Game #1
The top 2 teams from the regular season met for game 1 on Thursday night at Kinsmen, after the Panthers swept the Cardinals 2-0 and Kanata beat the Brewers 2-1. This game was a sloppy one as the 2 teams combined for 16 walks(which includes 5 hit batters), 6 wild pitches, and 16 runners left on base (of which 13 were on 2nd or 3rd).
The Panthers struck first off of Kanata starter Dave Pennie as they loaded the bases with nobody out in the top of the first inning. They did it by having Keith Bray walk, Al Kohli single, and Dan Altherr bunting for a single. After a Pennie wild pitch scored the first run, Pennie re-grouped and got the next 3 batters out without allowing another run. Joe Kenny, starting for the Panthers, then also ran into some control problems in the Kanata half of the inning. After hitting Chad Hopewell with a pitch and then surrendering a single to Jeff Rawson, he threw 2 wild pitches to allow Kanata to tie the game. Kenny then almost got out of the inning with only 1 run scoring until Mark Majkowski crushed a ball into the right field gap for a 2 RBI double making the score 3-1.
The sloppiness continued in the top of the 2nd when Chris Kohli walked to lead off. Then after Andy Prior failed to execute a sac bunt with the runner getting forced at second base, Kelly Doell walked, and Bray got hit by a pitch to load the bases with one out. Pennie promptly then walked Al Kohli to force in a run. Then Dan Altherr hit a line drive down the left field line for a 2 RBI double and to take the lead 4-3. The inning ended when Shawn Hopewell tracked down a deep drive by John Carbonette.
The 2 third basemen then took over for a few minutes as Doell made a nice diving play in the bottom of the second and then Mike Watters made two nice plays in the top of the third as the teams went scoreless. In the bottom of the 3rd with a runner on 1st and one out, Majkowski hit a towering drive to center for an RBI triple and tie game. Phil Muller then hit a sacrifice fly to center field to score the go-ahead run.
In the 4th, the Panthers managed to get runners on second and third with nobody out thanks to another hit by pitch, a walk, an error and a stolen base. But Pennie was able to pitch out of it without any damage. Kanata then took the momentum into the 4th and scored 3 runs off of new Panther pitcher Max Stencer as Shawn Hopewell singled, Chad Hopewell walked, Rawson doubled to score 2 runs and then Watters also doubled to score one more run and make the score 8-4.
The Panthers didn't quit though as Pennie continued to have control problems, as he walked Steve Smith, Chris Kohli singled, and then Andy Prior hit an RBI single to right field. Pennie then hit Doell for the second time to load the bases and signal the end to his night as Craig Wigglesworth came in to pitch. After Bray hit a fielder's choice for an RBI, Wigglesworth was able to strike out the next batter to get out of the inning.
The Panthers turned a double play in the 5th, and had relatively easy inning, and then came up in the 6th looking to come back. With the help of an error and then a single by Steve Tsonos the Panthers once again had runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out. But after Altherr barely got thrown out trying to score on a ground out to first base, Wigglesworth once again was able to wiggle out of the jam without damage. (ya, I know that was corny)
After getting through the 6th only allowing a double by Rawson, Chris Kohli led off the 7th with a double, but after hitting another batter with a pitch, Wigglesworth again was able to wiggle (haha) out of it and get the final out of the game and clinch an 8-6 game 1 victory for Kanata.
Player of the Game : Jeff Rawson...3/4, 2 runs, 2 RBI, 2 doubles, stolen
base.
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