Milleteers Punch Their Ticket To The Final

After letting the Bardo Athletics off the hook early on Tuesday the Milleteers were determined to cash in some of their base runners, and that is exactly what they did early on as the put up a five spot to chase starter Chris Mittlestad in the first. Mike Leclaire came in to try and stop the bleeding, but the Milleteers kept the peddle down as they scored two in the third, two in the fourth and three in the fifth to race out to a 12-2 lead. Ryan Olsen, Tuesday’s starter came in and finally quelled the offense in the fifth as he pitched two plus scoreless innings. Despite the big lead the veterans on the squad kept encouraging the team to keep the offense going as they were all too familar with the bizarre momentum shifts and dramatic comebacks that seem to frequent the field in Bardo, especially in the playoffs.

 

 

Normally a twelve run out burst would be plenty of runs for the Milleteers pitching staff as they sent 6-0 Ryan Walker to the mound tonight. Despite getting through the first five innings relatively easily, Walker could not get his curve ball over for stirkes, and when you’re a two pitch pitcher you need to have both of them working. Bardo finally got to Walker in the sixth as they started to rip the ball as they crushed five hits in a row off of him. After a walk to the number eight hitter, Walker was finished and the Milleteers gave the ball to Steven Pahl. Despite a sub one ERA this year, Pahl’s arm has seen a lot of innings over the years and does not respond well to coming in cold . After inducing an infield fly he hit lead off hitter Craig Neufield right in his can of snuff, then gave up a walk and a bases loaded double before escaping with a three run lead.

 

After the Milleteers failed to score in the top of the seventh the Athletics made it interesting as Ray Lehman hit a two out single to get something started and Dan Chambers followed with a single of his own to get the tying run to the plate. The comeback was halted however as Pahl was able to strike out the next hitter to end the game and get the Milleteers their first ever playoff win in the “Bardo Triangle” and set up a date in the finals with the Ryley Rebels. 

 

Even in defeat the Athleitcs showed why they have been the most successful playoff team in the PBL the last half decade as they fought and clawed all series, and even when they were down ten runs in this game, no one in the know counted them out as they always seem to find a way to win as you don’t win a couple of championships without that element in your game.

 

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Steven Pahl