The Selects' season came to an untimely end, as the offensive firepower of the veteran Classics squad proved too much in a 7-2 win to give them a 2-0 edge in the best-of-3 semi-final. Continually putting the ball in play, the Classics notched three runs in the top of the 1st, adding two more in the 3rd and singles in the 6th and 7th. Meanwhile, the Selects bats fell dormant, mustering only five hits off Classics starter Pete Spitzig. Both runs came in the bottom of the 2nd on a two-run double off the right field fence by Derek Hamilton, who went 2 for 3 to take game MVP honours. Dan Fogal and Goldie Bahia scored on the play. Still, the Selects finish 3rd place, marking the team's best finish since the beginning of their youth movement three seasons ago. Best of luck to the Classics in the finals.
MVP: Derek Hamilton, LF
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It was ugly. Drained emotionally and physically from their quarterfinal series, the Selects looked just plain bad, losing 11-1 to the Classics in game one of their semi-final series. The lone run came on Goldie Bahia's pinch-hit RBI single, scoring Glen Hall. The Selects look to bounce back in game two next Wednesday.
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It took 4 games, 33 innings, and an hour-long electrical delay, but the Selects-Smoke best-of-3 (you're right to be confused at this point) quarterfinal is finally in the books, with the Selects winning a marathon game four, 4-3 in 11 innings. It didn't start pretty, though. A Mike Brown error opened the door for two runs in the Smoke's bottom half of the first, to stake the home team to a lead that matched their offensive output through the series' first three games. From there, Doug Hoffman was lights out, putting his team on his back as he has done all year long. He notched 13 strikeouts in a gutsy 11-inning effort to keep his squad in the game. The Selects cut their deficit in half in the top of the 4th when Dan Fogal singled to lead off and scored on a fielder's choice from Trevor Botting. The next inning, Glen Hall evened the score with a rocket over the left field fence. And so, the teams dug in for an all-too-familiar grind. With the international tie-breaker rule in effect, Hoffman and Smoke hurler Scott Gordon traded scoreless 8th and 9th innings. Finally, in the top of the 10th, Steve Hall scored on Fogal's fielder's choice, but the Smoke pulled even at 3-3 in the bottom half. But the Selects were not to be denied on this occasion. Ron Whitelaw proved evasive of a tag with the eventual game-winner after singles from Brad Cleasby and Botting, who had his best game of the year. After pop-outs to short and 3rd and a dandy putout by Scott Clark, an elated and exhausted Selects squad walked off victorious. Alas, no rest for the weary, as they say. The Selects open their semi-final with the Classics less than 20 hours after disposing of the Smoke.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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It all came down to this. The stage was set and the stakes were high. The final game in the Smoke-Selects' epic best-of-3 series would grant the victors a much-coveted pass into a semi-final match-up with the Classics, and send the losers home with heads bowed, uttering that all-too-familiar refrain: "We'll get 'em next year." Well ... at least in theory. In a game that was equal parts exhilarating, agonizing, and downright confusing for both squads, the dust settled on an indecisive 1-1 draw, setting the stage for an improbable game four. The Selects struck first in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Mike Brown walked, stole second and scored on Glen Hall's hard single over short. Alas, the Smoke pulled even in the fourth when Dwight Zinger battled Selects hurler Doug Hoffman for what seemed an eternity before crushing a double to left. He advanced to 3rd on Tim Barfoot's sacrifice fly and scored on an infield single despite a Herculean effort defensively from second baseman Brad Cleasby. The Selects loaded the bases with two outs in the 7th thanks to singles from Scott Clark and Ron Whitelaw and a rare intentional walk to Brown, but they simply could not scratch out the go-ahead run. The Smoke then got their chance in the bottom of the 8th with runners on 1st and 2nd and nobody out, but the Selects escaped with a timely strikeout from Hoffman and unassisted double-play by Brown. The series now shifts to next Tuesday, when the squads start at 8 and hope to bring closure to the series before the lights go out at midnight.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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Scott Gordon wasn't ready to end his season, apparently. The Smoke pitcher threw a complete game, four-hit shutout and didn't allow a hit after the third inning as the Smoke evened their best-of-3 quarterfinal series with the Selects, 1-1. As if his 10-strikeout performance wasn't enough, he also notched the game's only run, singling and capitalizing on some sub-par Selects defense to record an unearned run, the only blemish on Doug Hoffman's complete game, six-hitter; Hoffman struck out 11 and didn't surrender a single walk.