This summer's Championship Series features the 6th seed Wire2Wire Sports Podcast vs the 4th seed Beers
Game 1: Having won 2 upset games in the previous week to get into the chip, Wire2Wire is the away team and go down in order in the 1st. Beers don't do much better and only send 4 to the plate in the bottom. In the 2nd, Wire2Wire takes an early lead after Jake McDevitt doubles and scores on Bill Walker's RBI double. Beers quickly answer back and score 6 in the 2nd. Ryan MacNamee smacks an RBI double and scores on Ryan Whiteley's sac fly. Tim Coleman and Alex Goldberg each collect an RBI single. Scott Runzer doubles but is stranded. Wire2Wire seems deflated after that inning and can't score in the 3rd. Wire2Wire threatens a little in the top of the 4th, getting the 1st two men on and scoring 1 on Jake McDevitt's RBI single. Beers adds 4 more in the bottom of the 4th with Runzer blasting an RBI triple and then scoring on Kevin Dooley's RBI single. Wire2Wire slowly chip away at Beers 10-2 lead in the 5th, getting 1 run. Beers gets the run back with a couple of singles and a Ryan Whitley sac fly. Feeling the heat with only 2 innings to go and down 8 runs, Wire2Wire get a bunch of singles and 2-run triple from Bill Walker. Tom Signore also smacks a 2-run single to cut the lead to 4. Beers goes down in order in the 6th. In the top of the 7th, Wire2Wire takes their first lead of the game since the 2nd inning. With 3 errors, doubles from Greg Guarino, Brando Bozek, and Bill Brancato. a 2-run homer from Tom Signore, and an RBI single from Sean Butrica, Wire2Wire score 8 and take a 4 run lead into the bottom of the 7th. Pitching does the trick for Wire2Wire and Beers goes down in order in the bottom of the 7th. Wire2Wire takes game 1, 15-11.
Game 2 has Beers up against the wall. They'll bounce back quickly in the 1st inning after a tough game 1 loss and score 5. Ryan Maley leads off with a double and scores. Scott Runzer and Kevin Dooley both smack RBI singles, and Josh Goldberg knocks in 2 with a single. Wire2Wire answers back quickly with 3 in the bottom of the 1st. Greg Guarino doubles to leadoff and then scores, and Bill Brancato and Jake McDevitt both rip RBI singles. Beers gets 1 back in the top of the 2nd when Alex Goldberg reaches on an error and scores on Connor MacFarlane's sac fly. Wire2Wire scores 2 in the 2nd with Jim Chapman knocking one in with a single and Bill Shallcross sacrificing. Beers adds 1 to their lead in the top of the 3rd when Chris Anhalt triples and scores on a fielder's choice. Wire2Wire goes quiet in the 3rd and the 4th. In the top of the 4th, Beers add 5 to their lead. RBI singles from Alex Goldberg and Connor MacFarlane, along with Ryan Maley's 3-run bases clearing triple do the trick. Beers will add 2 more in the top of the 5th after Josh Goldberg smacks a triple and then scores on Ryan Henritzy's triple. Wire2Wire get 3 back in the bottom of the 5th. Bill Brancato doubles in two runs, and Sean Butrica singles in one. In the top of the 6th, Beers extend their lead to 10. Connor MacFarlane doubles and scores, Scott Runzer singles in 2 runs, Kevin Dooley doubles and scores, and Chris Anhalt singles in 2. Wire2Wire can't score in the 6th, and Beers can't score an in the top of the 7th, despite Ryan Whitley doubling. Going into the bottom of the 7th and smelling a 2 game sweep, Wire2Wire needs 10 to tie and 11 to win. They get the 1st 3 men on, with Ben Vitelli doubling and scoring on Brett Anker's 2 run single. Bill Brancato will knock in another run with a single, and Tom Signore knocks in 1 with a double. Jake McDevitt blasts a 2 run triple to tighten Beers lead to 4 runs. Beers finally get the 3rd out and hang on to win game 2, 18-14. We're going to a rubber match!
Game 3: Wire2Wire knocks out 5 singles and scores 3 runs in the top of the 1st. Beers go down in order in the bottom. Wire2Wire keeps their foot on the pedal and scores 4 more in the 2nd. Tom Signore doubles in 1 run, Bill Brancato knocks in 2 with a single and Adrian Reyes works a bases loaded walk for an RBI. Beers get a 3 run homer from Tim Coleman in the bottom of the 2nd. In the top of the 3rd, Wire2Wire scores 2 on Brett Anker's RBI single and Sean Butrica's sac fly. Beers go down in order in the bottom of the 3rd. Wire2Wire will score again in the 4th, plating 2 on an error and Gene Walczak's sac fly. Beers get a double from Scott Runzer and a sac fly from Kevin Dooley in the 3rd to score just 1 in the inning. Wire2Wire have their only scoreless inning in the 5th, while Beers gets 1 on an RBI single from Ryan Henritzy. Wire2Wire plate 5 in the 6th to take an 11 run lead. Brandon Bozek triples in 1 and scores, Jacob McDevitt and Bill Walker both single in 1 and score, and Jim Chapman pokes an RBI single. Not going away quietly, Beers answer back with 7 in the bottom of the 6th to cut the lead to just 4. Alex Goldberg doubles to leadoff the inning and goes on to score on Scott Gerhart's RBI single. Ryan Male doubles and he and Gerhart score on Connor MacFarlane's 2 run double. Josh Goldberg blasts a 3 run homer, followed directly by Time Coleman's solo shot. Wire2Wire get 3 insurance runs in the top of the 7th. Jacob McDevitt knocks in 2 with a double, Brandon Bozek pops an RBI single, and Bill Brancato sacrifices 1 in. Wire2Wire takes a 7 run lead into the bottom of the 7th. Beers get the 1st 2 men on and score 2 on RBI singles from Scott Gerhart and Scott Runzer, but Wire2Wire pitching comes through again and Beers leaves the bases loaded. Wire2Wire wins game 3 and the Summer Tuesday Men's Championship, 19-14.
Congrats to Wire2Wire Sports Podcast!