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reds1 · 07-14-2022, 12:55 AM

The Pulberry Trolleys and Sherburn Tigers meet in the playoffs for the first time with both clubs still seeking their first Pennant. That means that the drought is going to end for one of these clubs this year. The Trolleys finished in top spot for the third straight season but have seen their quest for a United Cup berth upended by the wild card team the previous two years. The Tigers meanwhile return to the playoffs after a 10-year absence. Sherburn finished in last place 4 times during that stretch and never escaped the second division until this year. Their previous two playoff appearances have been as the wild card as well, falling to the Kingston Pelicans both times.

The two teams enter the playoffs at nearly full strength. The only injury to speak of is to Sherburn’s 24-year old IF/OF utility player Leon Albrecht (.234/.349/.375, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 49 BB, 5 SB, 2.0 WAR), who suffered a bruised bone in his knee in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals back on March 14 and will not be available for the post-season.

Both clubs are managed by former players who once played for their respective team. 42-year old Jaimie Blair spent nearly all of his 12-year career toiling in the minors as an outfielder. He was called up by the Tigers in 1939 and got one major league at-bat – a strikeout. After that, he returned to the minors for good and retired 10 years later. In 1953, he was hired by the Tigers to be their manager and the club has improved each season thus far under his guidance, culminating with the club’s first winning season and playoff appearance since 1945-46.

Meanwhile, 50-year old Ryo Ichikawa signed with the Pulberry Trolleys out of Japan back in January 1937 as a third baseman. Never a full-time player, Ichikawa made 222 at-bats over three seasons with the major league club, batting .224/.326/.271 before retiring in 1941. Three years later he was hired by the Embro Suns as their field manager and met with instant success as he led the Suns to the wild card in his first two seasons. Five years later, in 1950-51, he guided Embro back to the playoffs as the wild card team and this time won the Eastern League Pennant and came to within one victory of a United Cup Championship. Following that season, he was lured away by the Trolleys and after two 3rd place finishes, he has led Pulberry to top spot in the West over the past three seasons. Now all that remains for last year’s Western League Manager of the Year is to get over the hump and another chance at the United Cup.

The Trolleys and Tigers were the two hottest teams in the United Leagues over the last two weeks of the regular season. In fact, in the second half of the season, Sherburn led all clubs with 47 victories while Pulberry was right behind them with 45. Although the Trolleys won the season series, the Tigers outscored them 67-63 over the course of those 15 games. Thus, this should be a whale of a series. It’s time to play ball!

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Game 1 – March 27

Trolleys Stadium hosts Game 1 of the Pennant Series for the third straight year. It’s hot on the West Coast with clear skies and a very light breeze.

A pair of southpaws face each other to start the Series. They are their respective team’s aces, and both will be making their playoff debuts. Pulberry has handed the ball to 20-year rookie LHP Bart Ohara, while the Tigers go with their 4-year veteran, 26-year old LHP Brendan Wombwell.

Bottom of the 4th:
Wombwell is perfect until Francis Jones launches one into the gap in right center to lead off. RF Adrian Sulley races back for it but its out of his reach and the ball hits the wall on a hop. Jones jets past 2B and beats out the relay for a triple. Gerard Koerner holds up for ball four putting runners on the corners. Aidan Thirkettle then grounds one out to the right side as 2B Bernard Kerkin takes it on the hop and feeds it to second. Koerner slides in hard preventing the double play as Jones comes home to score.
Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 1

Bottom of the 7th:
Aidan Thirkettle leads off by sending a rocket into centerfield for a single. Paul England then chops one out weakly to the right side. Wombwell tracks it down, but England beats out the throw for an infield hit as Thirkettle takes second. Cooper Tyson battles Wombwell for nine pitches then smashes one out to rightfield. RF Albert Sulley goes back but its over the wall landing 356 ft. from home plate for a 3-run homer.
Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 4

Top of the 8th:
The Tigers finally get something going in the 8th. Dwayne Vick sends a lazy fly ball down the leftfield line that falls in for a base hit. With one out, Connor Wadsworth hits one past the pitcher. SS Sean Abercrombie dives for it but can’t dig it out of his glove and doesn’t risk the throw. Vick moves up to second on the infield single. PH Quincy Woolescroft follows and hits one hard out toward 2B. Paul Heisler gets in front of it but muffs it, allowing Woolescroft to reach 1B safely and load the bases with nobody out. Bernard Kerkin hits a liner out to toward left. LF Aidan Thirkettle angles under it then backpedals to make the catch. Vick tags up and beats out the throw for the Tigers’ first run.

