March 25, 1957
Legends Use Long Ball to Settle Season-long Battle for First
The Brunswick Legends locked up first place in the East with a convincing 7-4 win over the Cobourg Redlegs in their tiebreaker game. With the win, the Legends earned the right of homefield advantage in the Eastern League Pennant Series against this same Redlegs outfit who now settle for the wildcard.
The Legends didn’t waste any time getting to Cobourg’s RHP
Seb Frew (10-10, 3.99 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 4.52 FIP, 98 ERA+). The New Zealand-native gave up a lead off double to 3B Jorge Arredondo in the bottom of the 1st. One out later, C Robert Kersey launched a 1-2 pitch 369 ft. into the rightfield bleachers for a two-run blast to open the scoring.
In the bottom of the 3rd it was wash, rinse and repeat, as Brunswick’s SS Harris Yaag led off with a single. One out later, RF Jay Mitchell jumped all over Frew’s first offering, lining a 2-run home run 329 ft. into the delirious rightfield bleachers. Two batters later, Frew was sent to the showers as 24-year old rookie Maurice Foley (1-1, 2.95 ERA), a recent callup, came on in relief.
But Brunswick would add a run in the bottom of the 4th through two singles and a sac bunt and add two more runs in the bottom of the 7th, thanks to a solo home run by CF Joshua Witherden off RHP Keith Roche (8-9, 15 SV, 2.86 ERA, 1.26 WHIP, 2.82 FIP, 137 RA+) and a triple by 1B Edilberto Mandac, who scored on a 2B Dermott Morris single.
For his part, LHP
Luke Henty (20-9, 2.79 ERA, 1.27 WHIP, 3.47 FIP, 141 ERA+) kept Cobourg off the board until the 5th inning, limiting them to two doubles and a walk up to that point. In the top of the 5th, CF Raymond Williams, who entered the game back in the 2nd inning despite being extremely exhausted, scored thanks to an error, a sac bunt by Maurice Foley and a ground out by SS Douglas Jones.
Down 7-1, the Redlegs attempted to rally in the 8th. After starting the top half with back-to-back strikeouts, Luke Henty then surrendered back-to-back singles to 1B Harry Doxey and C Yoshiake Ikeda. Up next was 2B Luigi Purss, who bashed a 3-1 pitch 369 ft into the leftfield stands for a 3-run homer. But Henty would get out of the inning without any further damage, then shut down Cobourg in the bottom of the 9th to seal the win and finally settle the battle for first.
With Brunswick’s victory, the playoff picture in the United Leagues is now set. The playoffs begin on March 27, with the Legends hosting the Redlegs once again for Game 1 of the Eastern League Pennant Series, while the Pulberry Trolleys welcome the Sherburn Tigers for their first match in the Western League Pennant Series.
