BNN Weekly Report
This Week in the CBO, BMU, and GBRL
by Nat Wright-Kawolski
5 October 2303
#3 Atom vs #2 University Point
Game 1: Atom 5 at University Point 3
Bussey Blasts Deathclaws, Cats Take Game 1, 5-3
The Atom Cats started the Association Semifinal in style today, winning on the road against the University Point Deathclaws at Gwinnett Brewery Park by a score of 5-3 to take an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-5 series. Cats center fielder Earthbound Bussey excelled. He was 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk. He drove in 3 runs and scored once.
In the top of the second of a scoreless game, Bussey hit a 3-run home run to put his team ahead.
"We're one game closer to our goal," Atom manager Fourth Wall said later. "It isn't any more complicated than that."
Scruffy Taguchi was the winning pitcher. In 6.0 innings, he allowed two earned runs on seven hits with a walk and two strikeouts.
Phlip Wallace lost the game by allowing five runs, four earned, with two walks and two strikeouts in 4.1 innings.
Austin Engill and Jukebox Luttrell both went yard for the Claws.
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at Gwinnett Brewery Park.
Game 2: Atom 3 at University Point 5
Cats Hammered by Jones, Drop Game 2 to Deathclaws
With right fielder Tomas Jones leading the charge, the University Point Deathclaws defeated the visiting Atom Cats, 5-3, in Game 2 of the Association Semifinal today. Jones was 1 for 4 with a home run. He drove in 3 runs and scored once at Gwinnett Brewery Park to help University Point force a 1-1 tie in the best-of-5 series.
Shawn Cherry, the University Point catcher, contributed a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fourth inning to make the score 1-0, Deathclaws. For the game, Cherry went 2 for 3 with 2 singles and a walk.
"It's true for every sport, I think, but the playoffs are so short that you've just got to get in and get hot," University Point manager Woody Lumpkin told BNN after the win. "We took care of the first part and now we're just working on the second."
Jones gave the Claws a big lead in the bottom of the 5th when he hit a three-run bomb. It was his team's only extra-base hit. Atom also only had home runs as their extra-base hits, a 6th-inning homer by Garrett Machine and a 9th-inning, two-run pinch-hit home run by Deer Quickwalker.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday at Coolest Field in Town at the Atom Cats Garage.
Game 3: University Point 6 at Atom 0
Landslide Handcuffs Cats, Deathclaws Seize 2-1 Advantage in ASF
The University Point Deathclaws silenced the Atom Cats today to move within one game of the Association Championship. The Deathclaws shut out the Cats by a final score of 6-0 at Coolest Field in Town. University Point right-hander Lennie Landslide had a strong outing. He threw 7.1 innings of shutout ball. The win gives the Deathclaws a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-5 Association Semifinal.
Shawn Cherry, the 24-year old catcher , had a direct impact on the outcome. Cherry contributed a 2-run single in the top of the fourth inning to put University Point up, 2-0.
Landslide said afterward that his team has grown over the course of the season, adding: "It feels good when a plan comes together."
University Point blew the game open in the top of the 6th. With Pete Pembroke still on the mound, he allowed a one-out single to Tomas Jones. After Austin Engill walked, Ryan Morris singled in Jones. Following a wild pitch to move runners to second and third, Pembroke intentionally walked Shawn Cherry to load the bases. With two outs, Landslide hit a bases-clearing double for the 6-0 lead.
"That's probably the last time in my life I'll have a game like that," the 37-year-old Landslide said.
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at Coolest Field in Town.
Game 4: University Point 8 at Atom 2
Deathclaws Heading to Association Championship
The University Point Deathclaws are riding high after winning the Association Semifinal and eliminating the Atom Cats by a series score of 3-1.
The final blow came tonight at Coolest Field in Town, when University Point secured its spot in the Association Championship with a 8-2 victory.
"It feels good to put them away because we really didn't want to let them crawl back into this series," said catcher Shawn Cherry, who was named series MVP. "A team like that, you need to bury them when you get the chance."
Cherry certainly helped his team's cause, as he hit .467 with a .529 on-base percentage in the series. He also chipped in 0 home runs, drove in 4 RBI and scored 1 runs.
