SLCS game 6

Hawks take the series with another 1 run win, 8-7. 

They got off to a 4-0 start, but Brett Jorgenson tied the game with a second inning 3 run homer.

Orlando knocked Zito out in the 5th, taking a 7-5 lead, but Charlotte got those 3 runs back in the 6th.  Ray Brooks homered.  Orlando Veras singled, and reliever Kelly Crawford walked Cedeno.  Jacen Solo drove in Veras, with Cedeno thrown out at third.  Todd Lee then doubled home Solo for the 8-7 lead.

Orlando still had some chances.  In the 6th LJ Burroughs singled to put runners at the corners with one out, but Bautista grounded into an inning ending DP.

In the 7th, Orlando loaded the bases with nobody out.  Rafael Baker came in to get a popup, then struck out Jason Foster and Brett Jorgenson.

Baker stayed in to complete a 3 inning save and send Charlotte back to the world series.

SLCS game 5

Hawks take a 6-5 win to push Orlando to the brink of elimination.  With Joseph Langford unable to go, the Hawks turned to rookie Roberto Villanueva, making his first appearance of the postseason.

He kept his team in the game with 5 innings, allowing 4 runs.  Charlotte scored all 6 runs off Ryan McCloud, who pitched into the 6th.  The Hawks turned 3 double plays to bail themselves out of potential big innings.

Ben Richards pitched 2 scoreless innings for the save.  Charlotte has won all 3 of their games by 1 run.

SLCS game 4

The Hawks even up the series at 2 games.  They got off to a 4-1 lead, but Orlando tied things up in the 6th with 2 bases loaded walks.

In the 8th, Jacen Solo drove in Orlando Veras to take a 5-4 lead.  Jesus Bautista took a 1 out walk in the 9th, and Bobby Torres came on in relief.  He only needed one pitch to get John Hafner to ground into a game ending double play.

SLCS game 3

Orlando takes a 2-1 series lead with a 9-1 thumping of the Hawks.  Jesus Bautista broke the game open with a 3 run homer in the 5th off Charlie Zito.

Jackson Bauer pitched 6 scoreless innings to lower his postseason ERA to 0.89 after 3 starts.

SLCS game 2

Orlando took leads of 1-0 and 3-2, but trailed the Hawks going to the 9th.  With 1 out Eddie Cedeno used his speed to take the lead.  He drew a walk from Jerome Gonzalez, stole second and third, and came home on a sac fly by Jacen Solo.

In the bottom 9th Greg Santor singled with 2 outs.  Mark Roberts brought left hander Bobby Torres to face LJ Burroughs.  LJ grounded to short to end the game.  

Torres was technically the closer, leading the team with 8 saves.  Roberts got saves from 9 different pitchers this year, embracing 'bullpen by committee'.

The non standard approach worked out well, as the Hawks went 38-13 in one run games.

Superior League Championship Series

Orlando takes game 1 7-3 behind a complete game effort from Ryan McCloud.  Terrence Hatcher gave Orlando a 2-0 lead with a first inning single.  Emmanuel Martinez later added a homer, and McCloud took a 4-0 lead to the 8th.

With 2 out and nobody on, Martinez dropped a popup in fair territory, giving the Hawks some life.  Orlando Veras walked, and back to back doubles from Eddie Cedeno and Jacen Solo made it 5-4.  Orlando got 3 insurance runs back in the bottom of the inning, and McCloud had no trouble closing out the 9th.

McCloud gave up 5 hits, 1 walk, 3 unearned runs, and struck out 7.

Miami Orlando Game 5

Jered DeMario got off to another shaky start, allowing 3 runs in the first 2 innings.  He settled down to finish with 4 runs in 7 innings.

Tim Howington allowed 3 runs while pitching into the 7th.

In the 8th, Tommy Vercetti came out of the bullpen to pitch a 1-2-3 inning.  He was set up for the win after Andy Moore blasted a 2 run homer to put the Stars up 5-4.  Perhaps Vercetti should have finished the game, but instead Miami turned to closer Bob Belardi.

Delmon Jefferson led off with a squibber down the 3B line, beating it out for a hit.  Martinez struck out.  Jorgenson grounded up the middle, the 2b got to it but had no play.  Next up was free swinging Greg Santor, but Belardi couldn't throw a strike and loaded the bases.

L.J. Burroughs flew out to right, where the strong armed Peter Rabbit was waiting.  Pinch runner Max Jones beat the throw, and the game was tied.

Next up was Jesus Bautista, who doubled in 2 runs.  Hafner finally popped up to end it.  Roger Peralta came out to protect the 2 run lead.

Peter Rabbit ripped a line drive to center, where Santor made a fine running catch. Concepcion hit one to the warning track in right.  Omar Gomez grounded out to short, and the Rugrats had brought down the mighty Stars.

Charlotte Advances

Autobots knocked Elladan Corinvar out in the third, going to a 6-1 lead.  They could not hold it.  Charlotte came back with 8 runs in the 4th to 6th innings off Buttholz and the bullpen.  Autobots answered with 3 in the 7th to tie the game.  Lance Dixon had a 2 run homer.

Into extra innings, Bots went up 11-9 on a Fernando Gonzalez homer, but with 2 out in the bottom of the inning, Jim York saved the season with a 2 run blast off Robert Wright.

In the bottom 11th, Jacen Solo singled and stole second with one out.  After Todd Lee was walked intentionally, Ryan Ponder sent the Hawks to the SLCS with a line drive into right, with Solo easily beating the throw.

Miami Orlando Game 4

Jackson Bauer pitched 8 innings against Miami, allowing 1 run and striking out 10.  Jason Curry pitched well for Miami.

