Highlights

November 12

9 A.M.

Pittsburgh Panthers (19-15) 25, Portland Venom (24-10) 13:
The Venom are hungry for their 3rd straight playoff run and it showed here, as Portland jumped out to a 6-0 lead. The Panthers cut that deficit a bit, scoring 2 in the bottom half, but the Venom put the pressure on once more, scoring 4 more in the top of the 2nd to go up 10-2. All looked lost for the Panthers. Portland pitcher Montes Llamas, who was considered the 9th best pitcher in Alta Canyon at the time (3-2, 2.67 ERA)  was dominating, and the 30,649 fans in Pittsburgh started to leave. But all was not lost, as the Panthers scored 6 more runs over the next 3 innings to make it 11-8. They then exploded for 8 runs in the 6th and 9 in the 7th to take a commanding 25-12 lead. Quinton Wiggins held the Venom to one run in 5 innings, and the Panthers took home their 19th win, 25-13. Adan Zavala, who was already having a career year (22nd best hitter) went 5-7 with 3 homers and 9 runs knocked in.

2 P.M.

Washington Black Nights (1-0) 5, Anaheim Los Angeles Angels (12-23) 0:
The Black Nights, who joined shortly after the 9 A.M. game, did much better in their 1st game than most teams do, and even managed to get a decent starting lineup before their Opening Day using the FA pool! All the scoring action took place in the first 3 innings, as Anton Gonzalez, a 23-year old 71-96-76-77 SS, hit an RBI double in the 1st, DH Luke Helms, a 20-year old 72-91-71-94 catcher, blasted a 3-run homer into the right center stands, and in the 3rd, Dallin Vo, an 83-97-67-68 2nd baseman aged 31, hit a solo homer into the right field bleachers for the 5th and final run. Monte Rosales, a 23-year old pitcher with 76-91-80-86 scout ratings, threw a complete-game 2-hitter, striking out 10 and walking 1.

7 P.M.

​Billings Ballers (25-11) 8, Toledo Mudhens (23-13) 7:
The Ballers were looking to extend their 6 game division lead, and they were hot early, jumping out to a 5-0 lead on a 2 run single and a 3 run homer by Dennis Bair. The 5 run lead grew in the 4th off of a solo homer by Jeffries and a RBI double by Pepper to make it 7-0. By then, the angry Toledo fans, numbering 32,041, started throwing beer bottles onto the field, but they quickly stopped. The Mudhens were determined to make something happen, as three no out singles were topped off by a Gualterio Cuellar grand slam, making it 7-4. But they weren’t done yet, as on the next pitch Somers would hit a homer to make ‘em back-to-backers, which made the 2 run deficit manageable. McCauley homered to lead off the bottom of the 5th, and just like that they turned a 7 run deficit into a 1 run deficit. There was no more scoring for a few innings until the 8th, where Mudhens catcher Eugene Otis had a leadoff double and stole third. Then with one out, Cuellar singled, scoring Otis, and the comeback was complete. Now it was time to steal the game. None of that happened because the 9th was scoreless. At the very start of free baseball, Baller LF Eliseo Jefferies hit a 1 out double and the 47 speed Baller 1B miracuously  scored on that play to give the ballers a 8-7 lead. In the bottom of the 10th, there were bases loaded 2 outs for the Mudhens with Backup Leftfielder Wilson Jeter up to bat. STRIIIKE THRRREEE! Game Over. Ballers Win. Their Pitcher, Zachariah Pepper, a 67-42 hitter, had a career day at the plate as he went 2-4 with 1 Double and three RBI.

November 13

9 A.M.
Syracuse Chiefs (11-26) 8, Pueblo Skulls (26-11) 7, 13 innings:
It was Friday the 13th, and the Pueblo Skulls wanted to start off their special day with a win. SS Titus Asbury knocked in RF Pinkerton with a sac fly to put Pueblo up 1-0. The Chiefs answered with a 2-run shot from 36 year old LF, Orion Roundtree. The Skulls took back the lead in the 3rd when Leon Moffet knocked his 9th homer to left, but the Chiefs answered once again, as 71-79-62-83 Francisco Nolan smashed one to left to put the Chiefs back on top, 5-2. A pitching battle ensued throughout the next 4 innings as Syracuse veteran Ernesto Curry (1,330 career IP) tried to outduel youngling Blaze Leung (334 IP). Pueblo made it 6-5 in the 7th when Asbury hit an RBI single and Leung hit a 3-run bomb. Syracuse once more tied it up when CF Bonilla walked, and then advanced to 2nd and scored on another Nolan RBI that tied the game at 6. Both pitchers were tiring, but their (offline) managers left them in the game. In the top of the 13th (fitting, isn’t it) the Skulls finally broke through when Moffett drilled a double to left-center, scoring Agustin Adams and finally putting the Skulls in a position to win. Sadly, Pueblo starter Leung has just 77 STA, and a starter is not meant to go 13 innings anyway. He lost the strike zone, loading the bases, then walking in the tying run. He needed just 2 more outs, yet could not get them. C Kirk Fitzgerald (.147, 3HR) got his only hit, but it was the most important hit, as it gave the Chiefs the win. Nolan got the RBI after going 2-5 with a dinger, 3 RBIs and a walk, and the Chiefs won their 1,195th game in franchise history.


