2017 League Championship Series
GAME 1’s
Frontier League
El Paso Diablos (Merrill Brooks 0-0 4.50) @ Chicago Iron Pigs (Walt Thompson (1-0 2.46)
1st
A two out double by Stefan Conway and an infield single by Caden Haynes put runners on the corners with 2 outs but Thompson gets Cuesta on a 4-3 to end it.
3 pitches in we’re up 1-0. Collins singles on the games 1st pitch, 2 pitches later Paul Riggs doubles him home. Riggs moves up on the Chavez F8, and Salinas plates him on an RBI grounder, 2-0 after 1.
2nd
Easy half for both, Lorenzelli gets a 2 out single but nothing else. 2-0 after 2.
3rd
Cesar Barron doubles leading off and Lorenzelli lets a grounder scoot between his legs, Barron scores. Harvey is on 2nd, and moves to 3rd on the Ruiz grounder, and Conway does the same, scoring him on an RBI ground out. 2-2 after 2 ½.
Brooks goes 1-2-3, and is at 39 after 3, Thompson at 37.
4th
Thompson punches out the side.
Morgan draws a leadoff walk, 1 out later Coates walks as well.
George Knox doubles into right center, scoring Morgan.
Lorenzelli manages an RBI grounder and Collins goes F9 to end the inning. 4-2 Chicago after 4.
5th
2 more punchouts for Thompson give him 8 after 5, 3 up 3 down inning.
A critical Ruiz 2 out error opens a door, and Wes Morgan kicks it in with a 2 run shot to left. Alexander walks and Brooks day ends. Coates doubles off Espinoza putting runners at 2nd and 3rd but Knox K’s to end it. 6-2 Chicago after 5.
6th
Thompson works around a 1 out Conway double and Haynes walk, and Espinoza puts 2 on with an out but escapes. 6-2 after 6.
7th
3 up 3 down in the top half, and we load the bases with 1 out on back to back walks, the 1st intentional, off Bob Park. Lorenzelli k’s in a crucial spot, and Collins pops to short. 6-2 after 7.
8th
Chris Harvey doubles leading off, and after a Tony Ruiz K Stefan Conway doubles Harvey home. Thompson’s day is over (7.1-6-4-2-1-10) as Randy Pennington comes in. Caden Haynes greets him with the innings third double to make it 6-4. A wild pitch moves Haynes to 3rd but Cuesta can’t get the ball past a drawn in infield for the 2nd out. Ken Johnson comes in and gets Lange to line to short to end the 8th, 6-4 Chicago.
9th
Jose Romano goes 1-2-3 in the top of the 9th and Ernesto Cruz takes his slow jog in…..
Buddy Peck grounds out, Luis Ramos flies to left and Cesar Barron grounds to short in a 12 pitch 9th.
Chicago 6 El Paso 4
W Thompson (2-0) L M Brooks (0-1) S Cruz (2)
HR CHI Morgan (2)
Chicago leads 1-0
Coastal League
Houston Roughriders (Vincente Romero (0-1 8.68) @ Pittsburgh Bulldogs (Ramon Roa 1-0 6.75)
Mike Johnston 2 out single off Will Clark in the top of the 9th broke a 3-3 tie, scoring Millard O’Reilly with the go ahead, and eventual winning run. Norm Arden doubled in the bottom of the 9th but van Bodegraven retired Ricardo Gonzalez on a deep drive to center to end it.
Houston 4 Pittsburgh 3
W Ellis (1-0) L Clark (0-1) S van Bodegraven (4)
HR NONE
Houston leads 1-0