Saffron Turtles @ Spice District Roosters (Game One)
Pitching for Saffron: RHP Adam Brookshire (17-12, 3.09 ERA)
Pitching for Spice District: RHP Jared Way (25-8, 2.49 ERA)
Rooster manager Kurt Newsom threw a curveball with his pitcher selection when he put out #2 in the rotation Jared Way to open the series against the Turtles rather than Max Steel but the point is largely moot. On almost any team, Jared Way would be your #1 guy and he played that point out perfectly in the first inning when he required just 8 pitches to dispatch the top three Turtle hitters.
The contrast continued into the bottom of the 1st when Tommy Glass hit the first pitch he saw for a single and then Neil Spurrier blasted a home run to get the Roosters up to an early 2-0 lead.
Jared Way in even got into the hitting himself in the 3rd with a single of his own. Tommy Glass followed up with one of his own and then Curtis Ripley sent the very next pitch to the stands for a 5-0 lead.
Saffron's Spike Evener was the only hitter to provide Jared Way with any trouble. Evener was able to get a single in the top of the 6th, stole second base and then made his way to third on a fly out. His adventures ended there though when Way was able to collect the out he needed on the next at-bat.
Evener came up again in the 8th, the Roosters now up 8-0, and made a mad dash to 1st with an infield hit. Unfortunately injuring himself in the process. Those were the only two hits Way conceded, as he racked up 13 K's over 8.1 shutout innings.
Sugar Factory Elephants @ Dustland Sharks (Game One)
Pitching for Sugar Factory: RHP Nolan McLeod (16-9, 2.96 ERA)
Pitching for Dustland: RHP Jaxon Darnall (24-10, 2.21 ERA)
Jaxon Darnall was the hero in the middle for the Sharks in the opening game of the series. He threw 12 innings of 2-run ball but he was up against a worthy opponent in Nolan McLeod who was even more effective at keeping runners off the bases and runs off the scoreboard.
It was Dustland's 23 year old CF Sid van Kranenburg who provided the magic moments that tipped the game in favour of the Sharks.
In the top of the second, Darnall had gotten into trouble. He walked the first hitter, gave up a single to the second, and a double to the third. The Elephants had gone up 1-0, had runners on second and third, and had no outs. Sugar Factory Catcher Jim Dertinger swung and missed for the first out and then LF Finn Komoroski sent a flyball out to van Kranenburg. The runner on third tried to make a run for home but van Kranenburg sent a bullet of a throw to beat him it to it.
As we move to the bottom of the third, van Kranenburg draws a walk to make a rare on-base appearance for any Shark hitter. He immediately steals second and then, at the very next pitch makes the trip home when 2B Justin Seehusen hits a single out to Center Field. van Kranenburg beats out Newton's throw with seconds to spare to tie the game up.
The Elephants don't give in though, Jaden Tenneh sends Darnall deep with a solo home run in the top of the 6th. The Sharks bite back in the bottom of the 7th when SS Solomon Markham hits a triple (his first of the season) and then gets the run in the next at-bat when McLeod hurls a wild pitch to his catcher.
Base runners get even rarer from here as McLeod and Darnall exchange innings. As the game goes to extras, McLeod is pulled for Max Collins but Darnall stays put in the middle.
The game finally breaks open in the bottom of the 12th. The bases are loaded for Sid van Kranenburg and Collins is throwing everything he can at the hitter. van Kranenburg fouls the ball off 7 times before frustrating Collins to throw enough balls to throw a ball and get the walk-off... walk.
It was messy and not easy but the Sharks have gone up 1-0.
Saffron Turtles @ Spice District Roosters (Game Two)
Pitching for Saffron: LHP Gabriel Bork (19-13, 2.92 ERA)
Pitching for Spice District: RHP Max Steel (26-6, 2.29 ERA)
Max Steel seems intent on leaving a pile of destruction wherever he goes. The Turtles are utterly hapless against him as he pitches a complete game shutout. Giving up only one hit and two walks with 13 strikeouts.
The Roosters piled on the runs. Roman Karabanov putting the cherry on the cake with a three run blast in the 7th to take the game out to 7-0. The Turtles have just gone 18 innings with only three hits and no runs. They need to go back to the drawing board.
Sugar Factory Elephants @ Dustland Sharks (Game Two)
Pitching for Sugar Factory: LHP Lawrence Fick (15-11, 4.66 ERA)
Pitching for Dustland: RHP Wesley Stebbins (20-14, 2.21 ERA)
It's a pitcher's duel as neither side is able to string together what's necessary to get runs on the board. Fick, a Dustland boy, may have double the ERA of his competition but he put on a clinic today.
The deadlock isn't broken until the 6th when Sugar Factory SS Cooper Rose hits a triple to put runners in scoring position for the first time this game. The Sharks intentionally walk 3B Jaden Tenneh to have a crack at RF Patrick Wright. The gamble doesn't pay off as he slaps the ball over the head of the First Baseman and Rose gets home easily for the lead.
Fick remains rock solid and doesn't allow any baserunners. Stebbins on the other hand gets into trouble in the 8th. Two singles to lead the inning off have runners in first and second but Patrick Wright grounds into a double play. Cooper Rose is on third with two outs. Stebbins intentionally walks someone else to get 1B Elias Ballard into the batter's box. The gamble doesn't pay off again as Ballard hits a triple to get both baserunners home. 3-0 to the Elephants.
No one will score again until the bottom of the 9th as Fick gives up his second hit of the night with a solo home run from Pinch Hitter Spencer Quinn. He shrugs his shoulders, gets the final two outs and the Elephants tie it up: 1-all.