In the top of the 9th, Ohara gets the heart of the Tigers lineup to go down in order, inducing a first-pitch 4-3 ground out from Adrian Flynn, a strikeout from Ross Shewman and a 4-3 ground out from Marcus Timberlake to end the game. The Trolleys take Game 1 with an impressive pitching performance from Ohara.
FINAL: Sherburn 1 - Pulberry 4

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Game 2 – March 28

Pulberry got the Series off on the right foot with a solid win in Game 1 and look to keep the momentum going this afternoon at Trolleys Stadium. 28-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (2-0, 3.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) takes the mound for Pulberry. This will be Folkard’s 4th career playoff start. For Sherburn, the Tigers look to 20-year old sophomore LHP Kozue Saito from Queensland to try and even up the Series. This game marks Saito’s first playoff appearance.

Bottom of the 1st:
The Trolleys waste no time getting to Saito. Francis Jones leads off and draws a walk. Gerard Koerner then grounds one out toward the left side hole. 3B Adrian Flynn scoops it up and throws to second for the fielder’s choice, but Jones slides in hard and upends 2B Bernard Kerkin to squash the double play. Ellis Dibble then crushes one to deep right center that caroms off the wall. CF Ross Shewman attempts to track it down as Koerner races all the way from first to open the scoring. Shewman rifles it to 3B but Dibble slides in safely for an RBI triple.
During Aidan Thirkettle’s subsequent at-bat, C Robert Carr mishandles Saito’s pitch and loses track of the ball. Dibble breaks for home and beats out the tag for Pulberry’s second run.
Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 2

Top of the 2nd:
Marcus Timberlake hits one off the end of the barrel out toward short right center and it falls in for a base hit. As Timberlake breaks for second, Dwayne Vick hits one back up the middle for a single. Timberlake moves up to 3B on the play. Robert Carr battles Folkard to a full count before singling one out to short centerfield. Timberlake comes home to score. Vick hustles to 2B before gunning it for third. But CF Cooper Tyson retrieves the ball and nails a sliding Vick at 3B with a remarkable throw.
Sherburn 1 - Pulberry 2

Top of the 3rd:
Bernard Kerkin hammers one out to leftfield to lead things off. LF Aidan Thirkettle races back for it but he watches helplessly as it sails 410 ft. over the wall for a game-tying solo home run.
Sherburn 2 - Pulberry 2

Top of the 8th:
RHP Bonie Bandong enters the game to start the 8th. On his first pitch, PH Quincy Woolescroft smashes one down the line to deep rightfield. RF Ellis Dibble races after it but it lands 364 ft. into the stands for a solo home run, giving the Tigers the lead.
Sherburn 3 - Pulberry 2

Bottom of the 8th:
Gerard Koerner smacks a line drive down the leftfield line that just stays fair. LF Connor Wadsworth chases after it as Koerner pulls up into second for a lead off double. That ends Saito’s afternoon as RHP Cris Herrera comes on in relief on a double switch. But Ellis Dibble jumps all over Herrera’s first pitch, belting one out to left center. CF Ross Shewman reaches for it but can’t get to it in time. Dibble tears around second as Shewman finally tracks it down and whips a long throw to 3B. Dibble slides in headfirst for his second triple of the game as Koerner crosses the plate to tie things up.
Aidan Thirkettle then walks putting runners on the corners. Paul England grounds out to SS Dwayne Vick for the inning’s first out as Thirkettle takes second. As the infield moves in during PH Marcus Peyto’s at-bat, Herrera throws a wild pitch. That scores Dibble while Thirkettle moves up to third.
Peyto then slices one into short left center for a base hit. Thirkettle scores easily, increasing the Trolleys’ lead to two.
Sherburn 3 - Pulberry 5

