Today in the CBO
News and Notes - Reports from around the Commonwealth
by Nat Wright-Kowalski
22 July 2297 - BL: Party Boys Pull Off Thrilling 6-5 Win in Extras
Finch Farm left fielder Danny Honeycutt had a good game, even if his team did not. The Four Leafs dropped a 6-5 decision in 10 innings to Nordhagen Beach at Slocum's Joe Seaside Stadium. Honeycutt was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 2 walks, while adding 3 RBI and scoring twice. The 5th-place Party Boys have won 5 straight.
The game was decided with two out in the bottom of the tenth. With Nordhagen Beach trailing 5-4, Clux Oldstreet hit a fastball from Steve Warwar to left-center for a 2-run double. Just like that, the Party Boys had a walk-off win.
"This place was jumping at the end," Oldstreet said.
The Party Boys jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the 2nd inning when SS Taboo Richardson took a Matt Pageturner deep for a three-run bomb.
Finch Farm answered with their first three runs in the 3rd inning to make it a close game. Peter Tatoeater hit an RBI double off Boys' ace Julian Shed. Honeycutt then followed with his first home run, a two-run blast to cut the lead to 4-3. In the 5th inning, Honeycutt struck again, tying the game at 4-4, where it remained heading into the 10th inning.
After Tommy Junkman hit a solo home run in the top of the 10th off Nordhagen Beach closer Sia Abber, the Boys struck hard in the bottom of the inning for their fifth-straight victory. C3-88 Puppetboy led off the inning with a pinch-hit single. After Ryan Combs walked off Steve Warwar, the next two batters struck out, leaving the Boys with one out left. That is when Oldtreet put a first-pitch fastball off the left field wall, just missing a three-run jack but good enough to score both Puppetboy and Combs for the walk-off.
"This was excitement," Nordhagen Beach manager Craig Robinson said. "This felt like a playoff game. Our guys were intense. I think they like winning ball games."
With the win earlier in the day, County Crossing moved into sole possession of second place. The Party Boys now trail both the Four Leafs and Easy Town Assaultrons by a game. The Assaultrons were shutout by Salem.
Other Scores:
County Crossing 11 at The Slog 3
The County Crossing Bloodbugs trumped the slumping The Slog Ghouls, 11-3, at Tarberry Field Forever. County Crossing first baseman Josh Noggin was terrific. He went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, and a walk, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 4. Bad Company Grognak got the win, improving to 9-4. He pitched 9 innings, giving up 8 hits and 3 runs, while striking out 4 and walking 2. The first-place Ghouls have lost 4 straight games.
County Crossing grabbed the momentum in the top of the fifth, when Noggin, who leads the BL in doubles with 27, hit a 2-run home run. His 9th home run of the season put the Bloodbugs out in front, 4-2.
Easy Town 0 at Salem 1
The Salem Witch Hats did little to support starter Mike Cartrette against the Easy Town Assaultrons, but it turned out he didn't need the help.
The left-hander spun a complete-game shutout against the Assaultrons, striking out 10 and surrendering 2 hits. The performance from Cartrette allowed Salem to escape with the 1-0 win despite an anemic offense.
There were a total of eight hits in the game, all singles. Chris Treestump's RBI single in the 6th inning led to the game's only run.
22 July 2297 - IL: Adamantium Fall Short, 2-1, at Fort Hagen
In a low-scoring game between the Fort Hagen Silver Shroud and the Abernathy Adamantium, pitcher Brent Hooker was masterful on the mound. The Fort Hagen left-hander spearheaded his team's 2-1 win. Hooker went 8.2 innings to notch the win. He scattered 5 hits, walked 3, and struck out 6. His record improves to 4-8. The Silver Shroud sit in 4th place in the Institute League with a record of 22-24.
In the bottom of the second, Tiger King hit a run-scoring double. The 13th double of the season for the Fort Hagen catcher put the Silver Shroud on top, 1-0.
King called the win "a lesson in teamwork."
After the Adamantium tied the game in the top of the 6th on Chris Hirshfield's solo home run, the Shroud retook the lead in the bottom of the inning in an unlikely way. Jim Tiller hit a one-out double and moved to third on a Mark Miller groundout. With Sam Noob up to bat, Abernathy ace Chris Woods threw a wild pitch to score Tiller. That run proved to be the winning run.
Hooker was pulled in the 9th after he walked Canbed McMurty with two outs. Curtis Thriceshot then came in to get the final out and earn his 10th save of the season.
"It's an unconventional way to win," Fort Hagen manager Mark Andersen said, "but we'll take it. Wins are like perfectly preserved pies. They don't always come out the machine, but you enjoy them when they do."
