Pastime Baseball League
PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Game Three Recap
Memphis Strummers (106-56) vs Wichita Brigade (108-54)
MEMPHIS -- The Memphis Strummers escaped Wichita doing the essential, splitting the pair so they could grab home-field advantage for the rest of the series. Winning a pivotal Game 3 would prove huge, assuring them of being no worse than even when facing Rube Waddell in Game 5.
Twenty-game winner Lady Baldwin and Elton Chamberlain locked up for Memphis and Wichita, respectively.
Wichita would strike first when, after a scoreless first inning, Spotswood Poles hit a one-out double before Ollie Beard - who hit 6 homers in 250 regular season at bats - hit his second in as many games, a 2-run homer to put Wichita up 2-0.
Deacon White would homer for Memphis in the 4th to make it a 2-1 game, with both pitchers looking sharp besides their respective longballs.
The game would stay 2-1 until the top of the 8th. Chamberlain was still in, and he would surrender a leadoff double to Ichiro Suzuki to start the inning. Deacon White would ground out to first, moving Suzuki over to set up a sac fly from Charleston - only Charleston had bigger ideas, ripping a triple into the gap in right-center.
Chamberlain would bear down though, intentionally walking Cap Anson before striking out Ryan Braun and getting Josh Willingham to pop out to third to end the inning and keep things tied at 2.
Baldwin would finish nine innings, while Chamberlain would make way for Wichita closer Chad Cordero, who would throw a scoreless ninth to send things to extras.
Dick McBride would come in to pitch for Memphis, getting Hub Collins to line out to Cupid Childs at second to start the 10th. Robinson Cano would then single, and Oyster Burns would send a 1-2 changeup into the gap in left-center for a double to give Wichita a 3-2 lead.
McBride would intentionally walk Jimmy Sheckard and give up an infield hit to George Davis to load the bases. After striking out Spotswood Poles, it seemed McBride could be minimizing the damage.
Sammy Strang would swing at the first pitch from McBride, lacing a line drive to right center. Charleston would cut it off nicely, holding Strang to a single. Nonetheless, both runners would score to give Wichita a 5-2 lead.
Wichita would leave Cordero in, letting him hit to close out the top of the 10th, so he could finish up. Charleston would hit a one-out single, but Anson and Braun would each ground out to second, ending the game and putting Wichita back in the driver's seat.
Wichita 5, Memphis 2 in 10 innings (Wichita leads series 2-1)