replaced by RHP Simon Chell. In the bottom of the 4th, SS Katsunan Chikafuji singled with one out. After 1B Fergus Chitty walked on four straight pitches, LF Jayden Tenant singled. Chikafuji then tried to score, but was thrown out at home, preserving the scoreless tie. Balmoral 0 – Kingston 0 Top of the 5th: 3B Otton Overbeek leads off with a single and reaches second on a 1B Roger Tyler ground out (3-1). RF Ramón Tavira is given a free pass. C Brian Pittman then singles, scoring Overbeek, who beats out the throw. With two out, 2B Allen Cattanch triples, scoring both Tavira and Pittman. Balmoral 3 – Kingston 0 Bottom of the 6th: Fergus Chitty doubles with one out. Jayden Tennant immediately follows, and after fouling off five straight pitches, he takes a 2-2 pitch from Tristan Purss and wallops it into the left-centerfield bleachers (409 ft.) to get the Pelicans to within one. Balmoral 3 – Kingston 2 Top of the 7th: Brian Pittman leads off with a single. He reaches third base thanks to a sac bunt by Tristan Purss and a ground out (4-3) by Allen Cattenach. During LF Andrew Jensen’s subsequent at-bat, RHP Brady Murdy is called for a balk, forcing in Pittman and eliciting angry cat calls from both the bench and stands (NO WAY!) Balmoral 4 – Kingston 2 Bottom of the 7th: C Ellis Oram leads off with a double and reaches third on a sac bunt by Brady Murdy. CF Jamie Couch then grounds out (3-1), allowing Oram to score and getting Kingston back to within a run. Balmoral 4 – Kingston 3 Bottom of the 9th: With LHP Ah-cy Yao taking over from Tristan Purss, PH Lenny Wyatt leads off with a walk. PH Bob Kight then tries to move him over with a sac bunt, but he hits into a double play instead. Down to their last out, PH Brandon Channing draws a 4-pitch walk. RF Daniel Martin then singles. Channing beats out the throw at third, allowing Martin to take second. Katsunan Chikafuji then draws a walk, loading the bases. Fergus Chitty reaches base safely on an error (E5), scoring Channing to tie the game up. Jayden Tennant follows and sends the crowd and his teammates into jubilation when he hits a game winning single, scoring Martin. Despite a spirited comeback by the Giants to get back into the series, the Pelicans manage to hold them off, if just barely, to return to their fourth United Cup. Balmoral 4 – Kingston 5 *Player of the Game:* Jayden Tennant went 3-4, 1 HR, 3 RBI, 1 R, 1 BB. Ellis Oram went 3-3, 1-2B, 1 R. Brady Murdy picked up the win, going 4.0 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 1 ER, 0 BB, 0 K (1-0, 7.88 ERA). Joey Cumberledge suffered shoulder stiffness in the 4th inning and will not be available for the United Cup series. He is out 3-4 weeks. For Balmoral: Brian Pittman went 3-4, with 1 RBI, 2 R. Tristan Purss went 8.0 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 2 BB, 0 K, 1 HR, 112 PI (1-1, 3.24 ERA). Ah-cy Yao got stung with the loss, going 0.2 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 0 K, 3rd blown save (1-1, 9.53 ERA). -------- __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-05-2017 at 01:03 AM.