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Saturday |
Warroad Muskies
"Hook 'Em Fish" |
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NEWS ITEM
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BallCharts.com/warroadmuskies |
Attendance:
Warroad
MN
USA
| Posted Jul 26/10 - Wild Finishes End Well for Muskies |
| On Saturday the 2nd seeded Warroad Muskies played host to the 3rdseeded Bemidji Blue Ox for games 1 and 2 in a best of three series to open up the 2010 playoffs. It was a muggy day in Warroad and luckily each game was only slated to be seven innings long. Warroad ace Kyle Nowacki was on the mound for game 1 and in the top of the first inning gave up a two out double but got the easy fly-out to end the inning. Bemidji would threaten again in the third and fifth innings but inept Blue Ox base running helped the Muskies keep them off the scoreboard. The Muskies bats were silent most of the game and their first hit wasn’t until the bottom of the fifth when Aaron Storey chopped one down the third baseline for an infield single. The game remained a stalemate until the bottom of the sixth, as Bryce DeMolee led off the inning with a blooper into right field which turned into a double after the fielder tried a diving catch and missed the ball. Brent Culleton would move the runner over to third after a misplay by the Blue Ox shortstop and with one out Nowacki hit a sacrifice fly to right field to score DeMolee from third. In the top half of the seventh, Nowacki shut down the Blue Ox to clinch a Game 1 victory for the Muskies. Nowacki pitched a complete game shutout, allowing 3 hits, 3 walks, and striking out 7. The Muskies offensively managed only two hits, Storey and DeMolee, but still pulled out the victory. After a short break from the heat, Game 2 started with Lars Anderson on the mound for the Muskies. Bemidji bounced back from a scoreless game one by pushing one across the plate to take a 1-0 lead in the first inning. The Muskies still couldn’t put together very many good at bats but made up for it on the defensive side. In the top of the fourth the Muskies twisted an inning ending double play with runners on first and second to squander a serious scoring opportunity. Once again in the bottom of the sixth Warroad was ready to put an offensive rally together. After a one out walk and consecutive singles by Culleton and Nowacki, the bases were full of Muskies waiting for another big hit to tie the game. Lars Anderson would get the job done by hitting a sacrifice fly to left field tying the game up at one. The next batter, Shawn Storey, provided another clutch hit by flaring a single to right field scoring Culleton from second and giving the Muskies a 2-1 lead. In order to avoid making a Game 3 appearance in Bemidji on Sunday the Muskies had to get three more outs to close out game 2. Bemidji would start out the seventh on a positive note with a leadoff walk; a sharp ground ball to short led to close play at second for the first out of the inning. The next batter would hit another grounder to short but some mishandling at second base led to Bemidji runners being on first and second base with one out. But Anderson induced another ground ball to the shortstop that led to a dramatic game ending 6-4-3 double play that sealed the victory for the Muskies. Anderson got the win, allowing only 4 hits, 4 walks, and striking out 7. Culleton was a solid 3 for 3 at the plate with the game winning run. The Muskies improve their record to 12-8 while ending the Blue Ox’s season. The Muskies move on to play in a three game series against the Ada Athletics; Game 1 is July 28 in Ada. |
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