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2061 Division Finals

Game 1 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Kununurra Pioneers

Kununurra jumped into the lead in the bottom of the 2nd, Pancho Cruz going yard with 2 outs to score 3. A great infield play by Cowboys’ 2B Jesus Vega ended the 3rd and prevented the Pioneers stretching their lead further. Vega made another great play, this one a lunging catch, to end the 4th and Christchurch’s SP Elijah Deas made sure to pat him on the back on the way to the dugout.

Beau Hauer led off the top of the 5th with a solo HR to put Christchurch on the board but aside from that rare error, Eddie Rayner looked in total control through 5. Rayner (6.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 0BB, 5K) struck out 2 in the 6th, throwing mainly sinkers and sliders, and was subbed out. An error in the bottom of the 7th allowed Maurice Clemens aboard and then Bert Allan ripped one into the LF corner. Clemens rounded 3B and headed home. Kelvin Pickhills sent a bullet to SS Reginald Sorensen, whose throw to home plate was on target. Wurfel swept down with the tag and the umpire’s call was... out! Clemens didn’t agree but stopped short of arguing, instead shaking his head and muttering on his way back to the dugout. Allan was left stranded at 2B and heading into the 8th the score was still 3-1.

Rowan Kimpton showed great awareness in the 8th to gun down a runner at 1B who’d strayed too far off the bag. That play probably saved his side a run, as the next 2 hitters singled and doubled but neither scored and the inning ended with a deep fly out to right.

Allen Jiang, with a 9-7, 29 save regular season record from 66 games, trotted out in the 9th. He eased through the Cowboys on 11 pitches to ensure 1st blood for the Pioneers. Final score: 3-1 Kununurra. Deas (7.0IP, 8H, 3ER, 0BB, 4K) was decent without being memorable, Kununurra scoring all their runs thanks to 1 homer.

Game 1 - Cairns Crocs vs Sydney Blue Sox

An error in the bottom of the 1st by Gold Glove SS Stephane Lecomte allowed Sydney to score the opening run. Another error in the bottom of the 4th extended the inning and gave Sydney the opportunity to go further ahead. They managed to add 1 more but that was it. John Foreman got that run back leading off the top of the 5th with a towering drive over the CF wall. Nankervis responded with a solo bomb over right in the bottom of the inning to keep the difference 2.

Beau Snell, who’d managed 1HR all year, back in November, started off the 6th with a 415-foot blast over right-centre. An error, out, and walk later Foreman singled home the tying run. Blake Rawnsley gave Sydney back the lead in the bottom of the inning, following the leadoff HR trend, and 2 outs later Donaldson’s RBI-single once again made it a 2-run game. Victor Doubleday (5.0IP, 8H, 5R, 3ER, 2BB, 5K) came from the mound during the inning, his 1st postseason start ruined by the defensive lapses of his teammates.

Jack Binns (7.0IP, 7H, 3R, 2ER, 2BB, 1K) sat down after a satisfactory stint, and the score remained the same through 8. Wes Blenkhorn, who’d collected 41 saves during the regular season, marched out to the mound in the 9th, and watched Brent Dwyer hustle an infield single. Gary Baker walked, and the go-ahead run came to the plate. Somewhat surprisingly, Lecomte bunted and both runners moved into scoring position. Snell showed good patience to draw a walk and the bases were jammed with only 1 out.

And then Ronald Aitken, who’d looked out of sync the entire night to this point, got a belt-high 1-0 fastball that he sent towards the RF wall. Going, going, and well back into the bleachers. Grand Slam! Cairns up by 2, Blenkhorn traipsing off the mound, chin resting on his chest. The next 2 batters didn’t offer any trouble and Sterling Boston, who’d warmed up in a frenzy, came to the hill.

Timothy Browne led off with a double. Tying run at the plate, top and middle of the lineup due. Donaldson ground out 6-3 and Browne stayed put at 2B. A wild slider saw Browne advance to 3B but Boston struck out Bailey Kinnear next pitch with a vicious fastball. Nankervis watched 2 fastballs nick the zone then swung lustily at a slider. Big miss and the game was done. Final score: 7-5 Cairns, winning in heart attack alley.

