Selects vs. Classics
Thursday, September 10, 2015
The Selects advanced to the semi-finals Thursday night, coming from behind to edge the Classics 5-4 in a game three thriller.
The Classics jumped ahead 2-0 in the bottom of the first, as John Sexton and Jodie Schnarr set the table with back-to-back singles to lead things off. After an Andrew Mathies fielder's choice put runners at first and third, a passed ball allowed Sexton to score and Mathies came home on a Todd Uhrig single. The Selects answered in the top of the second, as Mike Brown singled, moved to third on an error by the Classics second baseman, and scored on a Tom Allan sacrifice fly, making it 2-1.
Unfortunately, the Classics got it right back in the bottom of the third, as Martin Mauviel singled and scored on a Schnarr double, making it 3-1 after two. After a walk and a hit-by-pitch with two outs in the third, Clark gave way to Shayne Riepert, toeing the rubber less than 24 hours after a comebacker off his knee forced him to the bench. Sexton greeted him with an RBI double to make it 4-1 before Riepert induced a grounder to third to end the inning. It would be all the Classics would get, as Riepert allowed just one hit while striking out seven over the final four frames.
From there, the Selects began to chip away. In the top of the fourth, Brown walked and both Darren Strickland and Brad Cleasby were hit to load the bases before Kevin Ryrie delivered a two-out, two run single to cut the lead to 4-3. They tied things up in the sixth, when Cleasby hit a leadoff double and scored on a single by Riepert. The Selects loaded the bases with only one out, but Classics' reliever Todd Uhrig notched a pair of strikeouts to keep things knotted at four.
Then, to lead off the seventh, Strickland chopped a single over second and Tom Allan ripped an RBI triple to the fence in right-centre to make it 5-4, though he was thrown out at the plate trying to stretch it into an inside-the-parker. Riepert made sure it didn't matter, getting a flyout to left, a soft grounder to the mound, and a strikeout to secure the victory.
With the win, the Selects advance to the semi-finals to play the Diamond Jaxx in a rematch of last year's final. Game one goes Tuesday at 7 p.m.
MVP: Darren Strickland, 1B