Top of the 9th:
Bonie Bandong looks to close things out in the 9th. But Noah Teale leads off with a 4-pitch walk, while PH Connor Young connects and lines one over the head of 1B Gerard Koerner for a base hit, moving Teale to second. Albert Sulley lays down a bunt that goes back to the pitcher. Bandong fields it quickly and throws Sulley out at first, as the runners advance. Adrian Flynn then skies one out to deep right centerfield. RF Ellis Dibble calls off defensive replacement CF Wade Billyard and hauls it in. Teale tags up and scores without a throw, getting the Tigers to within one.
But on a 2-2 pitch, Bandong gets Ross Shewman to lift a high fly ball out to right centerfield. This time Wade Billyard gets under it and snags it to close out the game. Pulberry hangs on to take a 2-games-to-none lead as the Series shifts to Sherburn for Game 3.
FINAL: Sherburn 4 - Pulberry 5

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Game 3 – March 30

The playoffs return to The Paramount in Sherburn for the first time in 10 years. The weather is hot, and the park is packed as the fans hope their team’s fortunes will heat up as well.

The one player remaining on the roster that was part of Sherburn’s last playoff appearance takes the hill: 32-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (0-2, 4.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP). Chapa was 22-years old in just his third season for the Tigers at the time. The two-time Satchel Paige Award winner is looking for better results in his third career playoff start. Facing him will be the West’s only 20-game winner this season: 34-year old RHP Robin Medellin (2-2, 4.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP). Medellin will make his 7th career playoff start and third for Pulberry.

Bottom of the 4th:
The anticipate pitcher’s duel comes as advertised, as Chapa and Medellin frustrate the batters. The only blemish came in the bottom of the 4th. Albert Sulley leads off and walks on four pitches, then steals second unchallenged as C Paul England drops the ball one pitch later. Adrian Flynn then lines one into left center, putting runners on the corners. Ross Shewman then lifts one out to deep centerfield. CF Cooper Tyson gets under it, but Sulley tags up and scores without a throw.

In the top of the 9th, the Trolleys try to get to Chapa. Aidan Thirkettle leads off and strikes out swinging. But Cooper Tyson battles Chapa to a full count before sending a shot past a diving 2B Bernard Kerkin in leftfield for a base hit. During Paul England’s subsequent at-bat, Chapa throws a wild pitch, allowing Tyson to take second. England then hits a slow roller to the left side. 3B Adrian Flynn pounces on it but it fumbles out of his glove, allowing England to reach safely and Tyson to take third. Ellis Dibble attempts to bunt, but instead pops out to a diving Adrian Flynn. Makani Kahale then launches one out to deep centerfield. CF Ross Shewman is there to haul it in and end the threat. Sherburn escapes with a badly needed win.
FINAL: Pulberry 0 – Sherburn 1

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Game 4 – March 31

Sherburn got a tremendous pitching effort from their ace RHP Jesús Chapa in Game 3 and look for that trend to continue with their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP Ben Buschlen. This will be the two-time all-star’s first playoff appearance. Pulberry goes with their No. 4 starter, 28-year old RHP Harley Rodman (0-2, 9.58 ERA, 2.13 WHIP). Rodman has not enjoyed a lot of success in the playoffs over the past two seasons. He is looking to change that at The Paramount where a hot afternoon greets the fans and players.

Top of the 1st:
The Trolleys strike early. Francis Jones leads off by hitting a liner out to centerfield for a base hit. Gerard Koerner bounces one out toward the left side hole. 3B Adrian Flynn snags it and whips it to 2B Bernard Kerkin for the first out. But Jones takes him out with an uncompromising slide to break up the double play.
Aidan Thirkettle then works the count full before walking. Cooper Tyson follows sending a hard shot out to shallow centerfield to load the bases. Paul England then golfs one out to leftfield for a base hit. Koerner scores easily on the play. Thirkettle rounds third and slides in hard beating out the throw from LF Connor Wadsworth for the second run.
Pulberry 2 – Sherburn 0

Bottom of the 3rd:
Connor Wadsworth hits a liner to left center to lead off. LF Aidan Thirkettle hurries over but can’t get to it in time as it falls in for a single. During Ben Buschlen’s at-bat, Rodman is called for a balk, sending Wadsworth over to second. Buschlen then lays a bunt down in front of the plate. C Paul England throws him out at first as Wadsworth takes third. After getting the next two batters out Rodman uncorks a wild pitch that rolls to the backstop. Wadsworth comes home on the play.
Albert Sulley then booms one out to right center. CF Cooper Tyson tries to track it down and leaps at the wall but comes up short, as Sulley sends it 371 ft. into the stands for game-tying solo home run.
Pulberry 2 – Sherburn 2