Game 2 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Kununurra Pioneers

Once again, Kununurra leaped out to an early 3-0 lead, this time thanks to Ramon Martinez’s 3-run homer over left in the bottom of the 1st before Christchurch had recorded an out. Allan jumped on the 1st pitch he saw in the 2nd and got just enough wood on it to send it over the LF fence. He was yet to be retired this postseason.

A sac-fly scored Christchurch their 1st run in the 5th, and they got another back in the 7th, Vega hustling to avoid an inning-ending double-play in the process. Kununurra juiced the bases with 1 out in the bottom of the inning and an out later Ortiz singled a runner home. A wild pitch extended the lead to 4 and a single by Martinez to the edge of the dirt at 3B saw another run score. Rowan Kimpton then got his 1st hit of the series to score another and Kununurra were crushing the life out of the Cowboys. With the lead 6, Blair Norris (7.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 1BB, 4K) took a seat and watched reliever Rhett Meehan throw the final 2 innings for nothing more than a solitary walk. Final score: 8-2 Kununurra in a classy performance. For Christchurch, Carl Rowlands (6.1IP, 9H, 7ER, 1BB, 3K) had a forgettable night.

Game 2 - Cairns Crocs vs Sydney Blue Sox

A Foreman double in the top of the 2nd scored Glen Donovan all the way from 1B but Sydney equalized in the bottom of the inning via an RBI Mitch Donahue double. Clint Kline, uncharacteristically missing his spots, then walked his 2nd hitter of the inning to load the bases but recovered to get the next 2 outs and limit the damage.

Cairns surged back into the lead in the 4th, rookie Mario Correa’s 1st-ever postseason hit a 2-run terrace treat. Sydney responded in the bottom of the inning by loading the bases via 3 shallow outfield singles. Kline then induced a 5-4-3 double-play ball, but a runner still scored to make it a 3-2 game. It didn’t stay that score for long, though, Timothy Browne launching a 2-run homer to give Sydney the lead.

Snell doubled in the 5th but then was thrown out trying to steal 3B in a move one commentator said “could only be called ‘boneheaded.’” Kline (4.0IP, 7H, 4ER, 2BB, 2K) didn’t come out for the 5th, and his relief proceeded to load the bases with 2 outs before managing a 6-4 ground-out to stop the inning. Foreman also made a potentially bone-headed decision in the 6th, trying to turn his 1-out single to right into a double, and on the very strong arm of Rodney Ellison. Ellison’s throw was good, but the tag was slow and Foreman was called safe. The aggressive running was to no avail however, Foreman left stranded.

The Crocs continued to push the envelope on the bases and it paid off in the 7th, Lecomte scoring the game-tying run off an Aitken single, Snell taking on the throw to go from 1B to 3B. Correa sent a routine double-play ball up the middle, but a hard slide by Aitken as well as good hustle up the 1B line saw Correa beat out the throw and Snell score the go-ahead run. To make matters worse Bailey Kinnear landed awkwardly after making the throw and left the game with a sprained ankle. That episode marked the end of Raymond Eykelbosch’s night (6.2IP, 11H, 5ER, 1BB, 5K), Cairns finishing the top of the 7th ahead 5-4.

A Nankervis error in the 8th allowed Cairns to extend the inning and they used the opportunity to add an insurance run. It then became a rout in the 9th, Cairns adding 4, 3 via a Foreman four-bagger. Sydney weren’t about to lie down, however, Anderton cutting 2 off the deficit with a mighty HR over left before an out had been recorded in the bottom of the inning. That was all they could manage, though, the final score: 10-6 Cairns. Foreman went 3-5, with 2 doubles and a HR resulting in 4 ribbies.

Game 3 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Kununurra Pioneers

A mistake behind the plate by Kimpton taking a fastball in the bottom of the 2nd gifted Christchurch the opening run, Matthew Utting scampering home while Kimpton chased the passed ball to the backstop. In the 3rd Kimpton made another mistake - this one charged an error - in trying to throw out Vega stealing 3B. The throw sailed high and wide and into LF, Vega scoring as a result. An out later Lance Fookes blasted a solo HR into the RF bleachers to put Christchurch up by 3.

