Game time was 8:30pm, and the temperatures dipped into the 50's with a brisk breeze, so there were only 6 or 7 fans in attendance. Those fans were treated to a fantastic finish in a hard fought contest between the first place Outlaws (10-2) and the second place Cubs (8-3).
The first four innings were controlled by the Outlaws. Ed Powell scattered just 3 singles and two walks, while striking out three and keeping the Cubs off of the scoreboard. Meanwhile the Outlaws offense was much better at grouping their hits against Phil Gadomski. In the second inning, the Outlaws sandwiched doubles by Mike Stammel and Rob Malchowski around a Cub error to plate three runs. In the third inning, Dan Mirabile and Steve Lounello singled and were followed by a Mike Hicks double and a Mario Arduini single to plate two more runs and take a commanding 5-0 lead.
It looked like the Cubs would get on the board in the 4th when Mike Girard led off with a single and Andy Hoyle followed with a walk, but Ed Powell then induced two weak ground balls and and got his third strike out of the game to extinguish the rally.
The Cubs finally got on the board in the fifth. Joe Cicarelli got to first on a one out error and Jim McQuade followed with a single. Bryce Cutler then doubled to drive in both base runners. After a Randy Craft walk and a Girard HBP, the bases were loaded. Ed Powell got Hoyle to pop out to short, and with two outs got Tom Maney to lift a little fly ball behind shortstop. The ball somehow found a bad spot in the lights and eluded the Outlaws shortstop and dropped safely to plate two more runs and bring the score to 5-4. Powell was then lifted for Steve Lounello, who got Ted Poleto to pop out to second to end the rally.
With the Cubs back in the game, Phil Gadomski found new life and he pitched around two Outlaw singles to get through the bottom of the 5th with no runs.
Dave Mitchell led off the top of the sixth with a long home run to left center off of the Outlaws third pitcher, Jeff Jeanette, to tie the game at 5. Jeanette recovered to strike out the next two Cubs batters, but the next three Cubs hitters (McQuade, Cutler, and Craft) all singled and the Cubs were in the lead 6-5. Mike Hicks then made a nice play in the hole between third and short to end the inning.
Gadomski pitched around a Hicks single in the bottom of the sixth to keep the game at 6-5.
It looked like the Cubs would add to their lead in the top of the seventh when Andy Hoyle led off with a single and was sacraficed to second. A walk and an error loaded the bases with one out. Tommy Leonard came on in relief and got a pop out to second and a strike out to give his team a chance to tie or win it in the bottom of the seventh.
The Cubs brought on Ron Massaroni to pitch the bottom of the seventh. He started the inning well, getting the leadoff hitter on a comebacker for the first out. Rob Malachowski worked a walk to put the tying run aboard. Massaroni then got pinch hitter (Friedman) to hit into a fielders choice. With two outs and a man on first, Ed Powell strode to the plate a hit a looping liner down the right field line. The ball landed right on the foul line and was bobbled momentarily by the Cubs right fielder. The Outlaws third base coach saw the bobble and waved Friedman around to home. Joe Ciccarelli then recovered from the bobble to hit first baseman, Mike Girard, with the relay. Girard turned and fired the ball to home and Bryce Cutler caught the ball and applied the tag. Game over. Cubs win 6-5.
It was a great game between two evenly matched teams! It was too bad we had to play under such poorly lit field conditions, but it seemed to affect both teams equally. We are all looking forward to the rematch under daylight conditions on July 21.

-- Edited by mgirard11 on Friday 2nd of July 2010 07:00:27 AM

-- Edited by mgirard11 on Friday 2nd of July 2010 07:04:06 AM

-- Edited by mgirard11 on Friday 2nd of July 2010 07:06:15 AM