2 P.M.

Santa Clarita Currents (28-10)14, Gerardonex (16-22) 15, 9 innings:
Coming into the game the Santa Clarita Current knew they were going to have to work hard to beat Gerardonex's pitcher Casey Seaton, a 83-88-72-96 pitcher who was 5-2 coming into the game. Their twelve game winning streak had been broken in the 9:00 game and they wanted to go back to winning ways. The Gerardonex jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first, but the Current quickly battled back in the second with an Arroyo rbi. The Gerardones quickly said not so fast, and then went ahead and scored 4 in the second. After the third inning it was 7-3 gerardenox with both teams scoring two in the third. In the forth the Currents scored one run to make it a one run game. Innings 5 and 6 were quiet from both teams with the Currents leaving a runner in scoring position. In the 7th the Currents tied it up 7-7 courtesy of two homers by Longoria and Hays. They extended their lead to 9-7 in the eighth with a Tillman triple and a Longoria Sac fly.  In the bottom of the eighth the Gerardonex knwo they had to do something and they did. They scored six runs to lead 13-9. This was done by two doubles and a 3 run bomb by Abdiel Baumann. Before the top of the ninth I wonder what the Currents manager told the players, but it definitely worked. They started the inning off with back-to-back homers by Feliciano and Hays and then another back-to-back later in the inning by Birch and Newell. After the first back to back 83 speed worthy was picked off by 67 defence catcher Santiago which would have caused the Currents to score one more run by the end of the ninth, and possibly change the whole result of the game. Anyway, in the bottom of the ninth the first two batters went quickly for the Gerardenox and then there was a single by Pederson. Then the moment of the game with Blake Ackley stepping up to the plate….BANG! A two run bomb by Ackley clears the Gerardenox’s dugout and the Gerardenox win! You always knew that Friday the 13th would bring blown games.

7 P.M.
​​Mesa Road Runners (18-21) 10,  Jersey City AMERICAN ESKIMOS (9-30) 9:
The Road Runners were looking for an easy win over a bad team, and they started out blazing hot with a 1st inning RBI double, and a Sammy Folse home run put them up 3-0. In the second Inning, they added to their lead with a Darwin Park 2 run Homer. That’s when the AMERICAN ESKIMOS mindset changed into a “We need to get back in this game,” which they did. They pulled in within 1 off of a solo shot and a 3 run blast to right center. The Road Runners put up 1 more in the bottom of the 4th, making it 6-4. They weren’t up by two for long as the AMERICAN ESKIMOS put up 2 runs on Back to Back solo homers and a 2 run homer to take the lead 8-6. The bats quieted down for a bit until a big bottom of the 7th, where the road runners came back and stole the lead with a RBI Triple, an RBI single, another RBI triple and another RBI single, and just like that they were up by two. A leadoff homer in the top of the 8th made it a 1 run game, but that was it for scoring, as the Road Runners won a very tight game.

November 14th

9 A.M.
​Boston Red Sox (9-31) 12, Hollywood Hollies (28-12) 10, 11 innings:
Coming off a 5-4 loss to the Cyclones the night before, the Hollies were looking for a strong performance this morning. With Trevor Tafoya facing arguably the worst team since Orange Juice, the Hollies figured they’d cruise to an easy win. But that was not to be. The Bosox scored 3 runs in the first 3 innings, on solo shots from Clegg, Collazo and Rossi. The Hollies got 2 back in the bottom half of the 3rd, and then scored 4 more in the 4th to take a 6-3 lead. The Red Sox charged back, scoring 4 in the 5th thanks to another Rossi homer and a Collazo single. RF Emmett Ridgeway put Boston up 8-6 with a solo shot off of Tafoya, who threw all 11 innings despite giving up 12 runs. The Hollies came right back, scoring 2 more on 3 doubles by Jeff Mull, Orland Armas and Matias Huerta. Both teams plated 2 more runs in the 7th. The game was now tied at 10 with 2 innings remaining in the game. A pitching battle ensued between Tafoya and Maxim Rios, who is 9-54 with an ERA of 13.07 in his 2 year career with Boston. There was no scoring in the 8th, and Boston manager brought in Isaiah Thayer, who is known for blown saves. The Hollies couldn’t score in the 9th, so the game went to extra innings. Tafoya, pitching his 10th inning, got out of the inning with just 1 hit, but couldn’t do it again in the 11th, as Rossi singled and Roque walked. Tafoya got 2 outs, but it wasn’t enough, as DH Efren Andre sent a double in the gap to take a 12-10 lead and the win. Though Hollywood outhit Boston 23-14, the Red Sox’s 6 homers were just too much. Thayer and Rossi shared MVP honors, with Thayer throwing 3 innings of 3 hit ball, shutting out the Hollies in the 9th, 10th and 11th. Rossi was 3-5 with 2 homers and 2 RBIs.