Other Scores:
Sunshine Tidings 5 at Concord 8
Behind the hitting of Jason Robinson, the Concord Radstags stopped the Sunshine Tidings Chemists, 8-5. Robinson was 2 for 3 with a home run, a double, and was hit by a pitch, while scoring 3 runs and driving in 4 for the Radstags. The win was credited to Burt Oldshoe in relief. His record improves to 3-0. Tony Bertha took the loss. Bell Franklin earned save number 7 this season.
Robinson contributed in the bottom of the first. With the bases loaded, he hit a bases-clearing double. It was one at-bat among others that helped Concord get the win.
Lexington 6 at Starlight 7, 11 inn.
The Starlight Lady Killers took Lexington pitcher Pete Pembroke's best shot and still were able to claim a win at Valentine Detective Agency Field. The final score had Starlight getting past the Synths, 7-6. Pembroke went 7 innings and allowed 1 run, striking out 7. Starlight is now 26-20, 2 games up in the Institute League.
A defensive lapse proved costly in the contest. With the game tied in the bottom of the 11th, an error by the Synths' shortstop Swift Hendrix, his second of the game, allowed the Lady Killers to score the winning run.
22 July 2297 - ML: Hancocks Deal Red Rockets 5-3 Defeat
Goodneighbor picked up a win at Red Rockets Stadium, bumping off the Jamaica Plain Red Rockets, 5-3. Pitcher Quincy Eloquent was a major reason the Hancocks emerged victorious. With the win, Goodneighbor upped its record to 28-18.
John Oldsink had a key at-bat in the top of the seventh. With the bases empty, he hit a triple. It helped send Goodneighbor to the win.
"I'm trying to keep it simple," said Eloquent. "Just do my job."
Other Scores:
Quincy 9 at Atom Cats 11
The Atom Cats knocked off the Quincy Gunners, 11-9, at Coolest Field in Town. Shane "Bee's Knees" Stabb was a big reason Atom won. The third baseman went 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 singles, while scoring 2 times and driving in 3. The win has Atom at 18-28.
The Cats entered the sixth inning trailing 9-6, but scored five to produce the final score. Ed Tarberry reached on an error to start the inning. Travis Alone and Jeremy Schoolboy then hit back-to-back singles off Quincy pitcher Rapid Roberts to score Tarberry and advanced to second and third on an outfield error. Will Ashfire then hit a two-RBI double to tie the game, 9-9. With one out and Ashfire on third, Stabb hit a sacrifice fly to pull the Happening Cats ahead. Later in the inning, Garrett Machine scored following a double and an Earthbound Bussey RBI single.
Warwick 0 at University Point 7
There was no spell, no black magic -- just good pitching.
Quentin Malone of the University Point Deathclaws blanked the Warwick Mirelurks, 7-0, at Gwinnett Brewery Park today, and he did it the old-fashioned way. After finishing the 3-hit, complete-game shutout, he was all smiles. Malone walked 0 and struck out 8 in the victory.
To date this season, Malone has a record of 3 wins and 9 losses and a 5.73 ERA. He has appeared in 16 games and struck out 82 in 99 innings.
22 July 2297 - RL: Swatters Get Past Fairline Hill Estates for 4-3 Win
The Diamond City Swatters picked up a win at The Great Green Jewel, knocking off the Fairline Hill Estates Yao Guai, 4-3. Starting pitcher X10-44 Mannson played a key role in the triumph. Diamond City has a 3-game win streak, while Fairline Hill Estates has lost 3 in a row.
Allen Bishop was the walk-off hero for Diamond City. With the game tied in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Swatters third baseman hit a dramatic run-scoring single to send the teams home.
"It's great when the crowd gets into it," Bishop said.
Other Scores:
Egret 1 at Oberland 2
Sheng Kawolski was outstanding against Egret. The right-hander, who leads the RL with a 8.9 K/9 rate, had a cutter that was virtually unhittable at times. The result was a T-51s 2-1 win. Aaron Still was called on to finish, recording his 15th save. The triumph puts Oberland at 33-13 for the season.
Kawolski, who leaned on his cutter, allowed 1 run on just 3 hits over 8 innings for the T-51s. For the most part, Egret hitters were simply overmatched.
Vault 81 1 at Shaw 8
Shaw HS used a superb performance from starting pitcher Brad Westing to down the Vault 81 Dwellers, 8-1. The loss makes Vault 81 23-23.
Westing, the winner, is now 6-5. In 9 innings of work, he gave up 1 run on 3 hits, while collecting 8 Ks. He essentially shut down the Vault 81 offense.