2005 PMS at
Northwest Regional Park
Week 20:
August 14, 2005
Playoffs Round 3
Northwest Regional Park Field 1:
Eastern Savings Bank (#2) 6 (WP-Ted Winner) Quzino's Owings Mills (#4) 5 (LP-Lane
Gordon)
In game three of the playoffs, ESB faced a very difficult
issue. It was the holiday of Tisha B’Av and being that six guys on the team are
orthodox Jews they were not able to play on this weekend. This meant that ESB,
which qualified 15 players for the playoffs, would be shorthanded. Obviously
this was a difficult situation. Commissioner Mike Herr stepped in and did the
decent thing by recruiting two players from the Hounds, Tim Palo and Alex Neuman
to join ESB for the double header.
In game one vs. the always formidable Quizno team, the game turned out to be a
thriller. Quiznos jumped out on top of Ted Winner who was pitching another
superb game for three runs in the fourth inning to take a 3-0 lead. ESB clawed
its way back but found themselves behind 4-3 in the bottom of the seventh. Star
pitcher Lane Gordon needed three more outs to knock ESB out of the playoffs.
However, ESB has a never quit mentality and it paid off again. Tim Palo started
the seventh with a walk and Ted Winner followed with another walk. Alex Neuman
came into pinch run for Ted. Second baseman Chris Zoeller hit a shot to
shortstop that hit off the shortstops glove and caromed off his head into left
center field. Palo came in to score the tying run while Neuman raced to third
and Zoeller to second. Rothermel was walked intentionally to set up the double
play but Cap Plokemba foiled that strategy by hitting the ball off the left
field fence and ESB had somewhat of a miraculous victory to keep them alive for
another game. The final score was 5-4. Great defense, superb pitching and
tremendous heart brought ESB a game closer to returning to the championship
round.
Northwest Regional Park Field 3:
Kings (#3) 8 (WP-Chuck Grant 16-6) Sky & Sky Inc.
(#5) 7 (LP-Larry Newman)
The Kings and Sky & Sky Inc. have become familiar with
one-another and have developed a quite friendly rivalry. Entering Sunday's
action, the 2 teams met 6 times in 2004 (4 Regular Season, 2 Playoffs) and 4
times in 2005. The 2004 Regular Season series was 2-2 with each team sweeping a
doubleheader. Sky & Sky knocked the Kings from the tournament last year with
victories in Rounds 1 and 3. In the 2005 Regular Season, the 2 teams again split
the season series 2-2 with each team claiming a doubleheader sweep. In fact,
Sky's early season sweep on June 12, 2005 was the only time all season that the
Kings were swept in a doubleheader.
The pitching match-up for Round 3, was the same as the 4 earlier games this
season, Kings Chuck Grant vs. Sky's Larry Newman. The winner of this Round 3
game between the 2 remaining undefeated teams would automatically qualify for a
Finals Week game next Sunday. Ironically, the last time the Kings were in the
Finals in 1998, Larry Newman was part of the Kings starting rotation along with
Steve Levy.
As the #3 seed and the best undefeated seed left in the tournament, the Kings
were the home team. Grant making his 7th straight start, struggled with his
control in t-1st. The first 6 Sky hitters reached base via 3 singles and 3
walks. Singles by Andy Bloom and a bases-loaded walk to Brian Sky plated the
first 2 runs, with Jason Tolbert's 0 out single brought home 2 more runs. The
first out of the inning occurred on Tolbert's single when Brian Sky was nailed
at 3rd base by Kings RCF Troy Hendricks. Grant settled down immensely after the
1st out, keeping the score 4-0 thru 1 1/2 innings. The Kings got on the board
with 1 run in b-2nd on a Keegan Rettaliata double and Scott Katzen RBI single.
Kings brought home 2 more runs in b-3rd after 2 outs. Singles by Kenny Salzman
and Dave Sandler, a base-reaching fielder's choice to Shilo Merwitz loaded the
bases. Dan Frignito came through with a 2 RBI single. With Sky leading 4-3
entering t-4th, Todd Tennenbaum's 2 out RBI double put Sky ahead 5-3. The Kings
took advantage of a dropped flyball to start b-4th and then Alan Varhaftik's RBI
2B and Jan Katzen's RBI single tied score 5-5. Grant remained strong as the
Kings continued to play small ball with runs in each of the middle innings. In
b-5th, again with 2 outs Kings scored 2 runs. This time on consecutive singles
by Dan Frignito, Grant, Rettaliata, and 2 RBI single by Varhaftik. In b-6th,
Kings PH Chris Blankenship started the inning with a 3B and scored on Mike
Frignito's SF. With the Kings leading 8-5 into the 7th inning, Sky continued to
battle. Todd Tennenbaum reached, with 1 out, on an infield error, the Kings only
error in the game. 1 out later Andy Bloom doubled Tennenbaum home and then Scott
Felton hit a single to score Bloom and making the score 8-7. Brian Sky followed
with a low liner to LCF, but Dan Frignito caught the ball at his shoestrings to
preserve the Kings 8-7 win.
Multi-hit players for game 1 were:
Sky & Sky Inc-- Todd Tennenbaum (2-4,1 R,1
RBI,2B), Andy Bloom (4-4,2 R,2 RBI,2B), Jason Tolbert (2-3,2 RBI).
Kings-- Dave Sandler (2-2,1 R,2 W), Dan
Frignito (2-3,1 R,2 RBI), Keegan Rettaliata (2-3,2 R,2B), Alan Varhaftik (2-3,1
R,3 RBI,2B), Scott Katzen (2-3,1 RBI), Jan Katzen (2-2,1 RBI).
Sky also played excellent defense, turning 2 ground-out doubleplays and
committing just 1 error.