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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The Selects started the playoffs on a winning note, upsetting the Smoke 4-0 in game one of their quarterfinal series. Doug Hoffman threw a complete game, four-hit shutout, striking out 11. With hard-throwing left-hander Scott Gordon on the hill for the Smoke, the game looked poised to be a pitcher's duel until the Selects put up three in the 3rd inning. Scott Clark took a two-strike pitch the other way for an RBI single scoring Dan Fogal and Glen Hall followed with a two-run single that cashed Clark and Mike Brown. They added the final run in the 5th when Brown drove a leadoff single to left and advanced to third on a sac bunt by Clark and groundout by Glen Hall. Steve Hall then singled Brown in, rounding out the offense for the evening. Game two of the best-of-3 series goes Tuesday, August 21 after a layoff for the World ISC Championships.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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Offense was the saviour of the day for the Selects in their season finale, a 10-5 win over the Bulldogs that saw six different players notch multi-hit games as the Selects reached double-digits for just the second time this season. The Bulldogs jumped ahead 4-0 in the bottom of the 1st inning, but managed only one more run off Doug Hoffman in the contest, courtesy a Jeff Brush triple and Greg Borho double. Meanwhile, the Selects scratched out three runs in the second inning when Mike Brown had a two-run single and scored on Scott Clark's RBI single after stealing 2nd. Kevin Ryrie added the tying run in the 3rd when he singled with two outs and took the remaining bases with astute running. Ryrie then knocked home the go-ahead run in the 5th with a bases-loaded fielder's choice that scored Glen Hall. Finally, the Selects broke it open in the 6th. Dan Clark scored on brother Scott's sac-bunt turned reached on error and Brown came in on Glen Hall's groundout. Steve Hall then knocked a triple that scored Clark and came around himself on a throwing error, making it 9-5. Mike Kitchen rounded out the offense with a one-out triple in the 7th and turned Brown's pop out to 2nd base into a sac fly with some impressive wheels from 3rd. Hoffman struck out 9 in the win and had stellar, error-free defense throughout the game. The Selects finish the season in 6th and await their first-round opponent, which will almost certainly be their amicable rivals, the Smoke.
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After clinching a berth in the A side playoffs for the second straight year with the win against the Falcons, the Selects recently more consistent bats fell completely silent, managing only two hits against the young combination of Scott Crozier and Dan Gehl, while dropping their tenth game of the year, 3-0 to the Predators. Derek Hamilton and Reed Laughlin were the only contributors to the Selects hit totals, both with singles. The top of the 6th saw the Selects try to get something started as the potent brother combination of Glen and Steve Hall worked back-to-back walks with two out but that's where it ended. The Selects finish up the season next week with their lone rain-out game against the Bulldogs, before starting the first round of the playoffs.
MVP: Scott Clark P/SS
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The Falcons never really stood a chance on this night. Doug Hoffman threw a no-hitter, allowing only one walk while striking out 11 to get the Selects back on the winning track. He got help from some stellar defense, led by a couple spectacular stabs from second baseman Brad Cleasby. Offensively, Kevin Ryrie scored the winning run in the bottom of the 2nd, taking home on a third strike passed ball to Derek Hamilton. The Selects added to their lead when Ryrie cashed Glen Hall with an infield single and Steve Hall scored on a double steal instigated by Ryrie. Hamilton rounded out the offense in the 4th, scoring on a grounder by Cleasby after stroking a triple to left. The Selects now set their sights on the 0.500 mark with two games remaining on the year.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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The Selects lost another heartbreaker, falling 4-3 to Kevin Buckley and the Reds for the second time this year. Unlike the first time, though, the Selects were on the Reds' pitcher early, scoring three runs and leaving six stranded in the first three innings before Buckley retired the final 12 in order. They took the lead in the first inning when Mike Brown walked, stole 2nd and scored on Steve Hall's RBI single. After the Reds rallied for four unearned runs in the top of the 2nd, Scott Clark's RBI triple cashed Derek Hamilton to cut the deficit to 4-2. In the 3rd, the Selects scratched away when Kevin Ryrie came in to count on Glen Hall's RBI single, but the Selects would get no closer. Selects starter Ron Whitelaw struck out four in five innings before Shawn Conley pitched two scoreless innings in relief.
