By Robin Alberti
Angel Shannon’s (#12) team welcome him home after he hit a walk-off home run to give “Clearly” Moguls a 7-6 win.
Playoffs? Playoffs? Don’t talk about…playoffs? Yes, the playoffs are upon us and STF put quite a scare into the defending champion and number one seed “Clearly” Moguls. The game started with an incredible web gem from CM’s second baseman Hunter Pike who ran backwards to right field and made a diving catch for the first out. It was all down hill for CM after that with the next batter reaching base due to a bad overthrow. Matt Kinsman and Tom Johnson scored to give STF an early 2-0 lead. Ron “Ronzoni” Hacker sent Colin Greene back to the bench after he let strike three land on the plate for a big “Cold Beer K.” CM did not have an answer and went down 1-2-3. STF fired up the base hit machine and teed off on the outfield and put four more runs on the board to go up 6-0. Again CM had no answer and went down 1-2-3. This inning was worse because Jeremy “12 Pack Jack” Livesey was back to bad form and he started out the inning with a “CBK.” Angel Shannon got the team’s first hit of the game but then was caught in a double-play and was thrown out at second to end the inning. Ronzoni declared “STF is done scoring and will not get another run.” Well that seemed to fire up his team and they put down STF 1-2-3 in the third. CM finally woke up the bats and had their first good inning. They loaded the bases for DJ Dave Hoffenberg who took a walk for the games first run. Brandon Remick had a nice looking sac for the second out but in came Russell “The Love Muscle” Daglish with a base hit. Will “The Thrill” Burdick then cleared the base with a triple to put his team back in it 6-5. STF’s pitcher Matt Kinsman was “En Fuego” and delivered another “CBK” to 12 Pack Jack to end the inning and strand the tying run. STF got a few runners in scoring position but Pike made two good outs to keep them scoreless yet again. CM could not keep their momentum going and went hitless and Kinsman ended the inning with a big “CBK” to Jared Hall who was caught looking. CM stayed hot defensively and sent STF down 1-2-3 in the fifth. STF returned the favor and put CM down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth with one of those outs being another “CBK” by Kinsman to Daglish. Shannon got revenge and turned a double-play of his own and got all three outs in the sixth. CM tied the game in their sixth as Burdick got another triple and Neal “On the Fruit” Giberti got a nice looking sac to bring him in. They could not take the lead though, and 12 Pack Jack went down yet again for an 0-3 with three “CBK” night. STF got one base runner in the seventh with Max Rowe but could not get him home and to the bottom of the seventh we go. Kinsman, who was pitching great all game, threw a garbage pitch to Shannon because he knows of Shannon’s ability to crush it and that’s all it took was one pitch to give CM the 7-6 win. Shannon did crush it, to right field for the game winning walk-off home run. His team went crazy and surrounded him at home and STF was dejected giving up a 6-0 lead. They are still alive as it is double elimination.
The Garlic McGrath’s earned a date with CM in winner’s bracket semi-finals with a 7-2 win over the Killington Deli Team. TKDT took a page from CM and went down 1-2-3 to start the game. McGrath’s got a few base runners but could not get them home and Cliff Melendy went down swinging for the game’s first “CBK” delivered by Matt “Ajax” Anderson. TKDT loaded the bases in the second but failed to bring anyone home. McGraths’ took a 2-0 lead in the second and had a chance for more but could not capitalize. In a “mano a mano” pitcher’s battle, Ajax sent McGrath’s pitcher Bob Pauly back to the bench with a “CBK.” Not much was happening for TKDT and McGrath’s made it 3-0 in the third when Zach “Cookie” Cook scored. TKDT finally woke up the bats in the fourth when Ajax drove in two runs to cut the lead 3-2. “Tweed Bus” Bob scored in the fourth to stretch McGrath’s lead 4-2. TKDT had chances in the fifth with runners on second and third but Chris Alf and Justin Guth both flew out. McGrath’s had their biggest inning of the game in the bottom of the fifth, scoring three runs to make it 7-2. Ajax was able to deliver a “CBK” to Cookie to stop the bleeding. McGrath’s, who shined defensively throughout the game, ended TKDT’s hopes by shutting them down 1-2-3 in their last two at-bats. McGrath’s made it an 8-2 final when Denel “Little Mac” McIntyre scored in the sixth.
