Thursday, 23 June (Schenectady NY) - After the threat of rain all day, and gates locked on our arrival, skies cleared and we entered the pearly gates that is the B-Diamond! A little confusion ensued as a full bearded Bill Farrell was mistaken for St. Peter......meanwhile at the "B"- Ball Orchard of Central Park, the Arachnids and Pirates squared off for their second meeting of the year. The Pirates won the 1st tilt in a comeback in extra innings. More of the same in store?
Buccos sent innings eater workhorse Jimmie Dalton to the bump and the Spiders countered with the always tough Darrell Duncan. Looked like the Arachnids pre-game scouting report was to get Dalton into deep counts, and wait for a cookie. A lead-off walk, and a Duncan 2B, followed by a Jim Wing single, and John Reel 2-ribby knock with one out had Dalton on the ropes early. Duncan staked to a 3-0 advantage, had the Bucs walking the plank with a quick and easy 4 scoreless on 5 hits, with 5 Ks and no freebies.
Dalton settled in allowing 2 unearned over the next three frames. In the 5th, the Arachnids tacked on 2 more. with Steph Koustakis and Duncan got 2-0ut raps, and Wing plated 2 more with his 2nd bingle, and Pirates were in a 7-0 hole......Ralph Caputo strode to the hill in bottom of the 5th, and got jammed up with Pirates filling the bags on 2 errors and a walk. A Ken Shaw single got the Bucs on the board, followed by a Kim Burns clutch knock. Another tally came around on a Fielder's Choice, before Duncan looked to make what may be a game saver, and near triple play, when EJ Seney lined a shot that Duncan extended full out glove side, and stepped on second for the twin killing, and a snap throw at first was juggled, but the Pirates had cut the deficit to 7-4!
Dalton steadied the ship in the 6th and 7th, with scoreless work, and with two gone, yielded to Farrell making his season debut, getting a backwards K for the final out with a primal roar that was infectious to the Swashbucklers! Burns led off the 7th with his second hit of the nite, and advanced on an error. Seney, who had a huge nite, then singled to put runners at the corner with 1-out, and got to 2nd on a wild pitch. Chuck Stanley, also in his season debut after off season surgery, came through with his second knock, and the Pirates now were within 2 -runs, with the boys on the pillows at 2nd and 3rd. Billy Reagan, who had struggled against Duncan in his first two ABs, then had to face Duncan again, as Manager Jim Edelman called on "Dunc" for a possible win and save in the same game opportunity. Reagan proved to be clutch getting a 2-run single to tie the game at 7-7, and free baseball for the estimated attendance, just under capacity, numbering five......and the two nines would have their 2nd extra inning affair in as many meetings.
With twilight setting in, the teams employed the MLB "Ghost Runner" rule with a man on second. Capitalizing on a Bucs error, the Spider grabbed back a 1-run lead, and with 2-men on, Shaw, as he has done all season, squashed the Web-builders rally with a diving catch of a low liner to end the inning. The Pirates had the bottom of the order, and Duncan got a quick punch out. A Shaw single advanced Ghost Runner Cos DiBari to 3rd, and Shaw immediately pilfered 2nd. With runners at 2nd and 3rd, Duncan got another K for 2-outs and the Buccos down to their final rips. Seney, a wall behind the plate all nite, and owner already of a 2-hit nite, then lined hit #3 up the middle, and Shaw wheeled around ahead of a throw home for the Pirates game winner!! It was the Bucs, second walk-off in as many nites! A wild nite of baseball!
IP H R ER BB K WP Arachnids: Duncan 4 5 0 0 0 5 0 Caputo .2 3 4 2 1 0 0 Nicholson 1.1 5 3 2 1 1 0 Duncan (LP) 1.2 3 2 2 1 2 0