MVP: Scott Clark, SS/2B
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The Selects looked poised to continue their winning ways against the Classics, as Doug Hoffman cruised through the first four innings, retiring 11 straight to start the game. Meanwhile, the Hall brothers, Steve and Glen, played out a sibling rivalry to the tune of two solo home runs off Classics pitcher Pete Spitzig in the 2nd and 4th innings. Sadly for the Selects, four innings does not a complete game make. A couple errors and a couple of hits in the bottom of the 5th gave the lead away, as the Classics scored three and added an insurance marker in the 6th. Though the Selects threatened in both the 6th and 7th, they stranded runners at 2nd and 3rd in both frames, as relief pitcher John Wilson closed the door. The Selects look to return to 0.500 on Monday as they meet the red-hot Reds.
MVP: Steve Hall, 1B
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Trevor Botting stayed at the beer car until nearly 1 am. Sure, the Selects notched a very important 8-3 win over Bell Cartage behind yet another complete game gem from Doug Hoffman, but the staying power of one of the team's prolific popmasters was a bigger story on this night. On the field, though, the Selects went against their proven approach to winning (vis-a-vis the come-from-behind) by staking Hoffman to a 3-0 first inning lead. Mike Brown led off with an infield single and Ron Whitelaw reached on an error, with both scoring on a grounder off the bat of Glen Hall and a throwing error. Hoffman then hit a sac fly to score Hall. After Bell scored two unearned in the top of the 3rd, the Selects went back to work. Brown led off with another infield single and scored on Hall's RBI single. After Hoffman was hit by a pitch to load the bases - though he was reluctant to take the free pass - Dan Fogal knocked in Brad Cleasby and Scott Clark singled home pinch-runner Dan Clark and Hoffman to extend the lead to 7-2. Derek Hamilton's RBI single in the 6th inning capped the offense in an all-around solid win. The Selects look for their sixth win in eight games against the Classics on Thursday.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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The Selects scored a moral victory, taking the Outlaws past the minimum five innings before falling 10-0 for the second time this year. Mel Ross threw a three-hitter through five innings, striking out 10. Still, the Selects managed to put runners in scoring position in four of the six innings. In the first, a potential rally was squashed when a 1st and 3rd situation was erased by a questionable call to pick off Steve Hall, stranding Trevor Botting. Mike Brown was then left stranded after a two-out triple in the 3rd, and Dan Fogal and Brad Cleasby were left aboard in the 5th when Ross got Brown swinging to end any threat. Scott Clark looked poised to start a two-out rally when he singled and stole second in the 6th, but he was thrown out trying to snag third. The Selects now enter the homestretch, hoping to take cement strong playoff position with their remaining six games.
MVP: Mike Brown, CF
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The Selects got behind early giving up 5 runs on a hot night for baseball. After the sun set the Selects decided to start playing ball. Steve Hall led the way going 4 for 4 including a bunt single. The entire team started to do the little things right, making key outs and slowly chipping away at the 5 - 0 lead. Trevor Botting's chopper in the 6th scored Kevin Rryie with the winning run from 3rd base. Ron Whitelaw started the game throwing 4 innings and keeping the Selects in the game. Shawn Conoly made his Selects pitching debut with a shaky 5th inning, loading the bases with walks before inducing a pop out to 3rd base to end that threat. Shawn then settled down it the 6th and started throwing bullets to shut down the Thunder attack. Kevin Ryrie's diving catch in LF and Goldie Bahia's diving, yet questionable, catch in RF highlighted a solid defensive effort overall. Next up the Selects take on the undefeated Phoenix Outlaws.
