First of all, the Montgomery team is called the Biscuits. Frankly, you can stop right there and you have already won. They were playing the Jackson Generals, who were inferior in both name and uniform.
Riverwalk Park in Montgomery is a beautiful place to watch some baseball. Looks like a warehouse from the outside. Open outfield facing the river. You see the sunset out in left field. On hot days, definitely get seats down the 3rd base line! We were on the first base line, but it was OK after the sun got behind the stadium (about game time, 7 PM).
Our first mission was to score some merch. Harry debated long and hard between t-shirt and cap, before going with the latter.
Our second mission - score a foul ball! Which we did in the 6th inning off the bat of the guy who eventually won it.
We knew from the start that it would be a good night for the B's starting pitcher, Chris Kirsch, for two reasons:
-he is a leftie
-he's from Chester PA
Indeed, Kirsch threw a cherry of a game, going eight innings and giving up 2 runs. He left with a 3-2 lead. His only two mistakes were the first pitch of the second inning (solo homer by Leon Landry of Baton Rouge) and a 5th inning lead-off triple by Huntington Beach native Tim Lopes (who scored on a ground out by Steve Baron of Miami FL). The Biscuits had buttered up three runs in the bottom of the second, with a triple by Santiago Adames (DR) followed by a single from Jake Bauers (Newport Beach) a double by the #8 hitter Tommy Coyle (Chalfont PA) and a single by lead-off man Johnny Field (Las Vegas).
So, the B's up 3-2 in the top of the 9th, and closer Brad Boxberger (Fullerton CA) just had to finish it off. Well...he didn't, with Tyler O'Neill (British Columbia) taking him deep on the first pitch. He finished up the inning by striking out 2 of the next 3, then the B's went down meekly in the bottom of the 9th, so we got to see free baseball!
The top of the 10th was a mess, both of pitching and fielding, for the Biscuits. Jeff Ames (Vancouver WA) came in and, frankly, didn't get it done. He also set his first baseman (Casey Gillaspie, Omaha NE) up for an error by not hustling to first on a grounder that Gillaspie bobbled momentarily. That runner (Ian Miller, Downington PA - like 10 miles from my hometown!) would come around to score on another error, this time by second baseman Tommy Coyle.
So, bottom of the 9th and the B's down 4-3. Well, Johnny Field didn't waste any time rectifying that. First pitch - see ya! He sent it right down the left field line and almost into the Alabama River to tie the game. Next batter, shortstop Jake Hager (Vegas) stroked a seeing eye single. Now, it was first baseman Gillaspie at the plate, ready to redeem himself for the error (really the pitcher's error) in the top of the 10th. Also, Gillaspie is having an awesome season (313 average and 8 homers already) but was hit-less on the night. He got down quickly 0 and 2, then fouled off pitch after pitch to work the count to 3-2. The tension was huge.
Then he flied out to the right fielder.
Adames was next up, and fouled out the the first baseman.
Bauers drew a walk.
Finally, Keon Wong (Hilo HI) came to the plate and, after a huge at bat, poked the ball the other way, down the 3rd base line, to drive in Hager from second.
Biscuits win 5-4 in 10! The rest is all gravy.
No comments:
Post a Comment