Top of the 6th:
Paul England walks with one out. Ellis Dibble then sends a chopper out towards third. 3B Adrian Flynn fields it on the hop and throws out Dibble at first as England takes second. Sean Abercrombie comes up and battles Buschlen to a full count before crushing one out to right center. RF Albert Sulley chases after it but it hits the wall on a hop. England comes in to score as Abercrombie pulls up into second with a stand-up double.
Pulberry 3 – Sherburn 2

Bottom of the 8th:
Rodman gets two quick outs. But Dwayne Vick, who is not known for his power, sends a rocket out towards the gap in deep left center. CF Cooper Tyson races back and leaps at the wall but it sails 401 ft. into the stands for a game-tying solo home run.

Both teams go down in order in the 9th, sending the game into extras.
Pulberry 3 – Sherburn 3

Top of the 10th:
Cris Herrera gives up a lead off walk to Aidan Thirkettle. With one out, Paul England pounds one back up the middle into centerfield. CF Ross Shewman gets to it, but Thirkettle rounds second and digs for third. Thirkettle slides in hard under the tag putting runners on the corners. Ellis Dibble works the count full before checking his swing and loading the bases. Sean Abercrombie then slices one down the line to short right. RF Albert Sulley hesitates but then comes sprinting in to track it down. Thirkettle and England score easily. Dibble rounds third and breaks for home. C Robert Carr makes a diving tag, but Dibble beats it out as Abercrombie comes through with a 3-run double.

LHP Dermott Rathbone strikes out PH Quim Cypriano to start the bottom of the 10th. Dwayne Vick then sends one sailing out towards 2B. Makani Kahale gets under it and snags it. Lastly, Robert Carr taps one back to the mound. Rathbone pounces on it and whips it to 1B Gerard Koerner for the final out. Pulberry pulls out a win in extras to take a stranglehold on the Series.
FINAL: Pulberry 6 – Sherburn 3