MVP: Steve Hall, 1B
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The Selects pushed their undefeated streak to four games with their fourth straight come-from-behind effort, a 5-4 win against a red-hot Smoke squad. The Selects opened the scoring in the top of the first when Mike Brown scored on a throwing error and Mike Kitchen came in to count on Steve Hall's RBI single. The Smoke cut the lead in half in the bottom of the 1st when Todd Melchin's excuse-me single cashed Phil Gordon. That duo went back to work in the 3rd, notching back-to-back home runs and the Smoke pushed their lead to 4-2 when Scott Gordon scored on a Brown error. From there, however, Doug Hoffman closed the door, throwing his third straight complete game, allowing just three earned runs while striking out 8. The Selects managed all the offense they would need in the top of the 6th when Trevor Botting and Glen Hall singled to set the table. After Steve Hall walked to load the bases, Dan Fogal stroked an RBI single and Scott Clark followed suit. The eventual game-winner came in a bases loaded, two-out situation when Brown was hit by a pitch with a full count. The Hall brothers led the offense, as Glen went 3-4 and Steve was 1-2 with two walks.
MVP: Glen Hall, C
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A tie seemed a fitting finish for a game where both teams threatened often and consistently struggled to deliver the decisive blow. Matt Young and Doug Hoffman battled back and forth through 5.5 scoreless innings, stranding runners in almost every frame. Hoffman found himself in a bases loaded, no out mess in the bottom of the 1st before escaping unscathed, inducing three straight infield pop outs. Meanwhile, Young stranded a runner at third in each of the first three innings. Eventually, it was the Black Sox who struck first, cashing a leadoff triple in the bottom of the 6th. With Scott Robinson in to close the door for Young, things looked bad for the Selects as he efficiently retired the first two batters in the inning before Mike Brown legged out an infield single. Brad Cleasby then worked a walk, setting the table for Glen Hall. A hard-hit grounder ate up the Black Sox second baseman, scoring Brown from second. Ron Whitelaw then cashed pinch-runners Dan Clark and Reed Laughlin to give the Selects a 3-1 lead. Alas, the Black Sox would answer with two unearned runs in the bottom of the 7th to even the score. Doug Hoffman had six strikeouts in a complete game three-hitter and Brown led the offense, going 3-4 with a run scored.
MVP: Mike Brown, CF
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The Selects clawed closer to the 0.500 mark with their second consecutive come-from-behind win, punctuated by a one-out RBI single in the bottom of the 7th by Dan 'Clutch' Fogal to cash Reed Laughlin after he was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning. Laughlin had moved to 3rd on a Mike Kitchen single. It was the Predators who struck first, though, when Matt Duggan singled home Pete Greb in the top of the fifth, the lone blemish on a complete-game, three-hit performance by Doug Hoffman in his first start of the year. He also struck out 13. The Selects got the equalizer in the bottom of the 6th when Ron Whitelaw singled to start the inning. Mike Brown went in as a pinch runner, stealing 2nd and advancing to 3rd on a passed ball before scoring on Goldie Bahia's sacrifice fly. Dan Gehl threw well for the Predators in the loss, striking out 9 in a complete-game five-hitter. The Selects improve to 4-6 with the win.
MVP: Doug Hoffman, P
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In their best performance of the year, the Selects rallied for six in the bottom of the 6th to post a come-from-behind 9-6 win over the Shakespeare Falcons. The visitors nabbed an early 3-0 lead after two innings before the Selects struck when Scott Clark doubled home Goldie Bahia and promptly scored himself on Glen Hall's RBI single to close the gap to one. The teams traded runs in the 4th and the Falcon's entered the 6th with a 4-3 lead. And that's when the Selects took over. They capitalized on a couple defensive errors and strategized heavily with four consecutive pinch runners en route to a six-run 6th, highlighted by Dan Clark's two-run single. Though the Falcons added two, it would not be enough, as Ron Whitelaw pitched the complete game for the win, striking out five.
