2007 World Series Game 6

With the win in game 5 New York sends the series back to Utah. Stuart Coppolla takes the mound for New York against Bob Zimmerman.

The game started off with speedy Ricky Buckley hitting a slow roller towards short. Lou Zamuda charged in, tried to desperately barehand it, and dropped the ball for a tough error. Two batters later Chad White crushed a homer to put New York up 2-0.

Utah tied the game up in the bottom of the second. Utah put together a 2 out rally. Carlos Merejo singled, then Del Holdsworth lined a ball off third baseman Tim Griffin. The ball rolled into the outfield for a double, and Griffin was forced to leave the game. Doug Dodson followed with a 2 run single.

The score remained 2-2 until the bottom 7th. With 2 out again, Del Holdsworth worked a walk against Coppolla, and Doug Dodson again came through with an RBI double. With a one run lead, Battletrap decided not to go to saving Ute Henry Rollins in the 9th, sticking with Zimmerman. Bob retired Zygyk, Buckley, and Lee in order. New York brought in Jaret Benser and he shut down Utah in the bottom 8th.

Utah was now 3 outs away from a championship. Bob Zimmerman, who had completely shut down the New York offense since the first, came out to try for the complete game. After Brett Solo flew out to left, Chad White hit his second homerun of the game to tie the game at 3.

A little too late, Battletrap brought in Rollins. He struck out Mueller (his third strikeout of the game) and got Lenny Backman to ground to short.

To the bottom 9th, all Utah needed to do was what they do best: score. Lou Zamuda led off against Benser with a walk. Ryan Ballard followed with a single. Carlos Merejo came up in a potential bunting situation, much like the pivotal play in game 4, but this time Battletrap orderded him to swing away. Merejo struck out, bring up Del Holdsworth. Holdsworth put a quick swing on an inside fastball and pulled a groundball just over the first base bag. Manfred Mueller dived, but it was just out of his reach. Holdsworth wound up with a double, and Zamuda came around to score the winning run.

New York manager Eddie Bird was the first one on the plane back to New York, too emotional to deal with the loss. Bob Zygyk came in from left field to congratulate Lou Zamuda, his former teammate and fellow member of the old Utah "killer Z's". Zygyk then went home to his Utah ranch, and is likely to retire and join the 2008 Utes as a coach.

For Zamuda, this could be the final run he ever scores. He will spend the next month deciding if he will retire or return to the Utes. Manager Battletrap feels sweet vindication. Once considered just an offensive genius who could run the bases loaded offense but not a complete team, he now has a ring and his Utes did it with offense, with pitching, with great relief from his saving Ute, and with one perfectly timed bunt.

And then there's Frank Lewis. The great-hitting jawa went so crazy after the victory and postgame champagne that he stripped naked and treated the 51,437 SCREAMING UTE fans to a post-game streak around the warning track.

Frank the Tank! Through the quad and to the gymnasium! UTE!