07-14-2022, 12:55 AM	#750
reds1 Hall Of Famer Join Date: May 2002 Location: Winnipeg Posts: 3,985	The Pulberry Trolleys and Sherburn Tigers meet in the playoffs for the first time with both clubs still seeking their first Pennant. That means that the drought is going to end for one of these clubs this year. The Trolleys finished in top spot for the third straight season but have seen their quest for a United Cup berth upended by the wild card team the previous two years. The Tigers meanwhile return to the playoffs after a 10-year absence. Sherburn finished in last place 4 times during that stretch and never escaped the second division until this year. Their previous two playoff appearances have been as the wild card as well, falling to the Kingston Pelicans both times. The two teams enter the playoffs at nearly full strength. The only injury to speak of is to Sherburn’s 24-year old IF/OF utility player Leon Albrecht (.234/.349/.375, 8 HR, 33 RBI, 49 BB, 5 SB, 2.0 WAR), who suffered a bruised bone in his knee in a game against the Fort Richmond Generals back on March 14 and will not be available for the post-season. Both clubs are managed by former players who once played for their respective team. 42-year old Jaimie Blair spent nearly all of his 12-year career toiling in the minors as an outfielder. He was called up by the Tigers in 1939 and got one major league at-bat – a strikeout. After that, he returned to the minors for good and retired 10 years later. In 1953, he was hired by the Tigers to be their manager and the club has improved each season thus far under his guidance, culminating with the club’s first winning season and playoff appearance since 1945-46. Meanwhile, 50-year old Ryo Ichikawa signed with the Pulberry Trolleys out of Japan back in January 1937 as a third baseman. Never a full-time player, Ichikawa made 222 at-bats over three seasons with the major league club, batting .224/.326/.271 before retiring in 1941. Three years later he was hired by the Embro Suns as their field manager and met with instant success as he led the Suns to the wild card in his first two seasons. Five years later, in 1950-51, he guided Embro back to the playoffs as the wild card team and this time won the Eastern League Pennant and came to within one victory of a United Cup Championship. Following that season, he was lured away by the Trolleys and after two 3rd place finishes, he has led Pulberry to top spot in the West over the past three seasons. Now all that remains for last year’s Western League Manager of the Year is to get over the hump and another chance at the United Cup. The Trolleys and Tigers were the two hottest teams in the United Leagues over the last two weeks of the regular season. In fact, in the second half of the season, Sherburn led all clubs with 47 victories while Pulberry was right behind them with 45. Although the Trolleys won the season series, the Tigers outscored them 67-63 over the course of those 15 games. Thus, this should be a whale of a series. It’s time to play ball! -------- Game 1 – March 27 Trolleys Stadium hosts Game 1 of the Pennant Series for the third straight year. It’s hot on the West Coast with clear skies and a very light breeze. A pair of southpaws face each other to start the Series. They are their respective team’s aces, and both will be making their playoff debuts. Pulberry has handed the ball to 20-year rookie LHP Bart Ohara, while the Tigers go with their 4-year veteran, 26-year old LHP Brendan Wombwell. Bottom of the 4th: Wombwell is perfect until Francis Jones launches one into the gap in right center to lead off. RF Adrian Sulley races back for it but its out of his reach and the ball hits the wall on a hop. Jones jets past 2B and beats out the relay for a triple. Gerard Koerner holds up for ball four putting runners on the corners. Aidan Thirkettle then grounds one out to the right side as 2B Bernard Kerkin takes it on the hop and feeds it to second. Koerner slides in hard preventing the double play as Jones comes home to score. Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 1 Bottom of the 7th: Aidan Thirkettle leads off by sending a rocket into centerfield for a single. Paul England then chops one out weakly to the right side. Wombwell tracks it down, but England beats out the throw for an infield hit as Thirkettle takes second. Cooper Tyson battles Wombwell for nine pitches then smashes one out to rightfield. RF Albert Sulley goes back but its over the wall landing 356 ft. from home plate for a 3-run homer. Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 4 Top of the 8th: The Tigers finally get something going in the 8th. Dwayne Vick sends a lazy fly ball down the leftfield line that falls in for a base hit. With one out, Connor Wadsworth hits one past the pitcher. SS Sean Abercrombie dives for it but can’t dig it out of his glove and doesn’t risk the throw. Vick moves up to second on the infield single. PH Quincy Woolescroft follows and hits one hard out toward 2B. Paul Heisler gets in front of it but muffs it, allowing Woolescroft to reach 1B safely and load the bases with nobody out. Bernard Kerkin hits a liner out to toward left. LF Aidan Thirkettle angles under it then backpedals to make the catch. Vick tags up and beats out the throw for the Tigers’ first run. In the top of the 9th, Ohara gets the heart of the Tigers lineup to go down in order, inducing a first-pitch 4-3 ground out from Adrian Flynn, a strikeout from Ross Shewman and a 4-3 ground out from Marcus Timberlake to end the game. The Trolleys take Game 1 with an impressive pitching performance from Ohara. FINAL: Sherburn 1 - Pulberry 4 -------- Game 2 – March 28 Pulberry got the Series off on the right foot with a solid win in Game 1 and look to keep the momentum going this afternoon at Trolleys Stadium. 