Schenectady, B-Diamond 5/11 - In an affair that had the base paths full of traffic with 33 hits and 23 runs, the Pirates held on for a 12-11 victory over the visiting Twins, on a perfect nite for baseball at the B-Diamond ball orchard! The Twins struck first off Pirates starter Dana Hansen, sending 8 to the plate in the top of the first, hanging a crooked 3-spot on ribby singles by Jim Tino and Mike Rushlander.
The Pirates answered back with 5 of their own in the bottom of the frame, all with two outs, with 4 singles, capped by 2-run single from Rick Knipper, and the hits and runs fest was on! Hansen got two quick Look-a-Likes outs (a man-up stop by 1B John Haff), before using hits by Charlie Freer, Terry McCarthy and Tino, sandwiched around an E-9 to knot things at 5-5. Twins SP Lee Madsen, settled in with a scoreless 2nd, and a K to start the 3rd, until a free pass, the 2nd of (3) Dane Dostie knocks, and Knipper's 2-rbi 2-bagger pushed the Bucs back up 7-5. Knipper then toed the slab, posting two white washed frames, as the Buccos tacked on with 3 in the 4th on the wheels of Jim Jasiewicz, Dom Carnibucci, and Haff (2 steals in the game), to push the Pirates edge to 10-5 after 4 innings.
The "no-quit in them" Twins broke through for a quick 3 spot in the 5th against Knipper, capitalizing on two Black and Gold miscues, a Sac Fly from Greg Briscoe, and were threatening to retake the lead with the bases drunk and 2-out. Manager Jimmie Dalton, had to dig deep in his bullpen, and out of options called on himself. The Twins edged within 1 at 10-9, after a John Reel singleton, before Dalton got an F-8 to kill the rally. The Pirates went quietly in the 5th, and Dalton hung a zero in the Twins 6th, thanks to a game-saver by Paul Peters with 2-outs and Tino at 2B, Peters ranged into short left field behind 3B, to make a web-gem with a diving, backhand catch on sure hit flare off the bat of Briscoe. In the bottom half, the Swashbucklers gave Dalton some wiggle room on hits from Greg Allen, Haff and Dostie (rbi), around a twin killing, followed by what eventually would prove to be the game winner on a 2-0ut ribeye steak from Tom Keating, and a 12-9 edge.
A white knuckle finished ensued as Dalton worked into the jam of jams on singles from Joe Parker, Rushlander and Rod Smith to fill the pillows. A Jim Edelman Sac Fly, and Rick Saidenburg knock, closed the score to a 1-run game. With runners at 1st and 2nd, a pop-up for an infield fly call, and the tying and winning runs stayed put. A Freer single reloaded the bases, and it looked for sure that the Twins were ready to come all the way back, and force the Bucs to walk-it off or go free baseball with extra innings. Dalton, reached into the bag of slop some might call pitches, to induce a comebacker, which with his lack of fielding prowess, or more plainly his hands of stone, his mates were thinking "there goes the game" before corralling the squibber and landing 1 more strike, this one to first base, and the Pirates eked out a quality win!
R H E Twins 11 17 3 Pirates 12 16 5
WP - Knipper 1-0 LP - Madsen Save - Dalton (1)
Twins - Tino 4-4, 2 bi; Parker and Saidenberg 2-3, Rushlander 2-4,2 r and rbi Pirates -Dostie 3-3, 3 r, 2 rbi; Knipper 2-3, 4 rbi; Carnibucci, Peters, Allen 2-4 and each a run scored; Haff 2-3, 4 r
Time: 2:17 Umpires: Holden and Finke Attendance - not reported