Matt Juhl gave up his 1st hit in the 4th, Al Ayliffe doubling to left. Ayliffe scored an out later on a deep 6-3 ground out. The Cowboys restored the 3-run difference in the bottom of the inning, Simon Morrow coming home off a 4-3 ground out. RF Nick Ahern and Maurice Clemens combined well to throw out a runner at home-plate in the 5th and Cruz made a nice running catch to end the inning and leave a runner stranded at 2B.

Beau Hauer crushed a 1-0 fastball in the bottom of the 6th, sending it 431 feet over CF to extend Christchurch’s lead to 4. Sorensen, reportedly a late inclusion in today’s lineup, singled home another run in the inning, adding further misery to Li Ayliffe’s stat-line (5.2IP, 10H, 6ER, 0BB, 3K). Ahern went deep in the top of the 7th to make it 6-2.

Juhl came out for the 8th and struck out the side, the home crowd on their feet and shouting his name as the teams swapped around. The fans continued to cheer after Sorensen led off the bottom of the inning with a double and advanced to 3B on a wild pitch. The cheering died away though, RP Edward Hewat knuckling down to get 3 groundball outs and exit the inning unscathed. Juhl (8.0IP, 4H, 2ER, 9BB, 9K) was replaced by Rod Whiskin, Christchurch’s newly appointed closer, for the 9th. Al Ayliffe led off the inning with a single up the middle but that was as close as the Pioneers came to making a game of it, Whiskin striking out 2 of the next 3 hitters to end the game. Final score: 6-2 Christchurch to keep the series alive. Every Cowboy except for Kelvin Pickhills got a hit, while Al Ayliffe went 3-3 with a walk for the Pioneers.

Game 3 - Cairns Crocs vs Sydney Blue Sox

Correa singled home the 1st run of the game in the bottom of the 1st, which seemed to fluster Ryan Douglass, who threw a wild pitch and then was called for a balk. He recovered to get through the inning, but wore a bemused expression on his way to the dugout.

Douglass was called for another balk in the 3rd and demanded an explanation from the umpire. It was obvious he didn’t agree with the reasoning given, but stopped short of getting into an argument, possibly helped by his catcher and 1B ushering him back to the mound. He got a strikeout to end the inning and this time walked back to the dugout shaking his head. Damian Flemming was having no such meltdowns, getting through 4 on 2 hits and 5 strikeouts, and aided by 2 double plays.

In the 5th, however, Flemming got himself in trouble, allowing a 2-out single, followed by a double and then a 3-run Browne HR. 3-1 Sydney. Baker went opposite field in the bottom of the inning, sending a cutter down the RF line and into the bleachers. 1-run game. An Anderton RBI-single next inning pushed Sydney’s lead back out to 2, the inning ended by an impressive 3-6-3 double play.

Flemming’s (6.0IP, 7H, 4ER, 1BB, 6K) night was a tale of 2 halves, while Douglass (6.0IP, 7H, 2ER, 2BB, 3K) looked constantly rattled but left with the lead.

Snell doubled home Baker in the 7th, but Anderton’s double in the 8th brought Donaldson home and kept the distance between the 2 sides at 2 runs. Sydney loaded the bases in the top of the 9th, scoring a solitary insurance run. Blenkhorn took the mound in the bottom of the 9th, memories of his last outing undoubtedly swirling through his mind. He fanned Baker with a low fastball. Lecomte doubled into the RF corner. Snell singled to right and Lecomte bolted home. 6-4, 1 out, tying run at the plate. Game 1 hero Aitken drove a fastball flat and hard over the head of the 3B. Double, Snell pulling up at 3B. Still 1 out, winning run now at the plate, Blenkhorn huffing and puffing on the hill. Wayne Roneberg flied out to centre and Snell tagged up and scored without a throw. Tying run at 2B, 2 out, and Blenkhorn was replaced by Rory Karsumaatmaja. Donovan hit a sharp grounder to 1B, who shovelled a throw to Karsumaatmaja for the final out. Final score: 6-5 Sydney, their skipper admitting after the game his nerves were “shot.”

