Pastime Baseball League
PLAYOFF REVIEW
3rd ANNUAL PBL CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES
Orlando Orcas (89-73) vs Wichita Brigade (91-71)
Game One: We kick off the third PBL Championship Series with the shocking Orlando Orcas starting ace Bill Hoffer (19-11, 3.46) against Wichita's Al Orth (19-9, 3.51).
The Orcas get two on in the first against Orth, who survives when Buck Freeman bounces into an inning-ending double play. Wichita suffers the same fate, though, loading the bases before Buddy Kerr bounces into a double play to end it, too.
The Orcas get first and third with one out in the second, threatening again. Claude Ritchey flies to left, and Benny Kauff tags to score. But Jimmy Sheckard makes a perfect one hop throw home to cut him down to end the threat and the inning.
Both pitchers settle in smoothly from there until Orlando bats in the top of the fourth. Ryan Ludwick hits a two-out double abd Kauff ropes a single to left, hard enough to Ludwick has to hold at third. Buck Ewing then lines a 2-1 fastball into center to score Ludwick and Ewing, who had stolen second on the previous pitch, giving Orlando a 2-0 lead.
Wichita, as is their trademark, came back in the bottom of the inning, as Frank Isbell hit a two out, two-run homer to tie it.
Nobody threatened until the top of the 8th, when Pete Browning led off with a single. Sam Crawford bounced into a force, leaving him on first. The Orcas gambled by running Spud Johnson for Crawford, removing their best bat from the game. It looked to pay quickly, as Johnson stole second, leading Orth to intentionally walk Freeman. Ludwick then hammered a double into left-center, scoring Johnson as Freeman took a wide turn but held at third, Orlando now leading 3-2. That was just the beginning, as Ewing - already with two RBIs - walloped a three-run homer to make it 6-2, giving him five RBIs and stunning the Wichita crowd into silence.
Wichita would get its chance in the ninth, Orth still on the mound for the Orcas. David Dejesus hit a one-out double and Hub Collins followed with an RBI single to make it 6-3. Sheckard would then single to make it first and second to bring the tying run to the plate. Mike Moynahan lined back to the mound for the second out. One out away from a complete game, Orth was pulled and closed Takashi Saito entered to face Frank Chance.
The count went 2-2 before Saito ripped off a perfect slider to freeze Chance looking at strike three to end it, giving the Orcas a much-needed first game victory.
Orlando leads series 1-0.