PLAYOFFS, Day 7 - Sunday, Bloody Sunday

QUARTER FINALS

(To read about Saturday's games, CLICK HERE)

The morning started full of promise.  Eight teams had returned for their shot at the championship, seven had gone home the night before.  You could make arguments for all the teams remaining.

• The Grisslies were defending champs, won the "A" pool an were largely playing their style of baseball.
• The Hurtin' Units had the biggest single win of the round robin and had both Clayton Avery and Gord Robinson playing incredibly well.
• The Brew Jays started 0-2 and then had a great run to get into an elimination game and win it, plus they Matt Foerster hitting better than anyone else in the tournament.
• The Beer Bros. had cruised through the round robin, sported the best outfield in the league and had more speed at the top of their lineup than anyone.
• The Hot Tub Woody's didn't know their fate getting the bye until late.  Their defense playing well and Moye setting the table and Handley cashing in. 
• The Dislocated Joints were the 1st team to get the bye as they sailed through their division.  With four batters over .700 and stellar defense, it was easy to picture them reaching the final.
• The Dodge City Rounders were living a charmed life getting the by with a 2-2 record.  Everyone was playing as normal except for Mark Bickford who was on a roll hitting over .800 with authority.
• The Catchers were the only #5 seed to Sunday, winning the wild card game over the Gruesome Devils.  Bob Pearce was pitching and hitting great to go along with Phil Glecoff and Larry Turner. 

The Woody's did what they needed to against Dodge City, surviving an Al Fry run in the 1st inning and then plating three of their own runs with Brad Moye, Chris Larkin and Jeff Handley all coming around to score in the home half of the 1st.

Neither team scored in the 2nd inning and then Dodge got 4 in the top of the third with Mason, Fry, Peters and Beechey all scoring. They Woody's would reclaim the lead by the end of their inning getting 4 of their own let by Captain Ed Hopkins who was following again by Moye, Larkin and Handley.  After 3 innings it was 7-6 Hot Tub Woody's.

The teams again exchanged scoreless 4th innings but the Rounders would score in each of the remaining innings to run their total to 14.  The Hot Tub Woody's got 2 in the sixth to get as close as 11-9 but would ultimately fall 14-9.  There was a lot of great moments in this game including 3/3 performances from Moye, Handley and Cragg, but the biggest line on the score sheet may belong to Al (Bones) Nicholl who was 3/3 and continuously prolonged innings. 

A great season for the Woody's through injuries and all, concludes in the quarter finals.  They moved from the bottom 3 to the top 5 and everywhere in between.  Through it all, fun times an drinking pitchers ruled the day.  Well done!

Dodge moves to the semis, more on them later. 

The Hurtin' Units had lost 3 in a row this year to the Grisslies.  If they were worried about that, it certainly didn't show.  The Grisslies had a 3-0 lead after one inning on runs scored by Dwyer, Jeff Sagert and Cudnik.  The Hurtin' Units answered straight back however by wounding 3 runs in the 2nd inning by Clark, Butler and Allen. 

The Hurtin' Units had punch on this day, 3 in the second followed by 3 in the third, followed by 4 in the fourth, followed by 6 the fifth....there was no let up. 

Slater, Avery, Rumboldt, Clark and Butler all scored 3 or more runs on the day.

The Grisslies down 9 heading into the bottom of the 7th had one more breath of life, sending 9 men to the plate and counting three trim the margin to 18-12. 

The only perfect batting line for either squad was Art Sagert's 4/4. 

The Grisslie's yearly post-HTKP run ended a few games early this season, but it was a good year for the most part.  The 'shenannigans' tailed off a bit this year, we'll have to address that in the off season.  By the way, there are rumours that we could entering a rebuilding phase.   (Shhhhh)

The Hurtin' Units were full value for their win and moved to the Semis. 

 

On paper, this might have looked a bit like David vs. Goliath in this match up; with the leagues #13 team overall against #5.  David sure had a lot of fight in this one!

 

The Dog Catchers struck first when Don Curran and Bob Pearce both scored in the 1st inning.  Then they did something no one else had seemed able to do and that was get Gayle and Pendlebury both to make outs in the 1st inning!

 

Lou Conforti would score the 1st Beer Bros. run in this game in the second inning to make it 2-1 after two innings of play. 

 

The game would be tied at 4's after 3 innings of play as Curran would score his second run and Russel also plated for the Dog Catchers. The Beer Bros. got runs in the 3rd from Bales, Wercholoz and Gayle.

 

As close as the game was at this point, that would be all the scoring for the Dog Catchers. The Beer Bros. would get one in the 4th and 4 in the 6th to put the game away, winning 9-4. 

 

Leading the way for the Beer Bros. was Peter Holmann's 3/3, 1 run performance.

