Selects vs. Kings
Monday, August 29, 2016
The Selects were down to their final out Monday night, but they weren't ready for their season to end, riding a three-run seventh inning to a come-from-behind 6-5 win over the Kings, knotting the best-of-three quarterfinal tilt at one game apiece.
The Kings struck first, sending 10 batters to the plate in a four-run first, putting the Selects behind the eight-ball before their first at-bat. But they quickly cut the deficit in half, as Brett Pfeifer ripped a two-run triple to cash a Brad Cleasby single and Darren Strickland walk. Kings pitcher Nick Laurette would follow with a series of zeros, as the Selects stranded 11 runners through the first six frames.
The Kings extended their advantage to 5-2 in the third, as Anthony Medley singled and scored when Aaron Correia notched a single of his own. Selects' hurler Scott Clark took it from there, retiring 13 of the last 16 batters he faced, while stranding three singles. It would prove to be enough.
With one out in the bottom of the sixth, Clark drew a walk, followed by a single from Kevin Ryrie and a pinch-hit, RBI single by Shayne Riepert, cutting the lead to 5-3. After Strickland grounded out to put the tying run in scoring position, the Kings walked Pfeifer to load the bases and Laurette struck out Mike Brown to end the threat.
The Selects, however, were not done. After Clark put up a scoreless seventh, Tyler Sager and Glen Hall drew back-to-back walks to start the bottom half and chase Laurette from the game. Dan Clark then welcomed Fred Follings with a rip that the right fielder just managed to corral, but the speedy Sager scored from second to make it 5-4. Next, Scott Clark drew a walk to put the tying run at second in the form of pinch-runner Tom Allan. After an infield single by Ryrie loaded the bases, Follings notched a strikeout for the second out, but Strickland worked a walk to tie the game and Pfeifer walked it off with a single, capping a tremendous 4-4, 3 RBI night.
The deciding game of the series goes Thursday night at 8 p.m.
MVP: Brett Pfeifer, DP