Milleteers Take First Place Showdown

Posted June 15, 2012


Milleteers Take First Place Showdown

Tonight the battle for first place went down in Ryley as the Milleteers took to the road to face the red hot Rebels who were looking for a fifth straight win.

A win for either team would give them sole possession of first and more importantly they would hold the tie breaker as they would take the season series. With the Milleteers short on arms due to injuries and work commitments they needed a big effort tonight out of Murray Doyle, who himself just came of the disabled list.

The game started off as a good old fashioned pitching duel. The Rebels
threatened in the first after the leadoff batter got on after an error, but he
was cut down at the plate trying to score on another outfield assist from center
fielder Greg Zilkie.


That was as close as the Rebels would get to scoring as
Doyle only allowed three more base runners after that and the defense was good,
especially the outfield defense as they tracked down close to a dozen balls out
there. The Ryley ball park is usually not a good place for fly ball pitchers,
but Doyle kept the powerful Rebels in the park, and also racked up seven
strikeouts and no walks on his way to a four hit shutout.

 
On the other side of the ball the Milleteers were held at bay early by
starter Corey Epp. They would finally get to Epp in the fourth after Kevin
Doyle decided to help his brother out and led off with an infield single,
followed by an RBI single from cleanup hitter Steven Pahl.

After a double from
Murray Doyle, one of his three hits on the night, and a sac fly the Milleteers
had a two run lead. The Milleteers tacked on another two runs in the fifth
before chasing Epp in the sixth. The Rebels brought closer Kris Kushnerick to
stop the bleeding, but he was greeted on the first pitch with a two run double
off the bat Kevin Doyle to put the game out of reach.

 
The win now puts the Milleteers in first with a game and a half cushion,
plus the tie breaker on their nearest rival. It would look like it would take
an epic collapse to lose home field advantage now, but stranger things have
happened.

With a hungry Rebels team that has shown the capability to rattle off
a long winning streak, the stretch drive should be interesting.

Posted on June 15, 2012 by Steve Pahl