28-year old RHP Taylor Folkard (2-0, 3.76 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) takes the mound for Pulberry. This will be Folkard’s 4th career playoff start. For Sherburn, the Tigers look to 20-year old sophomore LHP Kozue Saito from Queensland to try and even up the Series. This game marks Saito’s first playoff appearance. Bottom of the 1st: The Trolleys waste no time getting to Saito. Francis Jones leads off and draws a walk. Gerard Koerner then grounds one out toward the left side hole. 3B Adrian Flynn scoops it up and throws to second for the fielder’s choice, but Jones slides in hard and upends 2B Bernard Kerkin to squash the double play. Ellis Dibble then crushes one to deep right center that caroms off the wall. CF Ross Shewman attempts to track it down as Koerner races all the way from first to open the scoring. Shewman rifles it to 3B but Dibble slides in safely for an RBI triple. During Aidan Thirkettle’s subsequent at-bat, C Robert Carr mishandles Saito’s pitch and loses track of the ball. Dibble breaks for home and beats out the tag for Pulberry’s second run. Sherburn 0 - Pulberry 2 Top of the 2nd: Marcus Timberlake hits one off the end of the barrel out toward short right center and it falls in for a base hit. As Timberlake breaks for second, Dwayne Vick hits one back up the middle for a single. Timberlake moves up to 3B on the play. Robert Carr battles Folkard to a full count before singling one out to short centerfield. Timberlake comes home to score. Vick hustles to 2B before gunning it for third. But CF Cooper Tyson retrieves the ball and nails a sliding Vick at 3B with a remarkable throw. Sherburn 1 - Pulberry 2 Top of the 3rd: Bernard Kerkin hammers one out to leftfield to lead things off. LF Aidan Thirkettle races back for it but he watches helplessly as it sails 410 ft. over the wall for a game-tying solo home run. Sherburn 2 - Pulberry 2 Top of the 8th: RHP Bonie Bandong enters the game to start the 8th. On his first pitch, PH Quincy Woolescroft smashes one down the line to deep rightfield. RF Ellis Dibble races after it but it lands 364 ft. into the stands for a solo home run, giving the Tigers the lead. Sherburn 3 - Pulberry 2 Bottom of the 8th: Gerard Koerner smacks a line drive down the leftfield line that just stays fair. LF Connor Wadsworth chases after it as Koerner pulls up into second for a lead off double. That ends Saito’s afternoon as RHP Cris Herrera comes on in relief on a double switch. But Ellis Dibble jumps all over Herrera’s first pitch, belting one out to left center. CF Ross Shewman reaches for it but can’t get to it in time. Dibble tears around second as Shewman finally tracks it down and whips a long throw to 3B. Dibble slides in headfirst for his second triple of the game as Koerner crosses the plate to tie things up. Aidan Thirkettle then walks putting runners on the corners. Paul England grounds out to SS Dwayne Vick for the inning’s first out as Thirkettle takes second. As the infield moves in during PH Marcus Peyto’s at-bat, Herrera throws a wild pitch. That scores Dibble while Thirkettle moves up to third. Peyto then slices one into short left center for a base hit. Thirkettle scores easily, increasing the Trolleys’ lead to two. Sherburn 3 - Pulberry 5 Top of the 9th: Bonie Bandong looks to close things out in the 9th. But Noah Teale leads off with a 4-pitch walk, while PH Connor Young connects and lines one over the head of 1B Gerard Koerner for a base hit, moving Teale to second. Albert Sulley lays down a bunt that goes back to the pitcher. Bandong fields it quickly and throws Sulley out at first, as the runners advance. Adrian Flynn then skies one out to deep right centerfield. RF Ellis Dibble calls off defensive replacement CF Wade Billyard and hauls it in. Teale tags up and scores without a throw, getting the Tigers to within one. But on a 2-2 pitch, Bandong gets Ross Shewman to lift a high fly ball out to right centerfield. This time Wade Billyard gets under it and snags it to close out the game. Pulberry hangs on to take a 2-games-to-none lead as the Series shifts to Sherburn for Game 3. FINAL: Sherburn 4 - Pulberry 5 -------- Game 3 – March 30 The playoffs return to The Paramount in Sherburn for the first time in 10 years. The weather is hot, and the park is packed as the fans hope their team’s fortunes will heat up as well. The one player remaining on the roster that was part of Sherburn’s last playoff appearance takes the hill: 32-year old RHP Jesús Chapa (0-2, 4.80 ERA, 1.80 WHIP). Chapa was 22-years old in just his third season for the Tigers at the time. The two-time Satchel Paige Award winner is looking for better results in his third career playoff start. Facing him will be the West’s only 20-game winner this season: 34-year old RHP Robin Medellin (2-2, 4.64 ERA, 1.36 WHIP). Medellin will make his 7th