 

The Dog Catchers quarter final appearance out of the 13th spot has to recognized as an excellent TEAM playoff performance.  Losing one of their Captain's to injury didn't have them quit, they made it a rallying point!  Congrats, Larry, Randy & the rest of the Dog Catchers, job well done!

 

Meanwhile, the Beer Bros. run continues.  Too soon for acolades for these guys.

 

Brew Jays & Joints?  And its not the final?

 

These teams were picked by many to be playing late on Sunday, strange things happen in September in Tottenham.

 

The Brew Jays led off with Jamie McClean who would score the 1st run of the game in the 1st. In the 2nd, Tito Presenza and Dave Polney would both score.  Terry Doucet answered in the bottom of the inning to make it 3-1 for the Brew Jays after 2 complete.

 

The Brew Jays kept chipping.  Lynn Foerster getting one in the 3rd, Bo Niederhuber in the 4th. 

 

Then came the Dislocated joints opportunity in the 4th inning.  Down 5-1 in an excellently played defensive game, they had the their first three batters of the inning reach on singles. With the bases loaded and nobody out, the Brew Jays got the next three batters in order without allowing a run. 

 

It was only the 4th inning, but it had a visible effect on both teams. The game remained exactly as it was and finished 5-1 for the Brew Jays. 

 

Terry and Down Town brought us an exciting brand of baseball this year that featured timely hitting and superior defence.  And they had an awesome 1st half of the year!  Congrats boys.

 

For the Brew Jays, the monkey is off their back, last years quarter final loss (by doing noble thing) seems to be rewarding them this year!  Off to the semi's!!!

SEMI FINALS

The Brew Jays Showed everyone they could play a sound defensive game in the 5-1 victory over the Joints.  But they to beat up badly (29-9) in the frist go around with the Hurtin' Units and it would take their best game to quell those bats.

The Brew Jays started once again with McClean leading off and scoring.  This time he'd have company in the first at Gaudet, Duggan, Foerster (Lynn) and Niederhuber all followed.  The Unit's would only have a single bae runner in the 1st and 2 runners but no scoring in the second. 

After 2 innings it was 5-0 for the Jays and then the Units woke up!  They would get four runs in the inning from Avery, Robinson, Rumboldt and Clark.  That got them right back into the match.  The game stayed close, 6-5 for the Brew Jys going into their half of the 6th. 

In the 6th, the Brew Jays showed that power that led the league in runs this season.  They would get 7 runs from McClean, Foerster (Lynn), Gaudet, Polny, Fleming, Clouthier and Del Greco. 

The Units would counter with three of their own in the bottom, but the gap was too big at this point and the day too long. Make the final 14-8 for the  Brew Jays. 

The Hurtin Units were another team that lost their Captain this year. Then they lost their replacement player for a good chunk.  Then lost another player, then lost another replacement, this time for good. Through it they stayed a fun club to play against or sub with.  Good season James and Mike!

And destiny seemes to be following the Brew Jays straight to the final. 

Wow.  This match up just screamed, "EPIC". 

I have said many times that these were two favourite teams to watch this year (yes, some of us do watch).  Dodge had the best infield, Beer Bros the best outfield. Of course those are just my opinions. 

The visiting Rounders went 3 up 3 down in the 1st and thought they allowed the Beer Bros. a couple of base runners in the 1st half, there was no damage.  The 2nd inning started with a Beechey single.  He owuld eventually come around to score the first run of the game. 

Still nothing for the Beer Bros in the 2nd.

The 3rd was another 3 up 3 down inning for Dodge as the defenses asserted themselves. 

Still nothing for the Beer Bros. in the 3rd. 

Dodge would get their 2nd run in the fourth and again it was Beechey doubling to start the inning  and scoreing on Luc Schryer's single.  2-0 for the Rounders. 

The Beer Bros.  got their mojo working in the fouth as Pendelbury (Neil), Holmann and Ross all scored to take a 3-2 lead.

The Dodge City Rounders sprung right back in the 5th inning as this game lived up to its promise.  Mason, Fry, Beechey (3), Barry and Nicholl (Bones) woul all score to make it a 7-3 lead for Dodge City.  When the Beer Bros. were retired (4 batters) in the 5th it was starting to look grim for a comback. 

The Rounders got Henry as far as 3rd base in the top of the 6th, but couldn't cash him in.  Then the Beer Bros. flexed their muscles in the bottom of six.  They would send 10 men to the plate, scoring 6 and taking a 9-7 lead.  Scoring in the inning were Pendlebury (both), Piellusch, Holmann, Ross, and Smith. 

The Dodge City Rounders didn't quit.  They would score in the top of the 7th to get within one and have the tying on base before the final out of their season was made. 

Congratulations again to Ed & Al who I've yet to hear anyone say anything but the kindest things about.  Awesome team, average team, lousy team, they give the same effort an enthusiasm.  Congrats on yet another spectacular season!

The Beer Bros.!!!!

Welcome to the finals!