Wednesday August 12, 2009: Clifton Park, NY; Clifton Commons
The Canes and Cudas would begin their semi-finals of 2009. This would be the fourth year the two teams would face off in the playoffs this year being the first in the semi-finals. Every game over the past 4 years has been a battle between the 2 teams and game 1 of the series wouldn’t disappoint.
The Cudas would send Ace Georgio Futa to the mound o battle Canes ace Nate Novak. The Cudas would start the scoring when Darren Lewis would double and score on a Jimmy Rogers fielder’s choice. The Canes wouldn’t get on the board despite Nick Panza starting the game off with a single. The Cudas would again start the 2nd with a double by Joey Coleman and score on a Chris Chisena Sac Fly. The Canes would get their lead off guy on when LeMorta would walk but be stranded. The Cudas would continue their lead off scoring when Darren Lewis would walk steal second and score on a Carlos Maldonado single when LeMorta would throw the ball off the top of the back stop. Futa would continue to roll until the 5th when LeMorta would walk again and BJ Roberts would reach on a fielder’s choice. Roberts would score on a wild pitch to make the score 3-1. the Canes would make some noise in the 6th when Tom O’brien would lead the inning off with a walk and with 2 out Futa would get squeezed and walk the next $ hitter score RBI for LeMorta and Roberts. Novack would settle in through 7 and get out of a tough 7th when Coleman would single and Salvi and Chisena would have back to back walks. Novack would settle down and get a big K and a ground ball to get out of the inning. 7 innings would be all for Futa and the Cudas would go to Jeff Streeter. Streeter would get through the 7th and 8th with some noise made when Hoffman would double and Kean would get intentionally walked. With 2 on and no out the Canes would move the runners on a failed bunt attempt and Streeter would K the next 2 batters to get out of the inning. Novack would take the ball in the 8th and face one batter and make way to a walk. Canes manager would make the move to Tom Morrison. Morrison would do his job in the 8th getting 3 of the next 4 hitters to retire the side. Morrison would take the rock in the 9th and with one out load the bases with a 2 hit batters and a walk. Morrison would battle and get a big K and a 6-4 fielder’s choice to retire the side. Eric Solomon would lead the 9th off with a single and move to second on a clutch Eric Joyce bunt. With one out and Solomon on second RJ Lauring would rip a double to left center scoring E$ Solomon to win the game. Final Score Cudas 3 Canes 4.
WP: Tom Morrison (2 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 K)
LP: Jeff Streeter (2.1 IP, 1 ER, 3 K, 2 BB)
CO-POG: Tom Morrison (2 IP, 0 ER, 2 BB, 2 HBP, 2 K) RJ Laurin ( 1-3 2B, 1 RBI Game winning hit)
Thursday August 13, 2009, Clifton Park NY; Clifton Commons
The Canes and Cudas would go to battle for the second night in a row. The Canes lead the series 1-0 and sent Tyler Travis to the hill to take on Walter Sepulveda. Travis and Sepulveda would sit both sides down 1,2,3 in the first. The Cudas would get on the board first when John Gawinksi would triple down the RF line past a diving Jeff Solomon. Joey Coelman would flip a single over the infield to score Gawiniski making it 1-0. The Canes would wait long to come back, in the top of the 3rd Eric Solomon would rip a double off the right field wall and then score on a Eric Joyce single to CF. Joyce would take second on the throw and then score on a Jeff Solomon single. Tom O’brien would then come up and single moving Solomon to third, putting runners at the Corners for Nick Panza. Panza would come up and drive a ball deep to center for a 3 run shot giving the Canes the 5-1 lead. The Canes weren’t done there Hoffman would draw a walk and Kean would reach on a FC. LeMorta would then single driving in Hoffman. Kean and LeMorta would both later score on Eric Solomons second double of the inning giving the Canes a 8-1 lead. That lead would be plenty for Travis, he would roll through the next 3 innings only making way to 2 hits. Sepulveda would settle down after the 3rd and get through the nest 2 innings with out giving up another run. In the 6th the Cudas would make the move to the pen and bring in Jeffers. With one out Wednesday nights CO-POG RJ Laurin would step to the plate and take the first pitch he saw deep over the left field fence, giving the Canes a 9-1 lead. The Cudas would chip away in the bottom of the 6th when Lewis would single, Maldonado would walk, and then Gawinski and Coelman would have back to back RBI singles to cut the Canes lead to 9-3. Travis would get a big K then a ground out to end the inning. In the top of the 7th the Cudas Darren Lewis would put a clinic on in the outfield ranging deep to both gaps to get Hoffman and Panza then just for fun Novak would hit one right at him for Lewis to have all 3 put out in the inning, this would be a CDNABA/CDMABL playoffs first. In the bottom of the 7th down 6 the Cudas would need to get a rally going and the Canes Tyler Travis was hoping it wouldn’t happen. Travis would do his job retiring the Cudas in order 1,2,3 with 3 strike outs.
WP: Tyler Travis (7IP, 7 Hits, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB)
LP: Walter Sepulveda (6IP, 8 Hits, 8, ER, 3K, 2BB)
POG: Tyler Travis (7IP, 7 Hits, 3 ER, 7 K, 2 BB) Eric Solomon (2-3 2 2B, 1R, 2RBI)