career playoff start and third for Pulberry. Bottom of the 4th: The anticipate pitcher’s duel comes as advertised, as Chapa and Medellin frustrate the batters. The only blemish came in the bottom of the 4th. Albert Sulley leads off and walks on four pitches, then steals second unchallenged as C Paul England drops the ball one pitch later. Adrian Flynn then lines one into left center, putting runners on the corners. Ross Shewman then lifts one out to deep centerfield. CF Cooper Tyson gets under it, but Sulley tags up and scores without a throw. In the top of the 9th, the Trolleys try to get to Chapa. Aidan Thirkettle leads off and strikes out swinging. But Cooper Tyson battles Chapa to a full count before sending a shot past a diving 2B Bernard Kerkin in leftfield for a base hit. During Paul England’s subsequent at-bat, Chapa throws a wild pitch, allowing Tyson to take second. England then hits a slow roller to the left side. 3B Adrian Flynn pounces on it but it fumbles out of his glove, allowing England to reach safely and Tyson to take third. Ellis Dibble attempts to bunt, but instead pops out to a diving Adrian Flynn. Makani Kahale then launches one out to deep centerfield. CF Ross Shewman is there to haul it in and end the threat. Sherburn escapes with a badly needed win. FINAL: Pulberry 0 – Sherburn 1 -------- Game 4 – March 31 Sherburn got a tremendous pitching effort from their ace RHP Jesús Chapa in Game 3 and look for that trend to continue with their No. 2 starter, 29-year old RHP Ben Buschlen. This will be the two-time all-star’s first playoff appearance. Pulberry goes with their No. 4 starter, 28-year old RHP Harley Rodman (0-2, 9.58 ERA, 2.13 WHIP). Rodman has not enjoyed a lot of success in the playoffs over the past two seasons. He is looking to change that at The Paramount where a hot afternoon greets the fans and players. Top of the 1st: The Trolleys strike early. Francis Jones leads off by hitting a liner out to centerfield for a base hit. Gerard Koerner bounces one out toward the left side hole. 3B Adrian Flynn snags it and whips it to 2B Bernard Kerkin for the first out. But Jones takes him out with an uncompromising slide to break up the double play. Aidan Thirkettle then works the count full before walking. Cooper Tyson follows sending a hard shot out to shallow centerfield to load the bases. Paul England then golfs one out to leftfield for a base hit. Koerner scores easily on the play. Thirkettle rounds third and slides in hard beating out the throw from LF Connor Wadsworth for the second run. Pulberry 2 – Sherburn 0 Bottom of the 3rd: Connor Wadsworth hits a liner to left center to lead off. LF Aidan Thirkettle hurries over but can’t get to it in time as it falls in for a single. During Ben Buschlen’s at-bat, Rodman is called for a balk, sending Wadsworth over to second. Buschlen then lays a bunt down in front of the plate. C Paul England throws him out at first as Wadsworth takes third. After getting the next two batters out Rodman uncorks a wild pitch that rolls to the backstop. Wadsworth comes home on the play. Albert Sulley then booms one out to right center. CF Cooper Tyson tries to track it down and leaps at the wall but comes up short, as Sulley sends it 371 ft. into the stands for game-tying solo home run. Pulberry 2 – Sherburn 2 Top of the 6th: Paul England walks with one out. Ellis Dibble then sends a chopper out towards third. 3B Adrian Flynn fields it on the hop and throws out Dibble at first as England takes second. Sean Abercrombie comes up and battles Buschlen to a full count before crushing one out to right center. RF Albert Sulley chases after it but it hits the wall on a hop. England comes in to score as Abercrombie pulls up into second with a stand-up double. Pulberry 3 – Sherburn 2 Bottom of the 8th: Rodman gets two quick outs. But Dwayne Vick, who is not known for his power, sends a rocket out towards the gap in deep left center. CF Cooper Tyson races back and leaps at the wall but it sails 401 ft. into the stands for a game-tying solo home run. Both teams go down in order in the 9th, sending the game into extras. Pulberry 3 – Sherburn 3 Top of the 10th: Cris Herrera gives up a lead off walk to Aidan Thirkettle. With one out, Paul England pounds one back up the middle into centerfield. CF Ross Shewman gets to it, but Thirkettle rounds second and digs for third. Thirkettle slides in hard under the tag putting runners on the corners. Ellis Dibble works the count full before checking his swing and loading the bases. Sean Abercrombie then slices one down the line to short right. RF Albert Sulley hesitates but then comes sprinting in to track it down. Thirkettle and England score easily. Dibble rounds third and breaks for home. C Robert Carr makes a diving tag, but Dibble beats it out as Abercrombie comes through with a 3-run double. LHP Dermott Rathbone strikes out PH Quim Cypriano to start the bottom of the 10th. Dwayne Vick then sends one sailing out towards 2B. Makani Kahale gets under it and snags it. Lastly, Robert Carr taps one back to the mound. Rathbone pounces on it and whips it to 1B Gerard Koerner for the final out. Pulberry pulls out a win in extras to take a stranglehold on the Series. FINAL: Pulberry 6 – Sherburn 3 __________________ United Leagues of Braeland Last edited by reds1; 07-17-2022 at 01:31 AM.