The Claws jumped all over Atom starter Scruffy Taguchi early in the game. Chris Recore led off the game with a double. After Kory Richardson walked, Barker Cocoa doubled in Recore. With one out, Austin Engill hit an RBI groundout to make the score 2-0.
University Point started pulling away in the 3rd. Recore led off with a walk and then advanced to third on Cocoa's one-out single. Tomas Jones then doubled, scoring both runners. With two outs and two on, Cherry hit an RBI single for a 5-0 lead.
Phlip Wallace pitched the complete game victory. He allowed four hits, two earned runs, walked one, and struck out six on 106 pitches.
The University Point Deathclaws don't know who they will face in the next round. They will play the winner of the Roxbury Rad Sox - Diamond City Swatters series. Roxbury leads the series 2 games to 1. The Association Championship schedule will be announced after the Association Semifinal finishes.
#4 Diamond City vs #1 Roxbury
Game 1: Diamond City 5 at Roxbury 3, 10 inn.
Swatters, Rad Sox Play 10 to Settle Game 1, Diamond City Now Leads Series 1-0
When the games really matter, the Diamond City Swatters put on their best show, beating the Roxbury Rad Sox by a final score of 5-3 today in 10 innings. Diamond City now leads Roxbury 1-0 in the best-of-5 affair.
The game MVP went to Roxbury SP Nuke Laloosh who threw 8.0 innings of two-hit shutout ball. He struck out five in 8.0 innings. However, it was the Sox bullpen that fell apart.
Leading 3-0 entering the 9th, Roxbury sent CL Andy Helium to the mound to complete the shutout. The Swatters, however, had different ideas. Witcher Craft led off with a double, followed by an Allen Bishop walk. Waze Waiting then hit a three-run bomb to tie the game, 3-3.
Helium ended up escaping the 9th with no further damage, but there was more trouble in the top of the 10th. With two outs and Craft on second following a walk and advancement on a ground out, Waiting hit the game-winner, an RBI single, to give Diamond City the permanent lead.
Waiting finished the game 2 for 4 with a home run, a run, and four RBI. Chris Van Benschoten added two hits, one a double, for Diamond City. The Swatters had seven total hits with three extra-base hits all coming in the 9th inning.
The Rad Sox finished with six hits, with two of those coming via CF Edward Cox. Cox hit a two-run home run in the 5th inning.
CL Josh Samm was credited with the win after pitching two shutout innings in which he allowed no base runners and struck out three. Sheng Kawolski had the no-decision, allowing three earned runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in 7.0 innings.
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at Atomatoys Stadium at Roxbury in Boston.
Game 2: Diamond City 10 at Roxbury 13
Raucous Atomatoys Stadium at Roxbury Crowd Propels Rad Sox to 13-10 Victory; Series Tied at 1
In a crucial game, the Roxbury Rad Sox put on their best show, beating the Diamond City Swatters by a final score of 13-10 today. Oren Gep went 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 2 walks. He scored 3 times and drove in 2. Roxbury and Diamond City are now tied at 1 wins apiece in the best-of-5 affair.
Young Goodman, who finished 5th in the SCA in on-base percentage with .430 last year, aided the Roxbury cause with a run-scoring walk in the bottom of the eighth. For the game, the left fielder was 1 for 3 with a home run and 2 walks. He drove in 3 runs and scored once.
Diamond City manager Bucky Bachelor expressed his frustration after the game: "That many runs and it still wasn't enough?"
A total of nine players had two or more hits. In addition to Gep, Jim Synthseeker and Jason Watts each had multiple hits and homered for the Swatters. Synthseeker added a double.
Roxbury had five batters with two or more hits. Goodman, Donn Mattingley, and Biddy Swenson all homered. Mattingley drove in three and scored twice.
Both starting pitchers were blasted in short outings. X10-44 Mannson allowed six runs, five earned, on seven hits with three walks and a strikeout in 3.2 innings. Eugene Gym pitched 4.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on five hits with six walks and seven strikeouts.
Roger Failure was the winning pitcher. Andy Helium picked up the save. Josh Samm was credited with the loss after allowing four earned runs in just 1.0 innings pitched.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday at The Great Green Jewel in Boston.
