Bats come alive for comeback win

The opening game of the first round playoff series between the Leduc Milleteers and the Ryley Rebels was billed as an expected tight pitcher’s duel, and it did not disappoint.

The Rebels got a couple of early runs off of starter Steve Pahl as the Milleteers had some early playoff jitters and made some errors, while the Ryley hitters made them pay with some clutch two out hitting. After the second inning though the Milleteers tightened up the D and kept the Rebels off the board the rest of the night.

As the game went along it looked like it was going to be another close loss for the Milleteers, as they failed to hit the ball as usual and Ryley ace Dylan Solberg was cruising. Then, to lead off the top of the seventh, player coach Steve Pahl had a little discussion with the home plate umpire about a questionable strike that would have led to a leadoff walk, but instead was called strike two. The ump then gave Pahl a quick toss, and as it was the first time in his 25 year career that he had been ejected, he decided to get his money’s worth.

This seemed to spark as the offense as all of a sudden it came out of its month long coma to get a late inning rally going. Pahl’s replacement, Shawn Brinkworth went up to the plate with a 3-2 count and hit a hard line drive single to left, which was followed up by a gapper by Karl Zimmer and another single by Dan Stephen, and all of a sudden a game that seemed to be over was tied. After Solberg got two outs in the inning, shortstop Trevor Pahl hit a line drive single to cash Stephen and the improbable comeback was complete.

Closer Kevin Doyle then came in and nailed down the save to give the Milleteers the first game in the best of three series, with the next game scheduled tomorrow night in Leduc.

Posted on July 22, 2009 by Steve Pahl