 
Another successful Selects season is in the books and the elusive trip to the finals evaded them once more, as Mel Ross tossed a one-hitter and stroked two RBI singles to win 2-0 and send the Selects packing. Doug Hoffman again threw a gem, notching 10 strikeouts over a complete game five-hitter, but had no help from his offence. As the Selects look forward to next season, they'd like to congratulate the Classics on winning the 2008 KFL Championship series.
Game MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
In yet another pitcher's duel, Bell Cartage edged the Selects 2-1 to force a deciding third game in what has been a thoroughly entertaining semi-final series. Doug Hoffman threw a complete game six-hitter, but Dan Martin managed a complete game four-hitter, while striking out 16. The game remained scoreless until the bottom of the 4th, when Mike Brown singled and scored on a Glen Hall seeing-eye single. Not ready to call it a season quite yet, however, Bell Cartage came back on the strength of a two-out, two-run triple from Josh Brohman in the top of the 5th and that would prove to be enough. Game 3 goes Wednesday at nine. Game MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
Aggression was the name of the game for the Selects in their semi-final opener, as they doubled up on Bell Cartage 4-2 to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-3 series. Trevor Botting got the ball rolling in the 4th inning, drawing a walk and advancing to 2nd on a passed ball. Steve Hall followed with a hard single through the right side to cash Botting, and then came around to score from first on a single by Dan Clark, thanks to a well executed hit-and-run. Bell got one back in the bottom half of the inning courtesy of a Tim Dubois RBI single, but the Selects came right back with two more in the 5th. Mike Brown and Kevin Ryrie hit back-to-back singles with two outs and came in to count on a pair of passed balls. Bell closed the gap to 4-2 in the 6th, but could get no closer. Doug Hoffman threw another great game, striking out 11 in the win. Game MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
For the third year in a row, the Selects are guaranteed a top 4 finish - and it again took a thrilling quarterfinal series to assure it. In a tightly contested pitcher's duel between Doug Hoffman and the Smoke's Casey Halstead, the Selects pulled out a 1-0 win in eight innings. Hoffman was his usual brilliant self, striking out 12 in an eight-inning, four-hit shutout. On the flip side, Halstead K'ed 16 Selects and allowed just three hits. But after seven innings left a scoreless draw, it was the Selects that were able to draw the game's lone run. With Reed Laughlin on second base for the international tie-breaker, Dan Fogal laid down a textbook sacrifice bunt to set up Kevin Ryrie's two-out heroics. Ryrie chopped one to the left side and dove safely into first base for the infield single and game-winning RBI. The Selects would like to tip their collective caps to the Smoke for yet another thrilling series, and now turn their attention to Bell Cartage for a semi-final series that begins Monday.
Game MVP: Kevin Ryrie, SS
Well, it just wouldn't be a Smoke-Selects playoff series without a deciding game 3. For three innings, the Selects played like a sweep was a very tangible reality. Doug Hoffman struck out 6 as he retired the first 11 batters he faced. In the bottom of the first, the Selects eeked out a run when Glen Hall reached on an error and Mike Brown, pinch-running, stole 2nd before coming in to count as Steve Hall forced a bad throw to 1st. 1-0 Selects. They added to the lead in the third inning with a one-out rally. After a single from Glen Hall and a double from Brown, Steve Hall dropped one over the head of the shortstop to score a pair. And then the wheels came off. With errors a plenty, the Selects let the Smoke back into the game, allowing 5 runs between the 5th and 7th innings for an eventual 6-3 defeat. The series shifts to a deciding game on Wednesday, where the Selects hope they can atone for their sins and win a series that slipped through their fingers in game 2.
Game MVP: Glen Hall, C
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