Game 4 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Kununurra Pioneers

Deas and Rayner traded outs through 3, Deas striking out 4 on 33 pitches and Rayner none on 22 pitches. Kimpton recorded the 1st hit of the game in the 4th, doubling with 2 outs into the LF corner. He advanced on a wild pitch but was left stranded as Deas fanned his 5th.

After 5, Deas had 7 strikeouts. Rayner surrendered his 1st baserunner of the night in the bottom of the inning, Hauer blooping a single to centre.

The scoring drought was finally broken in the 6th. Bryan McMullen singled to lead off the bottom of the inning, and then Sorensen tripled over the head of the CF. 1-0 Christchurch in a game that until now had produced only 4 hits and no walks. The Cowboys then changed things up a bit, going for a squeeze bunt play. Sorensen was thrown out at home, the crowd oohing and aahing. A double-play ended the inning and the commentators all seemed to think 1 run might be enough in this contest.

Deas (6.1IP, 2H, 0ER, 0BB, 9K) struck out his 9th to start the 7th, then gave up an infield single to Kimpton and was given his marching orders. Reliever Martin Silva immediately surrendered a double to Martinez and the go-ahead run moved into scoring position. Ahern walked and the bases were full. Clemens’ fly-out to right wasn’t deep enough for Kimpton to try for home and then Allan struck out looking in a real hometown call - and not the 1st of the night, either! Christchurch held onto their lead, and the Pioneers’ fans who’d trekked all the way across to New Zealand had a right to look dejected.

Rayner went 1-2-3 through the Cowboys in the 7th, and had only thrown 70 pitches so far. Pancho Cruz’s only hit of the series before now had been a 3-run HR in Game 1, and his 2nd hit,a HR leading off the 8th, was just as important. It was only worth 1 run, but it tied the game up and the Pioneers’ fans suddenly found their voice.

Hauer led off the bottom of the inning with a single, Rayner still on the mound. Hauer went to 2B on Rayner’s 2nd balk of the night, and the Kununurra ace wasn’t happy, jawing with the umpire for a couple of minutes before skipper Cameron Hutcheon took over. He was also unimpressed with the umpiring, the on-field audio picking up a few choice snippets about ‘hometown advantage.’ But just as it looked like he would get tossed, Hutcheon backed off and strode to the dugout, the umpire glaring after him.

Rayner struck out the hitter at the plate, Simon Morrow, on 3 angry pitches, then walked McMullen to set up the double-play. Pinch-hitter Seinosuke Nakashima was sent to the plate and he duly delivered, belting the 1st pitch of his at-bat into the CF bleachers for a 3-run HR. Rayner stayed pitching and got through the inning, though it didn’t look as if his heart was in it.

Whiskin came out for his 2nd outing in 2 days and easily dealt with the middle of Kununurra’s lineup. Final score: 4-1 Christchurch and the series was headed to Game 5! Rayner (8.0IP, 5H, 4ER, 1BB, 4K) came out swinging at the umpires at the press conference, noting that he “knew a fine would be coming,” but didn’t care. “There were 2 separate strike zones out there,” he said. “I felt like I was trying to thread a needle, while Elijah had a barn door to throw at. And those balk calls, well, they were just ridiculous. All I did was look over my shoulder at the baserunners. Is that illegal now? I can’t even take a peek?”

Game 4 - Cairns Crocs vs Sydney Blue Sox

A strong wind blowing in from centre had the OotPB TV commentary expert saying there wouldn’t be too many home runs on offer. Correa wasn’t deterred, however, slugging a fly into the teeth of the wind and over the fence in the bottom of the 1st, scoring 3. Doubleday was enjoying the wind assistance, striking out the side in the 2nd. However, he didn’t look right on his way back to the dugout and didn’t return to the mound in the 3rd. No immediate diagnosis was forthcoming from the sheds.