MVP: Goldie Bahia, RF
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B Division Semi-Finalists
The Selects traveled to Millgrove over the weekend to compete in a 12-team tourney, with mixed results. Their first game reeked of an unwelcome sense of deja-vu, as Kevin Buckley, this time throwing for the Waterdown Smoke, shut them out in much the same fashion as he had just 36 hours prior, as the Selects fell in their opener, 7-0. The weekend was beginning to have an ominous feel as they then fell behind 7-1 to a strong Hamilton Hawks squad - but then the bats awoke from their deep slumber, and the Selects made a game of it, eventually losing 8-6 when they stranded a pair in the bottom of the final frame. Chris Young and Scott Robinson were a combined 5 for 5, accounting for 2 runs and 4 RBIs.
In their third and final Saturday affair, the Selects carried over the offensive firepower of the previous game and downed the SOS Roadrunners with relative ease, winning 9-3 in 7 innings with a 9-man roster void of any tournament pick-ups. Steve Hall led the charge, going 3-4 with two singles and a triple, while Kevin Ryrie also went 3-4 with two singles and a double. Scott Clark's dominating performance on the mound was augmented by a 2-3 day at the plate, where he notched a single, double, walk, and two runs scored.
With the win, the Selects finished 7th in the 12-team field through round robin play and drew a B semi-final match-up with a Steelers squad that hadn't yet lost. That trend would continue. Keyed by five unearned runs in the 4th, the Steelers won in a romp, 7-0, over a Selects team that looked tired, sore and generally uninspired. Still, the weekend saw a lot of good ball played, with Hall, Ryrie, and the Clark brothers (Scott and Dan) having especially strong weekends.
Special thanks to Scott Robinson and Chris Young of the Black Sox and Dan Gehl of the Predators, as well as Brad's younger brother, Dave Cleasby, for helping us have enough pitchers/bodies to get our first tourney of the season under our belts.
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The Selects hitters could not touch the Reds young pitcher, Kevin Buckley, on this night. He scattered 13 strikeouts over a complete game four-hit shutout and added a pair of singles offensively. The Selects, meanwhile, did not bring their A-game defensively and errors behind pitcher Scott Clark inflated the score to his detriment. With the loss, the Selects fall to 2-6 and look to rebound next week after a weekend of ball in Millgrove.
MVP: Steve Hall, 1B
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Scott Clark pitched a solid game, but the Selects simply couldn't bring the sticks to life, as they dropped their third straight, 5-0 to the veteran Classics. Steve Hall's 7th inning double to deep centre marked the only hit on the day for a Selects squad whose bats have recently gone silent. On this day, they were victims of a complete-game one-hitter with 11 strikeouts collectively. The Selects look to return to the win column Thursday as they meet a red-hot Cambridge Reds squad.
MVP: Kevin Ryrie, SS
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The Selects shot themselves in the foot in a 12-4 loss to Bell Cartage, allowing 9 runs over the first two innings, with poor defense once again a root cause of the early deficit. After recording an out in the top of the 6th, the attempt to go around the horn ended up in right field, a move that was emblematic of the squad's fortunes on this night. Offensively, the Selects were led by Steve Hall, Kevin Ryrie and Brad Cleasby. Hall was 2-3 with a walk, two triples and a run scored, while Ryrie went 2-3 with a pair of infield singles. It was Cleasby who shone brightest on this night, however, going 4-4 with two RBIs.