Game 3: Roxbury 2 at Diamond City 0
Road Win Lifts Roxbury to 2-1 Lead in ASF
The Roxbury Rad Sox silenced the Diamond City Swatters today to move within one game of the Association Championship. The Rad Sox shut out the Swatters by a final score of 2-0 at The Great Green Jewel. Roxbury left-hander Whokill Poole had a strong outing. He threw 9.0 innings of shutout ball. The win gives the Rad Sox a 2-1 advantage in the best-of-5 Association Semifinal.
Poole went the distance for Roxbury. He allowed no runs on 6 hits, while striking out 4 and walking 1.
Poole called the win "a team effort."
Roxbury scored its first run in the top of the 4th off Swatters starter City Moore. Chris Connexx singled to lead off and stole second. With one out, Donn Mattingley singled in Connexx for the 1-0 lead.
The second run came in the 7th. Roxbury loaded the bases with nobody out on three straight singles. Edward Cox then hit into a double play, allowing Connexx to score for the second time.
Moore allowed two earned runs on seven hits with three walks in 6.0 innings pitched in the loss.
The next game is set to be played tomorrow at The Great Green Jewel in Boston.
Game 4: Roxbury 2 at Diamond City 8
Bishop, Swatters Wallop Rad Sox in Game 4 of ASF
The Diamond City Swatters and the Roxbury Rad Sox will take the Association Semifinal to a decisive 5th game. In a must-win situation today, the Swatters beat the Rad Sox 8-2 at The Great Green Jewel to force the series into what will essentially be a one-game playoff.
Diamond City third baseman Allen Bishop went 2 for 4 with a home run and a triple, while scoring 2 and driving in 4.
The game turned with two out in the bottom of the sixth when Bishop, who finished 4th in the SCA in doubles with 39 in 2299, hit a solo home run. It propelled the Swatters into the lead, 2-1.
"I just tried to make good contact," said Bishop.
The floodgates opened in the bottom of the 7th when the Swatters poured on six runs to jump ahead 8-1. With Roxbury ace Nuka Laloosh still on the mound, Diamond City did not care. Jim Synthseeker led off with a single after fouling off six balls. Chris Van Benschoten followed with a single to move Synthseeker to third. Jason Watts then singled in Synthseeker. After a failed sacrifice bunt by Teddy Sturgeon got Van Benschoten out at third and a Cody Grime flyout, the Rad Sox responded by getting Witcher Craft to load the bases on a walk, followed by a bases-clearing triple by Bishop. Michael Thawt came in to relieve Laloosh, but he immediately gave up a two-run home run to Waze Waiting.
Laloosh suffered the loss by allowing seven earned runs on nine hits with two walks and nine strikeouts in 6.2 innings. The most runs he had given up all season was four.
Sheng Kawolski was the winning pitcher. In 6.0 innings, he allowed one earned run on three hits with two walks and five strikeouts. Mike Pond and Raul Esparza closed out the game.
Game 5 is scheduled for Sunday at Atomatoys Stadium at Roxbury in Boston.
Game 5: Diamond City 1 at Roxbury 5
Roxbury Takes Association Semifinal in Deciding Game
Commonwealth Baseball Organization pundits who figured the Association Semifinal between the Roxbury Rad Sox and Diamond City Swatters would go the distance were right on the mark.
The two teams battled back and forth in a spirited series, with Roxbury coming out on top thanks to a 5-1 win in the deciding game at Atomatoys Stadium at Roxbury, to wrap things up 3-2.
"You get to the last game and anything can happen, so we're overjoyed to come out on top," said Rad Sox shortstop Purple Gupta, who was named series MVP.
For the series, Gupta had 8 hits for a .500 average. He had 0 home runs, 4 RBI and scored 1 runs.
Roxbury started fast against Swatters starter X10-44 Mannson. In the bottom of the 1st, Deerlord Fugivmee led off with a single. After Duncan MacCready reached on a fielder's choice, he moved to second on a wild pitch. Chris Connexx then walked to put two on with one out. Young Goodman then singled to load the bases, followed by an RBI single by Donn Mattingley. With two outs, Gupta hit a two-RBI single to make it 3-0 after one inning.
Eugene Gym was the winning pitcher, allowing one unearned run on four hits with five strikeouts in 7.0 innings. Mannson was credited with the loss.
The Roxbury Rad Sox will play against the University Point Deathclaws in the next round. University Point won their series against the Atom Cats 3 games to 1. The Association Championship schedule will be announced after the Association Semifinal finishes.