Alwin de Lange replaced Doubleday but found himself in trouble. That trouble was compounded by Anderton’s 2-out 3-run blast over left. Tie game, though none of the runs were counted as earned thanks to a Correa error at the beginning of the inning. In the 4th, again with 2 outs, de Lange gave up a walk and then Donaldson doubled the go-ahead run home. de Lange had the direction of the showers pointed out to him and his replacement ended the inning with a 3-pitch strikeout.

Cains suffered their 2nd injury scare of the night in the bottom of the inning, Damian Krajancic hurting his hand going from 1st to 3rd. Next up, Baker got a cutter up in the zone for his 1st pitch and made money, banking it into the LF bleachers. 3-run dinger and Cairns had the lead back. The lead OotPB commentator gave his sidekick a ribbing about the no-homers prediction and they both had a good laugh. While they were chortling, Binns (3.0IP, 7H, 6ER, 2BB, 3K) headed forlornly to the dugout.

Back-to-back doubles to begin the 5th pushed Sydney to within a run and 2 outs later Donahue singled home the tying run. The inning continued with a walk and then Browne singled to left and Donahue scurried home to put Sydney back in front. Donaldson’s single added another to the score. 8-6 Blue Sox.

The offense dried up until the bottom of the 7th, when 2 singles put the go-ahead run at the plate for Cairns, with nobody out. The opportunity was squandered, however, Sydney holding on to their 2-run advantage. The Crocs once again got the 1st 2 hitters on base in the 8th and an out later Aitken’s RBI-single halved the deficit. Correa wasn’t thinking of doing it in singles, however, turning on a 1-1 fastball and sending it way back into the LF seats. That was his 2nd 3-run jack of the night, each coming from a different side of the plate.

Was there still a twist or two to come? Boston walked Nankervis and then Foreman made a great running catch to dismiss Anderton. Rawnsley’s fly was a bit harder to catch, finding its way over the fence to tie the game up. Ellison struck out. Donahue doubled and Trent Allan hit a deep fly to left. This one stayed in the yard, though, caught just before the fence.

Blenkhorn, whose 2 outings so far had been horrid, came out to throw the bottom of the 9th. Wayne Roneberg ripped one to right, and Ellison made a sensational catch, colliding with the fence but holding onto the ball. At SS Kinnear made a similarly smart grab, robbing Dwyer of a single. Baker singled wide of 3B but then got picked off to end the inning.

Into extra time! Sydney loaded the bases with 2 outs in the 10th, Boston still on the mound, sweating up a storm. Rawnsley’s single up the middle scored 2. Would that be enough? Bottom of the inning, Lecomte singled to right. Blenkhorn struck out Snell swinging. Aitken ground out to 2B and Correa could only fly out to shallow centre. Final score: 12-10 Sydney in a slug-fest that had more twists than an action movie. Leadoff hitters Donaldson and Lecomte both collected 4 hits.

Game 5 - Christchurch Cowboys vs Kununurra Pioneers

Neither pitcher allowed a hit until Allan’s 1-out single in the bottom of the 3rd. The Cowboys recorded their 1st hit of the game in the 5th, Kelvin Pickhills singling up the middle for what was also his 1st hit of the series. 2 outs later and he got picked off to end the inning. 0-0 in a pitcher’s duel.

After 5 1/2 innings, both pitchers had only surrendered 2 hits each. With 2 outs in the bottom of the 6th, Rowlands gave up hit number 3, Ricardo Ortiz pulling a 1st-pitch cutter into the LF seats. 1-0 Kununurra. For a moment it looked like Rowlands had given up back-to-back dingers, Martinez hitting a hefty fly over right-centre. But McMullen showed great range and awareness, tracking it back and leaping at the fence to pull it in.

Norris battled his way to an 8-pitch strikeout to begin the 7th, then fought 10 pitches with Utting before inducing a regulation fly-out to centre. When Fookes swung at his 1st pitch, sending it straight to 1B for a U3 ground-out, Norris looked relieved, the sweat pouring off his forehead. He’d struck out 6 so far, conceding 2 singles and a walk. Ahern made a nice catch at the wall to help Norris out in the 8th but nobody could run down Hauer’s shot over right-centre. It just had enough legs to clear the fence and the game was knotted at 1.

