Tuesday Men’s Playoffs
Game 1: Team Horsham v. Mike’s Bar & Grill
Exciting game to start the night; Mike’s sets the tone early with 10 runs through 5 innings. Matt McReynolds come up big in the 3rd with a bases-clearing double which helped push 6 men across in the frame. John Biando had himself a good game with a perfect night and through the 5th had already scored 3 times.
Horsham was playing this game with only 9 men on the field but held their own. Mike’s owned the first 5 innings holding Horsham to just 4 runs. In the 6th Casey Saverio homered to add another run, but it was in the 7th when Horsham got to work. Facing elimination Vince reached on an error and the rally began. Mike Sphahits energized the club with a clutch 3-run blast to cut into the deficit and Matt Calasso came through with an even bigger clutch hit, a 2-run single which knotted the game at 10. After holding Mike’s scoreless in the home half of the 7th, Horsham forced extra innings.
Horsham took advantage in the 8th. Mike Spahits again came through with a 2-run double which was followed by Eric Daley’s rbi single and Dan Lineberger’s rbi fielders choice. Horsham took strong command of the game and now owned a 5-run lead.
But Mike’s was up for the task. Dave Shannon sparked his club when he smashed a 2-run double which was quickly followed up by Corey Eyerman, who also smashed a 2-run double. Joe Talarico would hit the innings 3rd extra base hit in a error when he tripled…driving in yet another run. Game now tied, winning run 65 feet away, but the next three hitters could not bring the run home. Final two outs were ground outs to 3rd…where the winning run stood.
We then headed to the 9th inning. Casey Saverio quickly pushed a run across when he tripled and then himself scored on an fielding errors off the bat of, Adam Lightkep. Horsham again took control and now led by 3.
John Biando (Mike’s) made sure to keep this a game when he blasted a 2-run double with two outs to cut the deficit to just 1. Mike’s was looking to push this thing into the 10th or walk it off, but the final out of the game came and Mike’s had this one taken from then with an 18-17 loss in 8 innings. Horsham advanced!
Game 2: HG Coal Fried Pizza v. Dingers
Another good game on the night. Connor O’Keefe got Dingers on the board early with a 2-run double in the 1st inning and Dave Demko pushed another across in the 2nd with his double. Connor tripled and scored in the 4th helping Dingers plate 5 in the frame & Brandon Birkhead, with the big hit in the 5th inning…a 2-run homer. Mike Casbar also went yard, hitting a 2-run bomb in the 6th while scoring 3 times in the game. Dingers made a statement scoring 14 runs in the game and in the 7th held a commanding 14-8 lead.
CFP was up to task in the 1st inning when they pushed across 5 men to score. Justin Knapp hit a 2-run double and Mark Kennedy had a 2-run single. But outside of Justin scoring in the 3rd, Justin Gamble scoring in the 5th and Mark scoring in the 6th…no other offense. But once again, another late rally. Down 6 in the final inning, CFP put up a fight. Consecutive rbi hits from Jay Stein (single), Justin Knapp (double) and Brandon Parker (single) helped managed 3 runs. The bases loaded for Ken Stein and he made sure the season continued for CFP when he blasted a bases-clearing triple to tie the game at 14. The very next hitter, Mark Kennedy who had already driven in 2, then blasted a triple of his won to score Ken and take the narrow 1-run lead late in the game. All CFP had to do was hang on now.
Dingers were shocked, but remained calm. Consecutive singles loaded the bases with two outs and they needed just one hit to tie the game or even walk off. But it would not be as the final out came way of a fly ball to left and Dingers were left shocked as CFP stole the game late.
Game 3: Team Horsham v. Vertex
Horsham looked to keep their payoff mojo going and after quickly putting a run on the board in the first, they exploded in the 2nd for 10 runs. Casey, Adam, Vince, Nick, Mike, Matt & Vic all drove in a run. Mike doubled & scored in the 3rd and tripled and scored in the 5th. Horsham put up 16 runs on a good Vertex team and certainly made a strong case to take the game and advance to the Finals.
The Vertex offense was simply unstoppable in the 1st two innings. Mike Bitterlich doubled home 2, Keith Crowell double home 2 more, Dave SeStephens singled home 2 and Frank Staber doubled home 2 more. All this in the 1st inning alone as they plated 8 runs in the frame.
In the 2nd…well…same thing. Tom Rider singled home 2 and Frank Staber got his 3rd and 4th rbi’s of the game with his 2nd double. Frank finished with 5 rbi. Vertex went on to score 10 times in the 2nd. Vertex plated one more run in the 4th and with 19 men successfully crossing the plate, they advanced to the Finals with a 19-16 victory.
Game 4: HG Coal Fried Pizza v. Beers
CFP was looking forward to keeping their payoff run alive. Justin K doubled home a run and then scored on Brendan P’s rbi hit. Jay homered in the 3rd (solo shot)…while Mark G singled home a run in the 7th. But CFP suddenly went cold and could only muster up 4 runs.
Beers got a 3-run home run off the bat of Ryan Henritzy and a 2-run home run off the bat of Richie Acierno. Those two blasts alone were enough to seal the game for Beers and they advance to take on Vertex, winning this one 10-4.