9/21/21 (Watervliet, NY) - The 62-Pirates got out of the gate in the Opening Round of the Playoffs, topping the Peppers 8-4, behind the southpaw servings of the crafty left-hander Bill Farrell, and a full team effort from top to bottom. The Pirates advance to the Winners Bracket and will take on the #1 Seed Yankees, back at Watervliet on Thursday. The Buccos will be working short-handed and have to cobble together a viable line-up for the task!
The long term nemesis Peppers, who always give the Pirates good, well contested games, came out swinging and plated a singletary on a booming Matt Lawson double, a Dave Plew single, and an error to draw first blood. SP Plew worked around 2 Pirate knocks (Jasiewicz, and Newcomb) but escaped damage when C Charlie Freer, gunned out a stolen base attempt by Jasiewicz. Farrell got into a groove after facing 2nd and 3rd with 1-out on singles by Adam Zafran and Dan Durback, inducing to ground outs to get out of the jam, on his way to setting down 8 in a row.
The Swashbucklers got a nice lift from the bottom third of their line-up in the 2nd. After an error, walk, and a Howard Becker single got the bases drunk with Pirates, Harold Jenkins walked to force in the first Pirates run, Mike Hart reached on an error bringing home another and Jimmie Dalton's fielder's choice ribby capped a 3-run inning. Pirates tacked on in the 3rd behind singles by Jim Ansel, Paul Peters, a Ray Meandro ribby single, and Ken Shaw plating a third run reaching on a FC, as Pirates extended the lead to 6-1. After breezing for 2 1/3, Farrell faced the "no quit in them" Peppers, as an error, followed by a Tony Mogavero two-bagger and Durback single, and Brad Maione ground out got 2 runs back for the Red Peppers, cutting the deficit in half, and looking to force a change of momentum.
The top of the Bucs order got busy in the 5th, answering back with two important tack-ons. A Jasiewicz single, and a pick-off attempt gone bad had him standing on third when Wayne Newcomb drove him in with base-knock, scoring 1-out later on rbi ringing double by Rick Knipper.
The Peppers were just not going to go quietly. Singles by Ben Phillips, Freer, and Lawson filled the sacks with -0- outs. Farrell then got a key punchout for the first out, surrendered a rbi ground out to Tom Japour, before fanning the last Pepper caught looking to escape the jam, and end the game!
Farrell got the Complete Game Win with 6 IP 4 runs 1 earned 0 walks and 3 Ks. Plew pitched well in defeat with an assortment of off-speed that kept the Pirates flailing a some of the offerings. Catchers Freer (2 caught stealing) and Becker (diving catch of a foul pop-up) were defensive stalwarts for both teams. Newcomb played a flawless 2B, with a nice bare-handed sparkler to end the Peppers rally in the fifth. Pirates got rbi's from six different players, banging out an 11-hit attack.
Peppers will now face the loser of the #2 - #3 match up next Tuesday at the A-Diamond.
R H E Peppers 4 9 3 Pirates 8 11 2
WP - Farrell 1-0 LP - Plew 0-1
Peppers: Lawson 2-3, Durback 2-2 Pirates: Jasiewicz 2-3,Newcomb 2-2 2r, Becker 2-2 1 r, Ansel 1-3, r and rbi
