Below is the game recap from the Armada website...
Play at the plate propels Armada to playoffs
Williams to Ramirez halts late OC comeback
LB 201 000 220 -- 7 9 1
OC 010 000 230 -- 6 11 4
FULLERTON, Calif. -- The Armada defeated the Orange County Flyers 7-6 at Goodwin Field on Saturday to clinch the GBL South 2nd Half Championship and a spot in the playoffs next week.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, Flyers 2B David Bacani drove a 2-1 pitch from Armada closer Nick Cavanaugh into right field. Julian Williams fielded the ball and fired a bullet toward home plate where C David Ramirez tagged out Flyers C Josh Arhart to preserve the win.
Long Beach players mobbed Ramirez at home plate and Williams on his way in from right field. Williams and Ramirez - warm up partners before Armada games - combined to put the Fleet in the post-season for the third time in the organization's four-year history.
Armada SP Dusty Gober (5-8) earned the win, despite most of the drama taking place after he left the game. Gober kept the the Flyers offense at bay for 5.2 innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits with 7 strike outs and 5 walks. Gober left the game with Long Beach leading 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, DH Norm Hutchins' 2-RBI single to centerfield scored Williams and 2B Omar Bramasco to give Long Beach a 5-1 and a seemingly smooth path into the post-season. With the Armada up by four, news of the final score in Chico hit Goodwin Field - the Outlaws defeated St. George 5-0, meaning a Long Beach win would secure the post-season berth.
But in the bottom of the seventh, the Flyers struck back off of reliever Nick Beirbrodt. Orange County DH Terry Mermer crushed a 2-run home run (4) with two outs to bring the game to 5-3. The Armada responded in the top of the eighth. 1B Brett Flowers led off the inning with a double to right field, and LF Dan Trumble drew a walk to put two on with no outs. After a sac-fly by Ramirez, SS Cleatus Davidson - in just his second game back after a stint on the inactive list - knocked a 2-RBI double to score Flowers and Trumble and regain the 4-run lead, 7-3. The Armada need to hold the lead and record just six outs to advance to the post-season.
If only it were that easy.
Orange County - the first round opponent of Long Beach next week - continued its late-inning charge with Jeffrey Van Houton drawing a pinch-hit lead-off walk to start the bottom of the eighth. After Bierbrodt induced two pop ups to center field, Flyers SS Jermy Acey doubled to score Van Houton. One batter later, LF Jeff LaRue crushed a 2-run home run (14) to pull the Flyers within one run, 7-6.
Biedbrodt finished the night pitching 2.1 innings, giving up 5 runs on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3.
Flyers closer Dane De La Rose allowed the Armada to post runners on the corners before PH Ryan Brown popped up to end the top of the ninth.
Cavanaugh walked Arhart to start the bottom of the ninth, and PH Gabriel Mayorga sacrificed Arhart to second base. Then Flyers manager Gary Carter went to his bench and sent GBL home run king Pat Breen to the plate, sending the crowd at Goodwin Field into a frenzy. Breen, who has been sidelined with a leg injury for a week, drew an intentional walk from Cavanaugh, putting the go-ahead run on first base before Bacani's single to right field and the dramatic play at the plate.
Flyers SP Charles Merricks (6-5) took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up 5 runs (2 earned) while walking six and striking out three.
Long Beach and Orange County wrap up the regular season at Blair Field on Sunday in a game between two teams that could play each other up to 11 times between August 26 and September 7. First pitch Sunday is 5:05pm.
Playoff Schedule
9/2 - Game 1 - OC @ LB 7:05pm
9/3 - Game 2 - OC @ LB 7:05pm
9/5 - Game 3 - LB @ OC 7:05pm
9/6 - Game 4* - LB @ OC 7:05pm
9/7 - Game 5* - LB @ OC 7:05pm
*if necessary
Play at the plate propels Armada to playoffs
Williams to Ramirez halts late OC comeback
LB 201 000 220 -- 7 9 1
OC 010 000 230 -- 6 11 4
FULLERTON, Calif. -- The Armada defeated the Orange County Flyers 7-6 at Goodwin Field on Saturday to clinch the GBL South 2nd Half Championship and a spot in the playoffs next week.
With two outs and runners on first and second in the bottom of the ninth, Flyers 2B David Bacani drove a 2-1 pitch from Armada closer Nick Cavanaugh into right field. Julian Williams fielded the ball and fired a bullet toward home plate where C David Ramirez tagged out Flyers C Josh Arhart to preserve the win.
