NATIONAL LEAGUE DIVISION SERIES #1

The Titans send Hamilton (10-3, 3.26) to the mound to face Appier (8-4, 2.83). Titans Smith, Nilsson, and; Meares fill the bases in the 2nd with 0-outs. Hamilton lifted a sac fly to center to score Smith. With 2-out Liriano bangs a double to plate two more, 3-0. Goose eggs until the 6th. Grays Huff drew a walk, advanced on a ground out, and scored on a Thomas double. Two batters later Caminiti bloops a single scoring Thomas from third, 3-2 Titans. Titans sit the Grays fans right down as Justice leads off with a walk and Baerga followed with a double. Fielder is then beamed by Fetters to fill the bases, no outs. After a Smith K, Nilsson finds a hole in the drawn in infield, but Sanders throws Baerga out at home to keep the game close, 4-2 Titans. In the 8th Grays Huff doubled to leadoff, advanced to third on a ground out, and scored on a passed ball, 4-3. The Grays go for broke in the bottom of the 9th. Caminiti reaches and is replaced by PR Tarasco, who steals second two batters later. Tarasco then scores on a PH Pena 2-out double. Game reset, but the Grays have used up all their guns and the Titans have many left. In the 13th, Titans Sabo bangs a leadoff double and Samuel followed with a walk. On to the top of the order. After Hill and Liriano pop out, Justice drew a walk to fill the bases, but Baerga pops out also. Finley and the Grays dodge a bullet. In the 14th, Knorr bangs a 2-out single followed by Sabo ripping one down the left field line. Knorr isn’t stopping and is gunned down at the plate by Huff. How many bullets can the Grays dodge?! In the 15th Titan’s Hill answers that question by placing one over the left-center field wall. The Titans add three insurance runs just to make sure the Grays were down and out this time. Titans 8-4.

Final Score: Long Beach 8 – Germantown 4 (15 Innings)

WP:Acre 2b:Baerga 2; Sabo 2; Hill; Liriano; Justice; HR: Hill; Fielder
LP:Finley 2b:Huff; Thomas; Pena

Titans choose Martinez (10-10, 3.92) to face Grays Bullinger (12-0, 2.74). Titans start quick again. In the 1st, Van Slyke singled, Justice walked, and Fielder went the yard, 3-0. In the 4th, Grays Sanders drew a walk, advanced on a passed ball, and scored on a Tarasco double. Tarasco scored on PH Pegues’ single, 3-2 de ja vu. Well the Titans won’t be denied. In their next at bat, Fielder stroked a 2-out 2-run double, 5-2. In the 5th the Titans fill the bases with 0-out. Martinez grounded into a double play scoring one.

Final Score: Long Beach 9 – Germantown 2

WP:Martinez 2b:Fielder; HR: Samuel; Fielder
LP:Bullinger 2b: Thomas 2; Tarasco

Long Beach returns home with a 2-0 lead surprising their fans with their performance in Germantown. They send Perez (7-10, 4.46) against Vanlandingham (8-3, 3.62). Fielder opened the scoring with a solo HR in the 2nd. The Titans added 2 runs in the 5th on a Hill 2 run 2 out 2B to make it 3-0. That was all Perez needed as he threw a 1 hitter.

Final Score: Long Beach 3 – Germantown 0

WP: Perez; 2B: Hill; HR Fielder
LP: Vanlandingham

The Long Beach fans are hoping to see a close out game today, but the Titans know the Grays won’t go down easily. Appier (8-4, 2.83) takes the call against West (8-5, 3.04). For the first time in the series Germantown strikes first when Caminiti scores on a MacFarlane SF in the 2nd. They added another run in the 3rd when Mack doubled in Huff. The Grays had runners on 2nd & 3rd with 1 out in the 4th but West got Alomar & Huff to end the threat. When West walked Thomas and Caminiti in the 5th he was lifted for McCaskill who gave up a SF to Sanders scoring Thomas. Long Beach finally put together a rally in the bottom of the 5th but Fielder was thrown out by Mack trying to score from 2B to keep the score 3-0. In the 6th, Germantown hit their 3rd SF of the game in the 6th with Alomar scoring MacFarlane. The Titans broke through against Appier on a Sabo solo HR in the 7th. Germantown responded in the 8th when Alomar singled in MacFarlane. Huff followed with a 2B scoring Alomar and pushing the lead to 6-1. The Titans wouldn’t go down easily as they put together 3 singles to score a run and knock Appier out of the game. Assenmacher came in and got Justice to hit into a doubleplay and Baerga to ground out ending the threat. In the bottom of the 9th Long Beach loaded the bases with 2 outs. Fetters came in to face Samuel who grounded out to Alomar to end the Grays 6-2 win.

