The Senators dominated their two playoff games and moved to the semi-finals via shutout wins over the Vets and the Dodgers.
The Golden Marlins travelled a very different route to the same place!
The 11:00 game at the Satelite field turned out to be a pitcher's duel between John Latorre of the Marlins, and Jim Gedney of the Yankees. The Fish opened the scoring in the bottom of the first, on a single by "Mash" Gadomski, a stolen base by (courtesy runner) Tom Maney, and a RBI single by Mike Girard. Girard promptly stole second base and was driven in on a single by Ron Lochner, to make it 2-0. Mr. Gedney was allowed to wriggle off the hook, after he gave up another single to TJ Scorsone and a walk to Jim McQuade, when Chuck Sohl flew out to left with the bases loaded and two outs. The Yankees immediately mounted their comeback, in the top of the second, when Don Rogers and Al Luciano put runners on first and third with consecutive singles. Todd Baldwin drove in Rogers by looping a soft fly ball to short right field for a RBI single. That made the score 2-1, with runners on first and second and nobody out. That is when John Latorre threw up a stone wall. He got the next Yankee hitter to hit a hard grounder to TJ Scorsone, who stepped on the bag at second and threw to first for a double play! Still, the tying run was on third with two out. John induced a grounder to Mash at second and the fire was out!
That is when Gedney and Latorre would take over the game, taking turns hanging goose eggs on the board, inning after inning. Gedney shut out the Marlins out the rest of the way, giving up just one single per inning over the last 5 innings he pitched. John Latorre gave up just four hits, while striking out 5, over his last 5 innings, and put the Fish in the winner's bracket with a tense 2-1 victory.
That put the Golden Marlins up against the Black Sox, in round two, who had squeeked out a 3-2 victory over the Blue Thunder in round one.
This time the pitchers were in control early. Jim Latorre and Chuck Sohl hung zeroes on the board for their respective teams, in the first two innings. The Black Sox would plate two, in the top of the third, on an error, a HBP, and RBI single by (batting champ) Ralph Caputo and Fred Phillips.
The Fish wouldn't get their first run until the bottom of the fifth. They would cut the lead in half on a walk by Skip Treece, a single by Tom Maney, and a RBI groundout by Mike Ferraro.
The Goldens would even the game at 2, in the bottom of the sixth, on a single and a stolen base by TJ Scorsone, and a RBI single by Skip Treece.
The seventh inning was one wild affair! The Black Sox looked like winners when they plated 4 runs on 3 singles and an error in the top of the frame. That is when the mojo of the teal uniforms took over. The Golden Marlins led off the bottom of the seventh, by loading the bases on three consecutive Black Sox errors. Phil Gadomski cut the score to 6-3 with a sacrafice fly. Scorsone followed with a RBI single to make it 6-4. Jim McQuade lifted a fly ball to left that was misplayed and the lead was now a very shaky 6-5. Skip Treece tied the game at 6 with his third single of the game. Chuck Sohl was walked to load the bases, with one out. Jim Latorre bore a hard fast ball in on Tom Maney's hands and all Tom was able to do was lift a soft fly ball behind first base. The Black Sox second baseman raced over into position, but the ball glanced off his glove, and the improbable comeback was complete. The Golden Marlins punched their ticket to the semi-finals and the Black Sox are left to duke it out with the Dodgers, Vets, and Yakees for the final spot on Sunday.
Good luck to all four teams!




-- Edited by mgirard11 on Sunday 12th of September 2010 07:07:23 PM