Northwest Regional Park Field 4:
Havana Club Cannons (#1) 18 (WP-Mark Yokel)
Northwest Corridor (#7) 6 (LP- )
6 Innings
Highlights pending.
Northwest Regional Park Field 1:
Eastern Savings Bank (#2) 5 (WP-Larry Hineline) Havana Club Cannons (#1) 1 (LP-Tom
Paulshock)
In game two, old veterans Tom for the Cannons and Larry
Hineline squared off in a pitchers duel. This was a rematch of last year’s
championship game. ESB has tremendous respect for the Cannons and knew that it
would take a perfect game to beat them. That is precisely what happened with
Hineline pitching a dominating game and leading his team to a 4-1 victory. Glen
Ackman hit an opposite field triple and Gabe Silber hit an opposite field single
to drive in the first run. ESB tacked on single runs in the third, fifth and
seventh – the final run coming home on a Jason Schwartzberg single. The Cannons
scored a run in the seventh and sent the tying run up to the plate but Hineline
induced a week grounder to third baseman Silber and ESB was heading to the
championship game against the Kings.
Northwest Regional Park Field 3:
Kings (#3) 11 (WP-Chuck Grant 17-6) Sky & Sky
Inc. (#5) 10 (LP-Larry Newman)
For the 1st time in at least 17 years, the same 2 teams met in game 2 of week 2 of the playoffs. The 95°F game 2 temperature with a heat index of 106°F was taking its effect on the players. The same 2 starting pitchers, however, were back on the mound. The Kings maintained the home team advantage and Sky again took 1st inning lead. Steve Truitt singled, Andy Bloom walked, Scott Felton reached on an infield error with 1 run scoring, and Brian Sky hit an RBI single to give Sky the 2-0 lead. The lead became 3-0 in t-3rd when PH Jason Tolbert walked to start the inning followed by a Todd Tennenbaum's single. Tolbert tagged up on a flyball 1 out later and scored when the throw to 3B went to the fence. The Kings remembered their method of poking away at the Sky lead. They initially tried in b-2nd getting runners on 2B and 3B with 0 outs, but Larry Newman was able to get out of the jam without allowing a run. He was not so fortunate in b-3rd. Jan Katzen tripled to start inning and scored Kings first run on Mike Herr's SF. Kenny Salzman reached on a dropped flyball and scored on Dave Sandler's SF. In t-4th, consecutive 1 out singles by Chris Knorr, Eric Gertner, Mark Weinapple (RBI), Mark Hampt, and a SF by Alan Friedman put 2 more runs on the scoreboard and gave Sky 5-2 lead. Keegan Rettaliata hit his Kings team record 9th 3B with 1 out in b-4th. Alan Varhaftik was robbed of a linedrive hit on an outstanding play by Sky SS Steve Truitt. Just when Sky thought they might get out of the inning without allowing a run, Mike Frignito hit a clutch RBI single. A sacrifice fly by Brian Sky and another Kings outfield throwing error put Sky again 7-3 after 4 1/2 innings. Needing a lift, Kings Chris Blankenship came off the bench with a PH 2B to start the inning. Kenny Salzman's RBI single made score 7-4. Dave Sandler's deep flyout to RF advanced runners to 2B and 3B with just 1 out. Sky went against the book in issuing an intentional walk to the hot-hitting Shilo Merwitz, electing to go after clean-up hitter Dan Frignito. Frignito made Sky pay for their decision with a 2 RBI single to put the Kings to within 7-6. The inning did end that way. Mark Hampt tripled with 1 out in Sky t-6th. The Kings brought the infield in and got a groundout to Alan Friedman, keeping Hampt on thirdbase. Just when the Kings expressed a sigh of relief, Larry Newman came through with a bloop RBI single putting Sky up 8-6. Sky went up further 10-6 with 2 runs coming across in t-7th thanks to leadoff singles by Andy Bloom and Scott Felton, along with a defensive lapse by the Kings.
While the Kings could have easily of given up and settled for an unprecedented 3rd game in-a-row next week against Sky, they mounted another rally in b-7th. Chris Blankenship hit a HR over the fence in RCF to start rally, his 4th HR of the season. Scott Katzen and Kenny Salzman singled, to allow the tie run to come to the plate. Following a groundout to Dave Sandler, Shilo Merwitz drew a walk to load the bases. Up to the plate strode Dan Frignito, who last at-bat with the bases loaded had plated 2 runs. With the Kings desperately playing for the tie, Frignito laced a flyball to the CF gap where Sky RCF Todd Tennenbaum came together with LCF Scott Felton. Tennenbaum appeared to have looked away from the ball momentarily and when he again the found the ball, it hit off the top of his glove and rolled towards the fence. The speedy Frignito was right on the tail of the less than spry Merwitz. Thirdbase coach Dave Sandler waved Merwitz towards the plate while putting up the stop sign for Frignito. Frignito ran threw the stop sign and scored just ahead of the throw to the plate, giving Frignito a grand-slam HR and the Kings an incredible 5 run rally in the b-7th to win 11-10.
Multi-hit players for game 2 were:
Sky & Sky Inc-- Todd Tennenbaum (2-4,2B),
Andy Bloom (2-3,3 R,W), Scott Felton (2-4,1 R), Chris Knorr (2-4,1 R), Mark
Hampt (2-3,1 R,3B), and Larry Newman (2-2,1 RBI).
Kings-- Kenny Salzman (3-4,3 R,1 RBI), Dan
Frignito (3-4,1 R,6 RBI,HR), Keegan Rettaliata (2-3,1 R,3B), Alan Varhaftik
(2-3,2B), Chris Blankenship (2-2,2 R,1 RBI,2B,HR).