LAS VEGAS NEVADA – Week three closed out with three doubleheaders on Thursday night. The Sandvipers played the Bombers to start the night, followed by Tomahawks vs. Stone Men, and Snappers vs. Warbirds. The games were tight, with at least one game from each series decided by a single run. These close games could ultimately determine where teams land in the standings at the end of the season.
The first game of the night was a pitchers duel. Casey Herzog was unable to get out of the first inning for the Sandvipers, and his second walk loaded the bases for reliever Adam Tanic, but Tanic was able to get out of the jam unscathed. Brandon Maio got the ball for the Bombers, and he struck out the side in the bottom of the inning. Maio and Tanic traded zeros for the next three innings, and there wouldn’t be another baserunner for either team until CJ Peterson hit a double off Tanic in the fourth inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Herzog broke up Maio’s perfect game with a walk, and Trench Picone worked a second walk to remove Maio from the game. Three batters later Tanic hit a walk-off single to secure the 1-0 win.
In game two the Sandvipers scored a pair of runs off Peter Mocabee in the top of the first inning, and in the bottom of the inning Tom Gannon loaded the bases before he was removed from the game, but Tanic was able to get out of another bases loaded jam in relief. Tanic hit a home run in the third to give the Sandvipers a 4-0 lead, but he also walked out of the game in the bottom of the inning, and the Bombers would score a pair of runs on an RBI double from Mocabee to cut the lead in half. Herzog and Picone would both walk themselves out of the game as well, but Jason Walker was able to get the final two outs in the 4-3 win.
The Stone Men gave their newest free agent addition, Chris Gschwender, the start in the first game of their doubleheader. He would allow four runs in the bottom of the first inning on a walk and five straight singles, but he would settle down after that. In the top of the second the Stone Men responded with four runs of their own off Tomahawks ace Billy Osgood to tie the game. Both teams would be held scoreless until Brad Ogden hit an opposite field two run homer off the foul pole in the fourth inning, and Austin “Bird” Bull would hit an RBI double in the top of the fifth, but Osgood was able to get the final out to secure the complete game 6-5 win.
The Stone Men opened the scoring in game two thanks to an RBI triple in the first inning from Dylan Martin. The Tomahawks would score twice in the second to take the lead, but Bird hit a home run in the third to tie the game. In the fourth inning Nick Sansone drew a walk to chase Stone Men ace Levi Lawrence from the game, and the very next batter, Tony Garay, hit a three run homer to break the tie. The Tomahawks would score three more in the fifth inning, and went on to win 8-3, sweeping the Stone Men.
The Warbirds and Snappers matchup featured some great pitching between last year’s CY Young winner Chad Phillips of the Warbirds, and Snappers co-aces Taylor Bryner and Shane Weber. Game one was Phillips vs. Bryner, and both pitchers baffled opposing batters the first two times through the order. Warbirds manager Chris Warfield had the only extra base hit after three innings, an RBI double that scored Brian Puter after he reached on an error. In the top of the fourth Bryner helped out his own cause with a two run homer to give the Snappers the lead, and Shane Weber tripled, scoring on a single from rookie Jonathan Wilson. The Warbirds led off the fifth inning with a pair of walks, chasing Bryner from the game, but Weber was able to retire the next three batters to get the save.
In game two the Snappers pushed one unearned run across in the first inning, and that would be the only run of the game. Phillips would allow just two singles for the remainder of the game to keep his team in it, but the pitching tandem of Bryner and Weber was able to shut the Warbirds out. The Warbirds did threaten in the top of the fifth, but Jelani Allen was able to get a finger tip on a Brian Puter single that prevented the tying run from scoring.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK:
The Premier League Wiffle® Player of the Week for week three is none other than Adam Tanic. He dominated on both sides of the ball in week three, with a .419 avg, 13 hits, a home run, and 12 RBI to go along with his 0.55 ERA, 16⅓ IP, 17K, 4 wins, and a save. Tanic led his team to a 7-0 record this week, pitching in all four games his team won by a single run.
The next Premier League Wiffle® action will be tonight, Monday, March 1st at 4:30pm Pacific Time. There will be a full slate of doubleheaders starting with Stone Men vs. Bombers at 4:30, followed by Warbirds vs. Ones at 6, Tomahawks vs. Calicos at 7:30, and concluding with Snappers vs. Sandvipers at 9. Tune in LIVE on Twitch!
