PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES REVIEW
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Sacramento Stingers (92-70) vs New Orleans Knights (94-68)
Game Six: We return to New Orleans, which leads 3-2 but is really becoming victimized by their pitching injuries. Tom Underwood goes on three days rest against 20-game-winner Rube Marquard. Underwood's task...beat Marquard to avoid a Josh Towers/Bob Veale matchup in Game 7.
The Knights strike first in the bottom of the first, as Joe Kelley doubled to lead off, moved to third on a Pete Rose groundout and scored on a Ross Barnes groundout.
Two singles and walk in the third loaded the bases for the Knights, who added another when Julio Lugo muffed a grounder, giving Underwood and the Knights a 2-0 lead.
Underwood walked Roy White to lead off the fourth, and two batters later surrendered an RBI double to Ed Konetchy, cutting the margin in half. A groundout moved Konetchy to third, and Underwood uncorked a wild pitch to score him and tie the game at 2.
But the Knights answered, getting a leadoff triple from Fred Carroll in the bottom of the 4th, and an RBI groundout from Chad Tracy to put the Knights up 3-2.
That's how it stayed until the top of the sixth, when Jack Clark doubled and Konetchy picked up another RBI with a single, tying the game again.
Knotted at 3 after six, the question was how long Walter Alston was going to try and keep Underwood in there. He got greedy in Game Three, trying to squeeze an eighth inning from him, and said he wouldn't do so again. And so, after Underwood retired Don Buford and Manny Mota to start the 7th, a single from Harry Walker ended his night.
Roy Patterson came on in relief, and promptly surrendered an RBI double to Justin Morneau, making it a 4-3 game. Al Zarilla then singled Morneau home to make it a 5-3 Sacramento lead.
Marquard stayed in for the bottom of the 7th, and started the inning by hitting Norm Miller. Ozzie Smith sacrificed him to second, and Kelley doubled Miller home to make it 5-4. After Rose grounded out to third, Ross Barnes doubled as well, scoring Kelley and - as New Orleans has so many times over the last seven years - the Knights answered a blow immediately, knotting the game at 5 after 7.
Patterson worked a scoreless 8th, and Marquard remained in - manager Bobby Cox determined to ride his best horses. Marquard needed six pitches to retire the side in the 8th.
Patterson retired the first two to face him in the 9th. Juan Pierre then singled. Al Zarilla then hit a 1-0 fastball over the rightfield fence to put Sacramento up 7-5, which is how it would go to the bottom of the 9th.
Joe Benz came on to relieve Marquard, as cameras found Bob Veale in the Sacramento dugout, commentators discussing the advantage the Stingers would have the next day.
As they spoke, Miller hit a leadoff double. A wild pitch from Benz moved Miller to third. Roger Repoz then hit an RBI single to score Miller and make it 7-6. Repoz came out as Jimmy Rollins came on to run for him. Commentators and cameramen alike returned their focus to this Game Six that was not yet complete.
Kelley hit the first pitch deep into the gap in right-center. But Walker tracked it down on the track for the second out. Rollins contemplated tagging to get into scoring position, but didn't chance making the last out in such a fashion.
It took one pitch from Benz to Rose to end it...and it ended with a lined shot over the rightfield wall...a two-run walkoff homer from Pete Rose that caused chaos at home, devastation among the Stingers and jubilation in the stands of Bayou Ballpark, where the New Orleans Knights were once again PBL Champions.
New Orleans 8, Sacramento 7: New Orleans wins series 4-2