World Series Games 3 and 4

Game 3. Portland sends 2 time Cy Young award winner Roger Lewis to try and get back into the series. Charlotte strikes first, with Parker Brouthers leading off the game with a single, stealing second, and later coming around to score on a Vernell Hightower sac fly.

Alex Murray, a pitcher with average stuff and good control, holds Portland scoreless into the 8th inning. With the Hawks leading 3-0, Heathcliff George takes over after a leadoff double in the 8th. A 2-out dropped flyball by Vernell Hightower allows Portland to score their lone run. Charlotte bashes through the Portland bullpen for 5 runs in the 9th, including a 3 run Jacen Solo homer, and wins 8-1.

Game 4. Portland is no longer hoping to win the series, just to save some face and avoid a sweep. Eddie Carey and rookie Larry Patterson take the mound.

This time Portland strikes first with a 3 run 1st inning capped by a 2 run homer by George Kird. Fast forward to the 8th. Charlotte has scored twice, the game is 3-2 Portland, 2 out, bases loaded. Portland's ace Jet Storm is on the mound, Tommy Miller at the plate. Miller hits what looks like a single to right. Brant Bowen and Eric Stratten score what look to be the tying and go ahead runs, but Carlos Phillips, in a hurry to go first to third, misses 2nd base. An appeal results in a forceout at second, and neither run counts.

Portland adds 2 insurance runs in the 8th. With 2 out and 2 runners on in the 9th, Portland relieves ace Jet Storm. Having faced 6 batters after facing 5 the day before, Skullgrin may have thought Storm was losing it. Or else he was looking forward to a game 5, and hoping to have his ace available. Or perhaps he fell victim to Charlotte's Mark Roberts, employing a jedi mind trick. In any case, Portland brings in Chris Grimes to finish the 5-2 game.

Brant Bowen singles. 5-3. Stratten singles. 5-4. Vernell Hightower launches the next pitch for a 3 run homer. 7-5 Charlotte.

In the bottom 9th, Charlotte's ace Heathcliff George is not available, so Gavin James heads to the mound. James is so highly thought of that the Hawks have not even used him up to this point. He stikes out Nunez, gets Herrera to ground to third, and PH Lorenzo Rodriguez lines a ball to left, right into the waiting glove of Carlos Phillips.

The Hawks celebrate their first World Series win in their third try, and Vernell Hightower (6-13, 3 hr, 7 rbi) is named series MVP.