Selects vs. Bulldogs
Tuesday, August 6, 2013
With their final regular season game looming, the Selects' playoff fortunes were shrouded in uncertainty. A win would clinch the second spot in the tightly contested Black Division, while a loss could conceivably drop them to fifth and see them miss the playoffs for the first time since 2005. But the boys in green sealed their own fate on Tuesday night, edging the Bulldogs 7-6 to enter the postseason on a five-game winning streak.
The Selects' offense continued to sizzle, mounting a two-out rally in the top of the first to take a 3-0 lead, thanks to a Jamie Ridley walk, Tim Coverdale reaching on an error, and RBI singles from Mike Welton and Shayne Riepert. But the Bulldogs, fighting for their own playoff lives, responded immediately with a five-hit, four-run bottom half to seize a 4-3 lead.
After a shaky start, Scott Clark rebounded, allowing just one unearned run over the next three innings. Unfortunately, Bulldogs hurler Corey Jackson was keeping the Selects hitters in check as well; they managed one run in the top of the fourth courtesy of a one-out triple from Brad Dowling and an RBI single from Mike Brown, but the Bulldogs still led 5-4 after four.
Not to be denied, the Selects took the lead for good in the top of the fifth. Riepert singled home Welton and came in to score on a Scott Clark single to make it 6-5 Selects. With two outs, Brown, running for Dan Clark, took home on a passed ball to give the Selects a crucial insurance run. After Leighvi Batte tripled home Craig Miller to cut the lead to 7-6 in the bottom of the fifth, Riepert came on in relief and slammed the door shut, not allowing a hit the rest of the way.
With the win, the Selects finish the year at 12-7, good for second place in the Black Division, having won both head-to-head match-ups with the Classics, who also finished 12-7. They now await their first round playoff opponent for a best-of-three series set to begin in late August.
MVP: Mike Welton, 2B