Another great week of PCL wiffle action in the books!
Morning Series: Pharaohs at Lumberjacks
The first series of the day saw the steady and reliable Pharaohs (12 – 6) take on red hot Lumberjacks (12 – 6). The Lumberjacks took the first two games of the series, and were threatening to make it a sweep when The Pharaohs rallied late to steal back Game 3!
Game 1:
To open the day, The Lumberjacks blanked the Pharaohs 3 – 0. The Lumberjacks scored one run in each of the first 3 innings and recorded seven hits for the game. James Shorey earned the win for The Lumberjacks and Jake Johnson recorded the save. Star pitcher Rylee Baxa took the loss for The Pharaohs.
Game 2:
The Lumberjacks jumped out to a 5 – 0 lead in the second inning of Game 2, but The Pharaohs would punch back with 3 runs of their own in the top half of the third inning and then add another on the 4th to get within a run. That’s the closest they’d get though as The Lumberjacks added an insurance run in the 5th inning for a final score of 6 – 4.
Game 3:
Like they did in the first two games of the series, The Lumberjacks jumped out to an early lead, scoring 3 runs in the 2nd inning, one in the 3rd, and another in the 4th before The Pharaohs finally got on the board with two runs in the fifth. The Lumberjacks were poised for the sweep, heading into the 6th and final inning with a commanding 5 – 2 lead and the momentum from their two earlier victories. But you can never really count out The Pharaohs, can you? They exploded from their sarcophagi, scoring 7 runs in the top half of the 6th inning to take a 9 – 5 lead. The Lumberjacks tried to respond with a rally of their own in the home half of the final inning, scratching a run across. They had the bases loaded with a chance to walk it off, but The Pharaohs snuffed out the attempt to salvage a win in the series.
Afternoon Series: Diablos at Los Burros
In the heat of the day, the last place Diablos (1 – 17) and first place Los Burros (14 – 4) squared off for a three-game series.
Game 1:
In the opening game, Los Burros dominated with a commanding 7-1 victory over the Diablos. Los Burros’ offense was explosive, scoring 7 runs. Brian Dozer led the Diablos with a home run, but their bats struggled against the pitching of Jason Walker from Los Burros. Diablos’ star pitcher Brian Dozer did well to hold Los Burros offense to 4 runs in his 3.2 innings pitched.
Game 2:
Los Burros continued their strong performance in the second game, securing a decisive 10-0 victory. The Diablos struggled to produce offense, managing only 1 hit and failing to score a run. On the other hand, Los Burros’ hitters were dominant, with Nick Fabiano, Sam Massaro, and Shaun Suller leading the way. Aaron Harris pitched 3.2 innings for the Diablos but faced challenges from Los Burros’ bats.
Game 3:
The third game saw Los Burros complete the series sweep with a 15-0 win over the Diablos. Los Burros’ hitters maintained their momentum, amassing 15 runs on 7 hits. Sam Massaro and Matthew Kelly stood out, each contributing hits, walks, and RBIs. The Diablos’ batters managed to get a few hits, but Los Burros’ pitchers, led by Richard Parsons, held them scoreless.
Los Burros showcased strong offensive performances and solid pitching throughout the series, leading to their convincing sweep over the Diablos. The Diablos struggled to generate runs and hits against Los Burros’ pitching and couldn’t muster enough timely hits to score runs.
Evening Series: 86ers at Regulators
The day concluded with a three-game series between the stalling 86ers (9 – 9) and the revamped and re-energized Regulators (6 – 12).
Game 1:
The 86ers came out swinging in the first game, winning decisively by a score of 14-3. They exhibited an impressive offensive performance, scoring 14 runs on 16 hits. The star performers for the 86ers included Brendan Hite, Jose Ruiz, and starting pitcher Leonard Quenneville. Leonard also had himself a day at the plate, going 3 for 3 with a home run and a walk. Jameson Steed also went deep for the 86ers.
Game 2:
The second game was much more competitive, with the Regulators prevailing by a final score of 6-3. The Regulators’ Seth Barden had an outstanding performance both at the plate and on the mound. He contributed significantly to his team’s victory by hitting a home run and pitching 2.1 innings without allowing any earned runs.
Game 3:
In the final game of the series, the Regulators emerged victorious once again, winning 7-2. Seth Barden continued to shine, pitching 2.1 scoreless innings. The Regulators’ offense was well-rounded, with contributions from Kyle Baker, Seth Barden, and James Ogburn. The 86ers twice had the bases loaded but were unable to capitalize as The Regulators worked out of multiple jams to preserve their lead and secure the win. The final tally could have been worse for the 86ers if not for a dramatic sliding stop at the wall by Codey Gaylord to keep what by all rights should have been a double to a single.
After allowing 16 hits in Game 1, The Regulators allowed only 6 86ers hits combined in Games 2 and 3. The Regulators are on the rise with fresh, dynamic talent, while the 86ers have fallen to the middle of the pack and are searching for consistency.
