MLDS game 5: Portland vs Alaska

 Mike Webb started for Portland, and Alaska went with their ace, Tim Jacobs.

With 2 out in the third of a scoreless game, Webb hit a ball into the right center gap. He pulled a hamstring running to second however, and had to leave the game. Kai-xi Ling pinch ran, and stayed in the game to pitch. He threw two scoreless innings. Doug Freeman followed with 2 scoreless, and the Langford pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Jacobs went 7 innings, allowing no runs on 4 hits, striking out 8.

In the top 8th, Cesar Cordero struck out the side. In the bottom of the inning, Vince MacElheron singled with 2 out but was thrown out trying to steal second.

In the top 9th, Cordero hit Terrence Hicks, who moved to third on a Masuda single. Cordero struck out Nutkin. Portland pinch hit for Dave Riley, sending in Bill Lowe because the was a better bunter. They tried a suicide squeeze, which looked to all the world like a run as Hicks slid in ahead of Cordero’s throw to the plate. The umpire called Hicks out however, and Yoda Moreno struck out to end the inning.

In the bottom 9th, Mark Hunter struck out the side around a walk to Jack Collins.

In the 10th, Cordero came out for another inning. He struck out Metcalfe, walked pinch hitter Jordan Sadler, and struck out Ling. Approaching 50 pitches, he was gassed. Once again, Todd Reynolds did not go to the lefty reliever to face the lefty hitting Blanchard. Virgil singled to left. Cordero stayed in. Hicks hit a slow roller to second and beat it out for an infield single. Finally, Reynolds pulled Cordero, bringing in Bastard and double switching out his first baseman, Jack Collins, for Simon Burgos, the last man on the bench.

Masuda swung at the first pitch, grounding to Burgos for the last out of the inning. In the bottom half of the inning, Portland brought out lefty reliever Jose de la Cerda. One out later, Simon Burgos crushed the first he saw 441 feet into the right field bleachers. The Snow Sox advance to play the defending champion Hollywood B’s.