Kununurra managed to load the bases with 2 outs in the bottom of the 8th but were unable to capitalize. Norris (8.0IP, 3H, 1ER, 1BB, 6K) was replaced by closer Allen Jiang for the 9th, and Jiang immediately had to crane his neck and watch Vega’s linedrive travel 439 feet over CF. 2-1 Christchurch. Jiang recovered to get the next 3 outs but Kununurra still headed into the bottom of the 9th looking down the barrel at elimination.

Whiskin trotted out for the Cowboys. Al Ayliffe squibbed out on a 2-3. Kimpton fanned on a fastball. Last chance saloon, with Clemens, yet to record a hit in the series, at the plate. He walked on 6 pitches. Ahern got decent wood on one, but only as far as the CF’s glove. End game and series win to Christchurch, coming back from 0-2 down! Final score: 2-1 Cowboys. Rowlands (7.0IP, 4H, 1ER, 2BB, 3K) had a good outing and would get the chance to have at least 1 more.

Young Beau Hauer (.375/.412/.938, 3HR) took home the series’ MVP.

Game 5 - Cairns Crocs vs Sydney Blue Sox

Doubleday was done for the postseason. He had a badly inflamed shoulder. Cairns’ skipper Carlos Sosa said that, while the news was “unfortunate,” his team were “just focusing on recapturing their momentum and winning today’s decider.”

Correa slogged his 4th bomb of the series in the top of the 1st, with 2 out, scoring 2. Rawnsley jumped on the 1st pitch he saw in the bottom of the 2nd, a tame centre-of-the-plate fastball, and sent it into the RF bleachers to make it a 1-run game.

In the 5th, the Crocs loaded the bases with 2 outs. Correa drove one smartly up the middle but SS Kinnear made a great diving catch to end the inning and prevent at least 1 run, probably 2, from scoring. In the bottom of the inning Aitken made an excellent leaping catch while guarding 1B and just as swiftly applied the tag to the retreating runner to record an unassisted double-play. The inning continued, however, Kinnear doubling over the head of CF Dwyer and coming home on Nankervis’ bloop single to right - one which should’ve been caught but nobody called for. Tie game.

Lecomte hit a 1-out single in the 7th and then stole 2nd to get into scoring position. Snell hit a shallow fly into left-centre and Lecomte scored. LF Browne, who’d been playing deep, made a good show of charging the ball, but Snell was still thinking double and dived in under the tag. 3-2 Cairns. Aitken was walked to set up the double-play, bringing Correa to the plate, and ending Eykelbosch’s night. Reliever Javier Flores induced a weak return groundball and sent it to 2B, hoping to start a double-play. Correa showed good hustle, though, beating out the throw. Runners on 1B and 3B with 2 out. Donovan’s linedrive went as far as Browne’s glove and that was the inning completed. Eykelbosch (6.1IP, 10H, 3ER, 2BB, 4K), who’d been leaning anxiously on the dugout railings, gave Flores a high-five and then headed for the showers.

Kline (7.0IP, 8H, 2ER, 0BB, 2K) sat after 7. With 1 out in the bottom of the 8th Nankervis doubled and an out later Rawnsley’s drive looked like it’d fall out of reach of substitute RF Roneberg. But Roneberg showed great heart and nice extension to make a fine running catch to end the inning and keep Cairns 1 in front.

The Crocs couldn’t add anymore in the top of the 9th and Boston headed out in the bottom of the inning, hoping to put aside his horror outing last game. He struck out Ellison with a perfect slider. Donahue ground out to 2B and Allan was blown away by a heater. Final score: 3-2 Cairns, and they were off to the Preliminary Finals.

Correa (.273/.304/.818) might’ve slugged 4 homers, but it was Beau Snell (.455/.538/.773, 1HR) who took home the series’ MVP award. Of his 10 hits, 5 went for extra-bases (4 doubles, 1 dinger).