Clear takes one seed
The Clear River Tavern took the one seed for the playoffs by ending the regular season on a six-game winning streak. They closed out their season with a 12-1 bashing over McGrath’s Sushi. This game was close until the teams took the field. M.S. couldn’t hit the ball out of the infield to start the game, but the Clear could. They got two big homers from Angel Shannon and Ira Zane which accounted for five of seven runs. The Clear’s pitcher, Ronzoni Hacker, was “En Fuego.” This was the best game of his undefeated season. He pitched a no-hitter through three innings and delivered three “Cold Beer K’s” in the second inning. Those went to Josh Linton, Ryan Townsend and E.J. Cully. The Clear tacked on four runs in the bottom of the second after Tucker “Speedy Gonzalez” Zink practically lapped Jared Hall on his inside-the-park home run and Shannon added another two-run blast. Linton was able to deliver a “CBK” to “Tall” Tom Gilligan. Linton kept the Clear off the scoreboard in the third, making them strand two runners with a big “CBK” looking to Ronzoni. The Clear brought in relief pitcher Brett “Mr. Pink” Regimbald to pitch the fourth. M.S. was able to get a hit off of him and a run after Owen Murphy’s RBI. Linton delivered his third “CBK” of the game to “DJ” Dave Hoffenberg to start the fourth, but the Zink Bash Bros (Taylor and Tucker) combined for another run. Ronzoni went from the mound to right and was perfect out there, too. He made a web-gem catch to start the fifth and Regimbald delivered a “CBK” looking to Ken “slUMP” Hendrick to end the fifth, which ended the game by mercy 12-1. M.S. only managed two hits all game.
Sushi Rolls and the Karrtel had a big rubber match for the three seed and what a battle it was. Last time these two met, the Karrtel squeaked by with an 18-17 win. The Karrtel got three runs to start the game. S.R. was only playing with nine guys and they went through all nine in the bottom, scoring six runs. The scoring subsided a bit after. The Karrtel went down 1-2-3 in the second and fourth and only mustered one hit in between. S.R’s Matt Lorman blasted a two run shot in the second and then his team only managed two hits the next two innings. The Karrtel cut its deficit to two after six innings of play. They tied it in the seventh after Collin “Now I Know You” Clarke and Nick “Hebrew Hammer” Davis both scored. A lead-off double by Dalton Hotchkiss and a speedy run home gave Sushi Rolls the 9-8 win to clinch the three seed.
The playoffs started in spectacular fashion after Mike Davis launched the ball for a grand slam to give the Karrtel an early 4-0 lead over McGrath’s Sushi. Playing with only nine, M.S. started flat with no runs. Being a man short is tough, but they have three wins this way and S.R. just did it. Nate Gilman scored in the second to make it 5-0. A lead-off triple by “Bus” Bob Schaffner and solid hits from Cully and Jamie Rameau cut the lead to 5-2. Home runs by the “Hebrew Hammer” and JT Toller put the lead back to five. Zach “Cookie” Cook scored in the third but Schaffner went down with a “CBK.” Evan “The Other” Anderson got into the home run game to make it an 8-3 Karrtel lead. M.S. woke up its bats in the fourth, hitting through its order to tie the game 8-8. That fired up the Karrtel who broke the tie with six runs to regain the lead 14-8. League rules only allow for five home runs per game and the Karrtel reached their limit in the fifth after the “Hebrew Hammer’s” second homer. The Karrtel did suffer its first “CBK” after Gilman went down. The “Hammer” tried for his third in the sixth, but that’s an automatic out. It didn’t cost the Karrtel because M.S. could only muster two runs the rest of the way. They did get in the home run game after “Cookie’s” shot, but the Karrtel poured on five more runs to win it 19-10.
The other first round playoff game was a low scoring affair between Sushi Rolls and FCFSMBC with the latter taking a 2-0 lead after one. S.R. couldn’t get its two runs until the fourth, but it was 5-2 at that point. S.R. cut the deficit to one in the sixth but Mike “Bouff” Bouffard blasted a home run to make it 6-4. S.R. had no answer with a 1-2-3 inning to end the game. Two of those were back-to-back “Cold Milk K’s” by John Gatto looking, his second, and Jaxon Smith’s.
FINAL REGULAR SEASON STANDINGS
1. Clear River Tavern 10 -2
2. First Chair First Stop Moshers Base Camp 7-5
3. Sushi Rolls 5
4. McGrath’s Sushi 4-8
5. Karrtel 4-8
PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:
Wednesday, July 24
FCFSMBC vs. Clear River Tavern or Karrtel 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Loser’s Bracket Elimination Game 7 p.m. at Killington
Monday, July 29
Loser’s Bracket Elimination Game 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Championship Game One 7 p.m. at Killington
Wednesday, July 31
Championship Game Two 5:50 p.m. at Killington
Championship Game Three (if necessary) 7 p.m. at Killington
