NCA #1 Nordhagen Beach Party Boys (79-29) vs SCA #3 Atom Cats (64-44)
Game 5 - Nordhagen Beach 10, Atom 5
Party Boys Win 2301 Sole Survivor Series
It was all about winning for the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys -- and win they did.
There was nothing fancy in how they went about it, players said, they just prepared mentally and physically and then went out and played baseball.
"We did the little things right and we did the big things right," said left fielder Michael Fogcrawler, who was named series MVP. "Now we're the league champions."
Nordhagen Beach defeated the Atom Cats by a score of 10-5 at Coolest Field in Town to take the series 4-1.
"Sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you make your own luck," said Nordhagen Beach manager Matt Ballhawk Getman. "We got lucky a few times, but mostly we did the right things by being prepared for each game and playing the game the way it's meant to be played."
Analysis
Not only was Game 5 not the pitchers' duel we expected, it was downright offensive. Each team scored their series high in the game, with the new champions, the Nordhagen Beach Party Boys, doubling up the scrappy Atom Cats.
Tommy Beach got the win despite allowing five earned runs on eight hits with six walks and three strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Scruffy Taguchi lost both of his starts in the Sole Survivor Series, giving up six earned runs on nine hits with a walk and three strikeouts in just 4.1 innings pitched. Four relievers finished the game, with Mat Nielsen allowing four more runs on three hits with three walks and a strikeout.
The Party Boys started the scoring in the top of the 1st when Maxx Murtagh went deep off Taguchi. The Boys added another run in the 4th after Fogcrawler walked, Brian Masterson singled, and Jon Hitman hit a two-out RBI single for the 2-0 lead.
Atom answered in the bottom of the 4th, taking their first (and only) lead of the game. Jeremy Schoolboy led off with a double, followed by a two-run home run by Kareem Caravan to tie the score, 2-2. Garrett Machine then singled and then advanced to second on a fielder's choice. After Taguchi singled, Earthbound Bussey singled in Machine for the 3-2 lead.
That Cats lead was short-lived, though, once Nordhagen Beach came up in the top of the 5th. Beach got into the pitcher hitting action, leading off with a double. Ryan Combs then singled to put runners at first and third with no one out. Murtagh then hit an RBI groundout to tie the game, 3-3. With one out and two on, the MVP, Fogcrawler, hit a three-run bomb to make it 6-3 and chase Taguchi in favor of Copper Geffre.
The Boys added on to their lead in the top of the 7th. Fogcrawler led off with a single. With one out, Mike Swift walked, and then Jon Hitman hit a two-RBI double to push the lead to 8-3.
Atom put the game back in reach in the bottom of the 7th. After Beach reited the first two batters, he then walked Schoolboy. Caravan then hit his second homer of the game, making the score 8-5.
Despite the Cats' efforts, the Boys made sure there would be no comeback on this day. Combs walked to start the 8th inning and then advanced to third on Murtagh's double. Nielsen intentionally walked Angelou to load the bases, and then Fogcrawler hit an RBI sacrifice fly for the 9-5 lead, chasing Nielsen in favor of Boss Gentleman. Masterson then ended the game's scoring by hitting into an RBI ground out to score Murtagh.
The Cats threatened again in the bottom of the 8th, loading the bases with just one out. However, reliever Tom Mannequin was able to escape after he came in relief for Beach. He got a 1-2 fielder's choice with the bases loaded, and then got Will Ashfire to fly out to end the threat.
While some players had outstanding games--Caravan (2 for 5, 2 HR, 2 R, 4 RBI), Hitman (3 for 5, 2B, 3 RBI), and Murtagh (2 for 5, 2B, HR, 2 R, 2 RBI)--Fogcrawler was named the game MVP to go along with his series MVP. Fogcrawler was 2 for 3 with a home run, a walk, a sac fly, three runs scored, and four RBI. In the series, he finished 9 for 17 (.529) with a double, a home run, three walks, four runs, and eight RBI.
More impressive was that Fogcrawler accomplished a first in CBO playoffs history: the Triple Crown of series MVP. Fogcrawler was the MVP in the Association Semifinals over Fort Hagen, the Association Championship over County Crossing, and the Sole Survivor Series over Atom. In 13 games, he was 24 for 54 (.444) with five doubles, three home runs, six walks, 12 runs, and 19 RBI. He had an OBP of .492 and a SLG of .704 with a 1.1 WAR.
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