Northlands Polar Bears @ Dustland Sharks (Game One)
It was a highly anticipated battle of the pitchers. Jaxon Darnall of the Dustland Sharks and Elijah Shumate of the Northlands Polar Bears. Two of the premier pitchers of the competition head to head.
The one time they've faced each other this season, Shumate got the win but the win came via a fielding error that eventually cost the Sharks 4 runs in the 8th, they were all classified as unearned and they were the only runs in the game.
It didn't start well for Shumate. LF Christopher Larson was quick with a single, and then 1B Nathan Crews was even quicker with another single that got Larson over to 3rd. Catcher Kian Lehn would ground into a double play but it allowed Larson to open the scoring for the Sharks.
It would get worse for Shumate, two successive fielding errors would get two runners on leaving 3B Kody Lybah and RF Johnny Ralph happy to drive them in. By the end of the 3rd, it was 4-0 to the Sharks and it would grow to 6-0 by the end of the 4th.
In other words, a complete disaster.
The Polar Bears would eventually get some runs on the board, but too little too late as the Sharks will win the opening game 6-3.
The feared Jon Jackson a non-factor going 0-4, Richard Maxwell contributed a sac fly but went 0-3 otherwise.
Saffron Turtles @ Spice District Roosters (Game One)
Max Steel was a unstoppable force in last season's playoffs but the Turtles were able to find a chink in the armour this time round.
But first, the Roosters jumped out to a tidy 4-0 lead to start the game off but the Turtles fought back, with two outs on the board in the top of the 5th, RF Bryson James got a single, LF Spike Evener got a double to drive in James, and then 1B Zeke Reynolds hit a home run to suddenly get the Turtles close.
The Turtles would tie the game in the top of the 6th. Pitcher Adam Brookshire driving in C Valentin Folgan with two outs on the board.
The Roosters regained control in the bottom of the 7th. A Curtis Ripley double and Odin Bendig single enough to get Ripley home.
As we went to the bottom of the 9th, Max Steel was starting to tire and he starts leaking hits when he gives up two runs and loads the bases then he is finally pulled. 147 pitches deep.
His replacement gets the last out with one pitch but as the game went to to the bottom of the 9th, the Roosters were down 6-5.
Reliever Red Williams was given the task of closing the game (normal Stopper Adam Scoles got used earlier for one out) and he put up pretty good numbers for the Turtles but this inning was not his finest moment.
He gives up a walk, then a single, then a hit by pitch, and then after a tense and long at-bat with Odin Bendig, another walk to drive in the tying run.
So no outs, and bases loaded. Red Williams then proceeds to give up the walk-off hit to 22 year old Jeff McGarry. The Roosters draw first blood.
Northlands Polar Bears @ Dustland Sharks (Game Two)
Game two descended into a pitcher's duel between Rory Miller from Northlands and Dustland's Wesley Stebbins. Neither would give up a run as Miller collected 12 K's and Stebbins 9.
The game would come down to the Stoppers. In the top of the 12th, Sharks pitcher Camden Combs had the ball. He had a successful 11th inning but it started to unravel in the 12th. Richard Maxwell grounded out, so far so good but then Jon Jackson drew a walk with four successive pitches no where near the zone. This was the first time that the assumed MVP would get on base in this series. Combs immediately gave up a single to Alex Barath and Jackson would get himself to third. This was only the second time that the Polar Bears had gotten a runner to scoring position in the entire game.
The very next pitch got even worse as Catcher Kian Lehn could get no where near it. By the time Lehn had control. Jackson had run home from third for a 1-0 lead. Oscar Newsome would then send a harmless fly ball out to Christopher Larson but a terrible throw would allow Barath to get home home from second. It was a comedy of errors from the Sharks that cost them the game.
The series was now tied as it moved to Northlands.
Saffron Turtles @ Spice District Roosters (Game Two)
On the other side of the bracket, Turtles-Roosters also went to extra innings. The Turtles were able to get plenty of hits going but not many runs while the Roosters were able to use their power to get runs on the board -- despite the scarcity of hits from their hitters.
By the end of 9 innings of baseball, they were tied up 3-all. The Turtles were able to load the bases in the top of the 10th but left them all stranded. Finally, in the top of the 11th, CF Jayden DeNiro sent a home run out to right field to break the deadlock. The Roosters were unable to respond when their turn to hit came up and the Turtles walked away the winners. Just like the Bears and Sharks we have a tied series.
