[ArquimedezPozo]

Game 1: Saints Defeat Sounds, 5-3 in Nashville
Rookie Jerry Dudek wasn’t intimidated by Nashville or their crowd, allowing two in the second on a Mike Lepe double, but otherwise shutting Nashville down over seven, striking out a batter per inning in the effort. The Saints got to Orozco, however, putting up two in the first on a Dan Silvey double, taking the lead on an RBI single by Joe Sessa, and finishing it off with the eventual game-winner, a two run bomb by Kevin Walker in the seventh. Nashville got one back in the 8th when Ivan Castillo homered, but it wasn’t enough, and the underdogs take Game 1.

Game 2: Sounds (1) Defeat Saints (1), 15-6 in Nashville
After Game 1’s surprising Saints win, this looks a little more like what many expected from this series: an absolute devastation of Salt Lake pitching by Nashville. The Sounds did all their damage with three five-run innings, in the second, third, and seventh, chasing starter Ricardo Raygoza in the second after the first of Jonathan Cosner’s two homers of the night, a three run blast. Ivan Castillo and Mike Lepe also homered for the Sounds. St. Paul blew up in the last two frames, putting six runs across in a four run seventh and two run top of the eighth, but they were too far gone at that point for it to matter, as Matthew Boyd kept them largely helpless to that point, allowing just three hits over his first six and ending with five runs allowed on eight hits and 11 strikeouts. Still, St. Paul is happy to be bringing a split series back home to St. Paul.

Game 3: Sounds (2) Defeat Saints (1), 5-3 (10 innings) in St. Paul
Our first extra innings contest of October ended in a 5-3 Nashville victory courtesy of RF Eric Cano. After early runs in the first and second for Nashville, Joe Sessa doubled to score a run in the 4th; he was answered by a Bobby Cook RBI single in the fifth to make it 3-1 Nashville. But John Giordano ran into more trouble after the Sounds missed a scoring opportunity in the 6th, allowing a run to score on an error, a double, and an RBI groundout to make it 3-2. Some smallball tied it in the seventh, as Sam Tracy walked and stole second, went to third on a single by Dave Caputo, and scored on a sac fly by Kevin Walker. Isaiah Phelps came in for the eighth and almost lost it, but kept the score even, bringing the game to the tenth. McNayr exited in favor of Pat Pipkin in the ninth, and Pipkin - back out for the tenth - lost it when Bobby Cook doubled, Mike Lepe took a walk, and Eric Cano roped a double into the gap in right-center to score two. In his third inning of work, Phelps sat St. Paul down 1-2-3 for the win.

Game 4: Sounds (3) defeat Saints (1), 10-7 in St. Paul
The Sounds survived an up-and-down contest and a crazy 11th inning - the second 11 inning game of the day and the second extra-innings contest in a row in this series - to take a 3-1 lead over St. Paul. Nashville sent two-way 3B/SP Scott Glendenning to the mound, and despite a subpar season he began well after shaking off early wildness that resulted in a run. Ivan Castillo and Jonathan Cosner - both of whom have been excellent in this series - hit back to back doubles to score two and take the lead in the 3rd, and CF Mel Irving drove in Jason Wilson on a single in the 5th to make it 3-1 Nashville. But in the bottom of the inning, Glendenning walked Steve Mershon and watched his third pitch to Dan Silvey sail over the wall in right center, tying it up. St. Paul doubled their score in the sixth, when Mershon hit a bases-clearing double, but Nashville got all three back the next inning when Mike Lepe returned the favor. So the game entered the tenth tied 6-6, and it entered the 11th the same way. RP Eric Thomas got a couple outs surrounding a walk to Cosner, but then the wheels came off. Andy Feldman walked, and Eric Cano again proved the extra-inning hero when his single gave Nashville a 7-6 lead. Lepe drove in the eighth run with another base hit, and a walk to Miguel Navarro loaded them up for Ron Maloney, who delivered the killing blow: a two run single to drive the score up to 10-6. In the bottom of the inning, St. Paul tried their own two out rally, as Kevin Fitzpatrick doubled to score Kevin Bankston, but Kevin Walker (there are a lot of Kevins!) struck out to end the inning and the game as Nashville took a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Game 5: Sounds (4) Defeat Saints (1), 6-3 in St. Paul
The Saints’ improbable run came to an end tonight as the Nashville Sounds shook off years of disappointment to win their fifth title. 3B Mike Lepe was named series MVP after a .476/.542/.905, 2 homer, 10 RBI series.

St. Paul drew first blood with a pair of singles and a Kevin Fitapatrick sac fly, but the damage could have been worse were it not for Miguel Navarro’s strong throw to nab Fitzpatrick during a steal attempt a batter later. On the next pitch, Steve Mershon doubled and would certainly have scored Fitzpatrick; as it was, Dan Silvey struck out to end the threat. Nashville answered back in the second, taking the lead for good as Mel Irving drove in one with a triple, then scored a second when Eric Cano drove him home against rookie starter Jerry Dudek. Cosner took Dudek deep in the third for his third homer of the series, and Mike Lepe hit his own solo shot - his second - against Dudek in the 6th to make it 4-1 Nashville. St. Paul closed the gap with a two run bottom of the sixth against Orozco, though, as the Nashville ace loaded the bases on a hit and two walks before serving up a two run double to Mershon. With men on second and third, Orozco reached back and found something, striking out Silvey, getting Sam Tracy on a shallow liner to left that Cook snared, and finally putting away Joe Sessa on a lazy fly to right. That was as close as St. Paul got, as a Mel Irving homer in the 8th and an Ivan Castillo RBI single in the ninth put the game out of reach. Nashville didn’t allow a baserunner after the sixth, and Joe Sessa made the final out on a ground ball to 2B Jason Wilson, who tossed it to Cosner before throwing his glove into the air in glee as his teammates streamed into the center of the diamond.

Congratulations to the Nashville Sounds, 2038 Champions of Division 3!