2 P.M.

Atlanta Firebirds (26-15) 22, Vancouver Waves (Dead Team) 1:

The Waves died, not only on offense, but their team died too. They only fielded an infield (but no pitcher) for a total of 5 players. Atlanta started off with 6 in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd, 1 each in the 3rd and 4th, and 2 in the 5th before Vancouver magically scored (no RBIs credited to anybody). Tricks didn’t matter to the Firebirds, nor did a 12-1 lead, as they scored 5 in the 6th, 4 in the 8th, and one more in the 9th to cap off all the scoring action. Pitcher Chandler Hayes threw a CG and also went 4-7 with 2 RBIs, but it was Ciro Tafoya who stole the show, finishing 6-7 with a triple, a homer, and 3 RBIs.

7 P.M.

Mobile War Eagle (26-17) 8, Corpus Christi Hooks (26-17) 7:
There was a lot on the line as the Hooks and Eagles met for this primetime matchup. In a 3 horse race for the division title with the 27-16 Atlanta Firebirds, both teams knew that every win was crucial. LF Arlo Matos put the Eagles up early, but Corpus responded with 3 runs off of Mobile’s #2 starter, Wade Osteen. Nikolas Mcghee blanked the Eagles through 7, and when SS Nathaniel Settles hit a solo homer in the 3rd, the Hooks were up 4-1. They were absolutely ecstatic when Palomo and LF Jaron Marble combined for 3 more in the 5th. The Hooks were now up 7-1, and with the way Mcghee was pitching, it seemed they’d one-up Mobile for the 2nd slot in Ocean Star South, 1 game back of Atlanta. But then the Eagles bats came alive. 3B Elias Enriquez, who is the 3rd best hitter in Ocean Star, led it off with his 15th homer, and when 6 minutes later, CF Juan Slater blasted a solo shot to right, the War Eagles had hope again. Osteen shut the Hooks out in the bottom half, and the 28,992 fans were on the edge of their seats. At 8:16 P.M. EST, SS Nolan Evers hit his 14th homer to put the Eagles up 1, the crowd was silent. Osteen got them 1-2-3 in the 9th and the Eagles took home a 8-7 win. Matos went 2-5 with a homer, double and 2 RBIs.


November 15th

9 A.M.
New York NYMETS (26-17) 10, Washington DBucs (32-11) 9, 10 innings:
After finishing 48-12 last year, and advancing to the 2nd round of the playoffs, the DBucs are involved in a fierce division race with Kure Kantai. In the division's 11 year history, it has been won by those 2 teams a total of 8 times. (DBucs, 5, Kantai, 3) The DBucs started off the scoring with a solo shot in the bottom of the 2nd. New York answered with a homer of their own by C Alexzander Embry. Two homers in the bottom of the 4th put Washington up 4-1. The Mets once more matched that, this time scoring 3 off of Washington starter Sebastian Dolan, prompting DBucs manager to pull him for Angelino Zarate, who then gave up 2 more before being pulled for Jonathon Necaise, who would pitch the rest of the game. 45,348 Washington fans visibly relaxed when their team countered with 5 in the 6th, making it 9-6 DBucs. The notion of the lead went away the next inning when the Mets scored 3 off of Necaise thanks to a Garett Luong homer and an RBI single. Necaise and Mets reliever Brody Paulsen battled until the 10th, when RF Joey Battaglia mashed one to deep rightfield, to give New York a 10-9 lead, and the win. Luong went 2-5 with a homer and 2 RBIs while Paulsen threw 3 innings of 4 hit ball to shut out the DBucs.

2 P.M.

Seattle Cyclones (32-12) 7, Victoria Okanagan Heat (28-16) 6:


This was quite a comeback. After a scoreless 1st, Victoria erupted in the 2nd with an RBI single by Alejandro Gragg, a grand slam by Silvino Nevarez, and another RBI single got the Heat’s 37,828 fans thinking about their 29th win. However, it was not to be, as Seattle began their epic comeback with a 2-run double by Braden Phillips in the 5th and followed up in the 6th with 1-run singles by Semaj Ricker and Kurtis Trout cut the deficit to 6-4. The 8th was the deciding inning, as Ricker homered and Deshawn Palumbo and Clark Rocha each singled to take the lead.

This has been produced by the New York Mets, Alexandria Country Yankees, Seattle Cyclones, and Portland Cobras/Venom.

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