Long Beach players mobbed Ramirez at home plate and Williams on his way in from right field. Williams and Ramirez - warm up partners before Armada games - combined to put the Fleet in the post-season for the third time in the organization's four-year history.
Armada SP Dusty Gober (5-8) earned the win, despite most of the drama taking place after he left the game. Gober kept the the Flyers offense at bay for 5.2 innings, giving up 1 run on 6 hits with 7 strike outs and 5 walks. Gober left the game with Long Beach leading 3-1 in the bottom of the sixth.
In the top of the seventh, DH Norm Hutchins' 2-RBI single to centerfield scored Williams and 2B Omar Bramasco to give Long Beach a 5-1 and a seemingly smooth path into the post-season. With the Armada up by four, news of the final score in Chico hit Goodwin Field - the Outlaws defeated St. George 5-0, meaning a Long Beach win would secure the post-season berth.
But in the bottom of the seventh, the Flyers struck back off of reliever Nick Beirbrodt. Orange County DH Terry Mermer crushed a 2-run home run (4) with two outs to bring the game to 5-3. The Armada responded in the top of the eighth. 1B Brett Flowers led off the inning with a double to right field, and LF Dan Trumble drew a walk to put two on with no outs. After a sac-fly by Ramirez, SS Cleatus Davidson - in just his second game back after a stint on the inactive list - knocked a 2-RBI double to score Flowers and Trumble and regain the 4-run lead, 7-3. The Armada need to hold the lead and record just six outs to advance to the post-season.
If only it were that easy.
Orange County - the first round opponent of Long Beach next week - continued its late-inning charge with Jeffrey Van Houton drawing a pinch-hit lead-off walk to start the bottom of the eighth. After Bierbrodt induced two pop ups to center field, Flyers SS Jermy Acey doubled to score Van Houton. One batter later, LF Jeff LaRue crushed a 2-run home run (14) to pull the Flyers within one run, 7-6.
Biedbrodt finished the night pitching 2.1 innings, giving up 5 runs on 4 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3.
Flyers closer Dane De La Rose allowed the Armada to post runners on the corners before PH Ryan Brown popped up to end the top of the ninth.
Cavanaugh walked Arhart to start the bottom of the ninth, and PH Gabriel Mayorga sacrificed Arhart to second base. Then Flyers manager Gary Carter went to his bench and sent GBL home run king Pat Breen to the plate, sending the crowd at Goodwin Field into a frenzy. Breen, who has been sidelined with a leg injury for a week, drew an intentional walk from Cavanaugh, putting the go-ahead run on first base before Bacani's single to right field and the dramatic play at the plate.
Flyers SP Charles Merricks (6-5) took the loss, pitching 6.1 innings, giving up 5 runs (2 earned) while walking six and striking out three.
Long Beach and Orange County wrap up the regular season at Blair Field on Sunday in a game between two teams that could play each other up to 11 times between August 26 and September 7. First pitch Sunday is 5:05pm.
Playoff Schedule
9/2 - Game 1 - OC @ LB 7:05pm
9/3 - Game 2 - OC @ LB 7:05pm
9/5 - Game 3 - LB @ OC 7:05pm
9/6 - Game 4* - LB @ OC 7:05pm
9/7 - Game 5* - LB @ OC 7:05pm
*if necessary
3 comments:
What a call by Josh Feldman. . too bad there isn't any video.
rumor has it someone in OC got it on video, so we're in the process of tracking that down. once we have it, we'll upload it to the armada website and blog.
-josh
Video is good, but not like being there live as I was. What a big play to end the game and clinch a playoff spot. Overall the boys play decent ball. Starting pitcher D Grober pitched great. Reliever N Bierbrodt did not have his best stuff. Giving up 2 multiple run home runs in back to back innings. However the offense saved his hide once again. N Cavinaugh came in and closed the deal as he has most of the season.
It will be one hell of a playoff series. I talked to several of the OC players and coaches after the game, and more than one said they would have wanted to face ST George instead of the Armada in the playoffs. Our pitching shut down there offense big time in this series, and the defense has been stellar itself as it showed on the last play of the game. Great game overall.
Division series prediction:
Armada in 4 games.
Edmonton in 5 games.
GO ARMADA!!!!!
See you at the park
Post a Comment