Final Score: Germantown 6 – Long Beach 2

WP: Appier, SV: Fetters; 2B: Huff, Mack, Sanders, MacFarlane
LP: West; 2B: Fielder, Van Slyke: HR: Sabo

Finley vs. Hamilton. Germantown wastes no time in this game as they score 2 batters in to the game. Huff leads off with a 3B and Alomar singles him in. Thomas follows with a HR to make it 3-0. They pushed the lead to 4-0 in the 4th on a Gagne SF. Later in the inning Huff singled in MacFarlane knocking Hamilton out of the game. Alomar greeted him with a 2 run 2B to increase the lead to 7-0. The Grays went on to an easy 8-1 win and return home with 2 straight wins and the momentum. Finley threw 8 innings of 4 hit ball to get the win.

Final Score: Germantown 8 – Long Beach 1

WP: Finley; 2B: Alomar, Caminiti, Gagne; 3B: Huff; HR: Thomas
LP: Hamilton; 2B: Samuel, Baerga, Nilsson

Down 3-0 the Grays have battled back to be down 3 games to 2 and now have home field advantage if that is truly the case as in this series the home team has a record of 1-4.
Game 6. The Titans are sending Martinez to the mound. He was the winner in game 2 against Bullinger whom the Grays are sending to the mound today. Both teams are not holding back, sending players into the field that could use some rest. Titans start fast. In the 1st, Liriano and Justice single and with 1-out Baerga bloops into left Tarasco makes a shoestring catch and guns Liriano out at the plate. Then the Grays place the first two batters in the bottom half and Martinez buckles down and holds the line. 0-0 after 1. In the 2nd Fielder led with a double to no avail. In the bottom half McFarlane led with a walk and Tarasco drops it just out of Smith’s reach for a 2-run homer, Grays 2-0. In the 4th, Justice drew a walk, advanced on a passed ball, advanced on a grounder, and scored on a wild pitch. Grays 2-1. Smith followed with a single, advancing Fielder, who had walked, to third, 1-out Nilsson up. Grays decide to pull Bullinger early and pick lefty Castillo to face lefty Nilsson. Nilsson Ks and Meares Ks. 2018 de ja vu. Titans place two in scoring position in the 6th, but Campbell holds. Martinez walked two in the bottom half before MacFarlane goes yard.

Final Score: Germantown 7 – Long Beach 1

WP Castillo 2b Alomar, Thomas, Gagne; 3b James; HR MacFarlane, Tarasco.
LP Martinez 2b Fielder , Samuel.

Well folks here we are with all things evened up. Titans go to Perez who pitched a one hit complete game shutout in game 3. Grays go to ace Appier pitching on short rest. Mack is unavailable for the Grays, Hill for the Titans. In the 1st Liriano singled, Justice walked, and Fielder goes yard. Titans 3-0 1-out into the game. In the bottom half Perez walked the first two he faced and Mack sub James blooped an RBI single.Two batters later .040 hitting Sanders rolls an infield RBI single. In the 2nd Appier helped his own cause with a single followed by a Huff single. Then Perez walked Alomar and Thomas to tie the game. Bases loaded, James lifts one to center and Hill sub Van Slyke guns Huff down at the plate. In the 3rd Justice doubled and Fielder singled. Justice held at third. Gagne bobbles a Smith grounder allowing Justice to score, Titans 4-3. After a Nilsson single Meares ripped a 2-run double. Titans up 3 again chasing Appier. But the Grays are not deflated. In the bottom half Caminiti produced a leadoff single and scored on a Sanders triple. Two batters later Sanders scored on a passed ball. Titans 6-5. In the 4th, Baerga leadoff with a double to be singled home by Justice. In the bottom half Huff leadoff with a double and then Perez walked Thomas and James to fill the bases with 1-out. After Caminiti lines a sizzler to Fielder, Sanders singled in two. 7-7 tie with 2-out in the bottom of the 4th. After Perez beams MacFarlane to fill the bases, the Titans go to Acre, the Grays go to Pegues who promptly singled in two more. Brumfield added another with a leadoff homer in the bottom of the 5th, 10-7 Grays. Acre then walked Alomar followed by a Thomas double, but Acre sucks it up and held the Grays. In the 7th Titans Liriano and Justice lead off with singles. Assenmacher replaces Meacham and gets Fielder to ground into a double play scoring Liriano, 10-8. However, in the bottom half Brumfiled drew a walk and Alomar was beamed causing Mesa to be ejected. McCaskill in with runners on first and second no outs. Seemingly a critical junction in the game for the Titans, with Thomas up. And McCaskill held. In the top of the 9th with 1-out Lee singled , Justice walked, and Fielder Ks. That leaves it up to Titans Smith facing Grays ace reliever Campbell. And Campbell wins picking up his 3rd K in 5 batters.

Final Score: Germantown 10 – Long Beach 8

WP Castillo. 2b: Huff, Thomas, MacFarlane; 3b: Sanders; HR: Brumfield
LP Perez. 2b: Baerga, Justice, Meares; HR: Fielder.