In the bottom 8th, Bob Belardi came in with runners at the corners and 1 out.  He allowed an RBI single to Hatcher, and later a 2 run single to Emmanuel Martinez. 

Down 4-1 in the 9th, Miami made it interesting with a pinch hit, 2 out, 2 run homer by Trevor Burton.  After a single and a walk, Brian Kaat grounded back to the mound to end the game.

Autobots Hawks Game 4

Charlie Zito, pitching on 3 days rest pitched a strong game, shutting the Bots down except for a 4 run 4th inning.  Derek Howe went 7, allowing 13 hits but only 4 runs.

With 2 out in the bottom of the 9th, Lance Dixon took Bobby Torres deep for a 5-4 run and a ticket to a deciding game 5.

Miami Orlando Game 3

For Tim Sullivan, it was a shaky start and a strong finish.  The Rugrats loaded the bases with nobody out in the first inning, but Brian Kaat took matters into his own paws.  The gold glover caught a fly from Terrence Hatcher and gunned down L.J. Burroughs at the plate.

After the first, Sullivan was untouchable, finishing with 8 strikeouts and a complete game shutout. Dan Jernigan gave Miami a 1-0 lead with a 5th inning homer, and Miami added 2 in the 6th with hits by Kaat and Joe Young.

Autobots Hawks Game 3

Autobots stay alive with a 4-1 win.  Don't blame Ty Caceres, filling in at DH for Anakin Solo.  Ty was the offense for Charlotte, accounting for 2 of their 4 hits and the only run, a solo homer.

Mario Rodriguez came up huge, pitching 7 1/3 innings with 10 strikeouts.  Robert Wright picked up the final 5 outs for the save.  Travis Steele had a pair of homers for the Bots.

Miami Orlando Game 2

Stars even up the series with a 9-1 win.  Tommy Vercetti went 7 innings for the win.  Brandon Cohen had 3 hits, including a 2 run homer.  Jim Concepcion and Fred Lewis each had 3 RBI.

Hawks take 2-0 lead

The Charlotte Hawks won a wild game, 9-8 against the Autobots.  Both starters, Floyd Brennan and Elladan Corinvar, were knocked out early.

Autobots took an 8-7 lead to the 9th, with closer Robert Wright pitching his second inning.  With one out and a runner on first, Wright drilled Anakin Solo on the wrist.  A bench clearing brawl resulted in Wright being ejected.  Charlotte had already used their whole bench, and has to replace Solo with a pitcher as pinch runner.

Now with Jason Sanchez on the mound, Todd Lee singled in Jacen Solo to tie the game.  Hector Ojeda, the pinch runner, was thrown out at third.

In the bottom 10th, Jim York singled in Mike Connor to win the game.  Rafael Baker pitch 3 2/3 scoreless innings for the win.

After the game it was revealed that Solo had a broken wrist and will miss the rest of the postseason.

Miami Orlando Game 1

Orlando got off to a quick start against their cross-state rivals, scoring 3 in the first of Jered DeMario.  DeMario settled in, striking out 11 Rugrats over 7 innings, but after Miami tied the game in the 4th, DeMario gave up back to back homers to LJ Burroughs and Jesus Bautista.

Fernando Hernandez came on in relief of Tim Howington, and pitched 3 scoreless innings to record the save as Orlando won 8-3.

Hawks Autobots Game 1

Charlotte took the first game of the series by a score of 7-1.  Miguel Fernandez gave the Autobots a 1-0 lead with a 4th inning solo homer, but Anakin Solo tied the game in the bottom of the inning with his own homer.

In the 6th, Charlotte scored 6 times off of Phoenix starter Clay Buttholz.  Charlie Zito left after 6 innings and 21 batters faced, potentially setting him up to pitch in game 4 on 3 days rest.

The final score was 7-1.

Orlando Advances

The Rugrats defeat Baltimore and will go on to face Miami in a best of 5 series.

In a fine pitcher's duel young Jackson Bauer took on Chris Johnson.  Both pitchers took shutouts into the 6th, when Baltimore struck first off Bauer.  With 2 out, Brett Thompson drew a walk and score when Gil Garcia hit one into the gap and Thompson beat the throw home from Delmon Jefferson.

Jefferson drove home John Hafner with 2  out in the 8th to tie the game.  Chris Johnson went on to pitch 9 innings with 8 strikeouts before leaving.

Baltimore took a 2-1 lead as Brett Thompson singled off Roger Peralta.  Pinch runner Corey Feldman stole second, and scored on a single by Asswipe Cabrera.

Orlando tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Brett Jorgenson doubled home Jefferson with 2 outs.  

The score remained 2-2 until the 17th.  Jason Foster led off with a single.  Jorgenson surprised Baltimore with a hit and run single, sending the 40 year old Foster to third.  That brought up light hitting Max Jones, who lifted a fly to left.  Foster beat the throw home and the Rugrats celebrated on their home field.

First Ever Superior League Wild Card Game

The playoffs are set.  Baltimore takes on Orlando in a best of 3, with the winner going on to face Miami.  Charlotte will host Phoenix in the other series.

Baltimore gave 240 game winner Storm Morris a 1-0 lead in the first as Steve Freeman drive in Sergio Perez.  Morris held the lead until the 5th, when a Brett Jorgenson groundout tied the game.  

In the 7th, Orlando's 9th place hitter, Greg Santor launched a 3 run homer to break the game open.  Orlando added a pair in the 8th to go on to a 6-1 victory.

Ryan McCloud of the clan McCloud went 8 innings for the Rugrats, with a walk and 4 strikeouts.