Game Two
Davis Crawford (4.27, 6-8)
vs.
Louis Mays (2.05, 13-3)
August 30 - The Mushers found themselves looking up a mountain. Louis Mays' Quality Start percentage was 68.2. They couldn't expect to rattle him easily, but going down 2-0 would put the underdogs in a dire situation.
It was a brisk, 47-degree day at the small park, with the wind blowing in. If it kept the score down, that would probably work to the benefit of the Bethel squad.
The Mushers struck early again in this game. After Ostrom led off the game with a single, Kelyn Birley blasted a two-run homer to the power alley in left-center. Mays got out of the inning without further damage.
In the bottom of the 1st, southpaw Crawford set the Senators down 1-2-3.
In the top of the second, Tom Morse led off the game with a double down the third base line, but the Mushers couldn't move him around to score.
In the bottom of the third, Crawford hit James Labbee with the first pitch of the inning. His next pitch to Russ Dunsmore bounced in front of the plate and rolled to the backstop, putting Labbee on second.
On a 3-2 count, Dunsmore nubbed a slow roller to the right side. Labbee alertly took third and Dunsmore beat the throw to put runners on the corners with nobody out.
Fortunately for Bethel, Mays was at the plate. He executed a bunt to put Dunsmore on second but Labbee stayed where he was.
Leadoff hitter Jeremy Offredi came up with one out and hit a pitch almost straight down into the dirt. By the time Crawford came up with it, Offredi was going to be safe, and Crawford just ate the throw to hold Labbee at third. Bases loaded, one out.
Oliver Theriault strode to the plate and took the first pitch deep, deep, off the wall in left-center. The ball took a funny bounce off one of the billboards on the wall, and Theriault made it all the way to third with a bases-clearing triple. Juneau 3, Bethel 2. Crawford got the last two outs of the inning without letting Theriault score, but the Senators had taken the lead.
The next scoring came in the top of the 6th, as Mays pitched to the heart of the Bethel order. Birley struck out and Preston flied out to start the inning inauspiciously for Bethel. Then on an 0-2 count George Poor reached base when he swung through the catcher's glove on a ball outside the zone, drawing the interference call.
From this small beginning, the Mushers took advantage. Duncan Sutherland singled to right, and Poor dashed to third. Tom Morse then came up and doubled to straightaway center field, scoring them both. Rowsell struck out to end the inning, but Bethel had new life. 4-3.
Unfortunately for the Mushers, Crawford couldn't hold the lead. He gave up a hit and two walks to load the bases with one out, then third baseman Tom Morse bobbled a Dunsmore grounder to allow a run to score. Pitcher Louis Mays then helped his own cause by stroking a
triple off the right-center wall. Four runs in and Crawford was done.
Juneau didn't look back from there, adding three more in the 8th with a hit parade off Bob Nealon. Final score: Juneau 10, Bethel 4. Juneau leads the series 2-0.