Holyoke Outlasts Keene, Upset Top-Seeded Swamp Bats for Series win07:53AM / Wednesday, August 05, 2009
KEENE, NH - The Blue Sox and the Swamp Bats entered Tuesday’s semi-final finale each winning at the other’s home turf, with two very different feels to each game. A 5-4 comeback victory at Alumni Field on Sunday got the Blue Sox out in front on the series, but a 15-0 blowout by Keene Monday night brought the Blues back down to Earth, and the series tied.
The Blue Sox, though, not only put the nightmare-ish ball game behind them, they also jolted themselves to the Western Division Championship series with a 4-3 victory against the Swamp Bats, completing the upset over the regular season Division Champion Keene.
In a memorable game that saw bloopers and blasts, miscues and momentous plays, the Blue Sox struck first in the top of the third. With Cooper Blanc (Utah) on third and one out, Jim Wood (Trinity C) knocked him in with a sacrifice fly to get the lead.
The scoring of the inning that most will remember, though, was the monstrous homerun by first baseman Murray Watts (Arkansas State). After Jake Rosenbeck (Buffalo) singled to keep the inning alive, Watts opened up the lead for Holyoke with his first dinger of the postseason.
Starter Kyle Sumple (Sienna C) held the Swamp Bats in check for the next two innings, getting to the bottom of the sixth inning leading 4-1 after a solo homerun by Wood. The lefty reliever from UCLA, Mitch Beacom, took the ball from Sumple, and added a knockout punch to a potentially rough inning.
With the bases loaded, and one man out, Beacom induced a ground ball to third, which was fielded on a dive by Rosenbeck. He then tapped third with his bare hand, and then fired to first to get the clutch double play to end the inning unscathed.
The score remained the same until the bottom of the ninth as Beacom held down the fort until then. The Swamp bats found life in the frame, knocking three straight hits to start the inning, scoring one.
But after Beacom retired Chris Edmonson (Le Moyne) for the first out of the inning, coach Darryl Morhardt went with his workhorse, Doug Jennings (UCONN), to get the save. Despite giving up a run to make the contest a close one, Jennings faced catcher Dustin Spruill (Chipola JC) with the bases loaded and two down.
Jennings, just like the rest of his team, bore down in the clutch. The righty induced a ground ball to third, which was fielded by Rosenbeck. The game ended in exciting fashion, with the third baseman diving and making the play for the last out of the game and the series.
The Blue Sox head to the next round, facing the Vermont Mountaineers in Montpelier on Wednesday.
For more information about sox players, coaching staff, personnel or tickets, visit the team’s website at www.holyokesox.com. |