MVP: Steve Hall, 1B
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The Outlaws entered the game as the dominant force in KFL fastball - a team whose only blemishes in two years were two ties. The Selects, the undisputed underdogs, were seeking vengeance from last season's semi-final sweep. The stage was set, but alas, underdog heroics were nowhere to be found, as the Outlaws strong-armed their way to a 10-0 romp. Pitcher Mel Ross threw a two-hitter, with singles from Trevor Botting and Derek Hamilton marking the only Selects' baserunners on the day. Scott Clark pitched well for the Selects after taking a comebacker just above his right eye off the bat of the first batter he faced, but a few errors, two long balls, and an all-around formidable outlaws offensive onslaught proved too much.
MVP: Trevor Botting, 3B
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The Selects rode the arm of Ron Whitelaw to a commanding 10-1 win over the Thunder to return to the 0.500 mark. Whitelaw pitched his second consecutive complete game, allowing just one unearned run while striking out three. He also managed to escape a bases loaded, nobody out situation in the bottom of the 5th unscathed, by retiring the heart of the Thunder order. Offensively, the Selects methodically chipped away with four runs over the first five innings before breaking it open with a 6-run 6th, keyed largely by wild pitching. Whitelaw had four RBIs to lead the way, while Goldie Bahia and Scott Clark each reached safely in all their respective plate appearances. For the first time this year, the Selects looked sharp defensively, led by Kevin Ryrie, who picked up his second MVP nod in this young season.
MVP: Kevin Ryrie, SS/C
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The Selects succumbed to sub-par defense and an inability to cash those who reached base in their second loss of the season, an 11-4 defeat at the hands of the Smoke. Smoke hurler Scott Gordon was overpowering early, throwing four scoreless innings en route to a 5-0 lead before the Selects broke out in the bottom of the 5th. Keyed by a Goldie Bahia single and walks to Dan Clark and Kevin Ryrie, the Selects loaded the bases. Brad Cleasby's walk cashed Clark and Ron Whitelaw's sac fly to center brought in Ryrie. Mike Brown, who had reached on a fielder's choice, scored with a creative slide to cut the deficit to two, but the Selects would come no closer. Scott Gordon struck out 10 in the win, while Ron Whitelaw had 5 K's of his own in the loss. The Selects offense was led by Cleasby, with 2 walks, a single and an RBI in 4 plate appearances, and Ryrie, who singled twice, walked, and scored a pair in his three trips to the plate. The loss drops the Selects to 1-2 in this young campaign.
MVP: Kevin Ryrie, 3B/C
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The Selects joined the win column with an exciting 6-5 victory over the Bulldogs. They jumped to an early lead when Reed Laughlin tripled home Mike Brown and scored on Glen Hall's ensuing single, but the Bulldogs pulled even with two of their own in the bottom half of the first. Dan Clark tripled to lead off the second inning and scored on brother Scott's ground out, but the Bulldogs answered with one in the bottom half. The teams continued to mirror one another until the decisive blow in the top of the 7th inning, when Glen Hall hit a monster two-run homer to give the Selects a 6-4 lead. Adam Detz's solo shot left the Bulldogs one shy of the equalizer. Scott Clark pitched a complete game for the win, striking out 6 and allowing just one run over the final four innings. Meanwhile, Laughlin and Glen Hall continued to lead the offense, accounting for four RBIs and four runs between them.
MVP: Scott Clark, P
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The Selects opened the season with an encouraging six-run loss last night, downed 12-6 by the visiting Black Sox. After falling behind 5-1 entering the bottom of the 2nd, the Selects' sticks came alive with a bat-around four-run inning. With the bases loaded and two away, Mike Brown singled to score Trevor Botting and Scott Clark. Brad Cleasby then drove one up the gut to cash Reed Laughlin, and Glen Hall doubled Brown home. Alas, that was as close as the Selects would get, as rusty infield defense aided some strong Black Sox sticks en route to a four-run fourth inning and three more in the fifth. Still, the loss was encouraging for a Selects team that's usually starved offensively, led by a quartet of Brown, Botting, Laughlin, and Glen Hall, who combined for 5 runs, 5 RBIs, 2 walks, and 3 stolen bases on 6 of 10 hitting.
MVP: Mike Brown, CF
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