Auburn Collapses In Late Innings To Exit Playoffs

 News and Notes  8 Responses »
Sep 112012
 

Five runs in the 7th and six in the 8th turned a 6-5 ballgame into a 16-7 Tri-City beatdown as Auburn lost Game Three of the New York-Penn League Semifinals and was eliminated 2-1 in the best-of-three series.

If there’s a single number that tells the story, it’s 14 — the number of walks issued by the Doubledays pitchers on the night. Seven of them would eventually score. The Auburn moundsmen would also give up 14 hits, six coming in the final two fateful frames.

Despite the eventual outcome, the Doubledays would take the lead three times, scoring two in the top of the 1st for a 2-0 lead, one in the 3rd for a 3-2 lead, and one in the seventh to take a 6-5 lead. Auburn actually outhit Tri-City 15-14, with every batter in the lineup getting a hit. Tony Renda led the charge with a 4-for-5 night, followed by Wander Ramos at 3-for-5, and Mike McQuillan went 2-for-5 with two doubles.

Six Auburn pitchers threw last night, with each of them issuing at least one walk, hit, and a run. Cody Davis, the only one to set down a batter on strikes, was charged with the loss, giving up four runs on two hits, a walk, and a hit batsman over two and 2/3rds innings.

The loss ends Auburn’s 2012 season while Tri-City advances to the NYPL Finals against Hudson Valley, which eliminated Brooklyn with 2-0 one-hitter.

Saturday’s News & Notes – Playoff Edition

 News and Notes  5 Responses »
Sep 082012
 
Team Yesterday Today Probable Pitchers
Auburn Lost, 5-4 @ Tri-City,
7:05 p.m.		 Fischer (3-3, 4.96) vs.
Rodgers (7-2, 2.89)
Hagerstown Lost, 7-5 ELIMINATED N/A

Tri-City 5 Auburn 4
• Mooneyham 5IP, 4H, 4R, 2ER, 3BB, K
• Boyden (L, 0-1) 3IP, 3H, R, ER, BB, K
• Renda 2-4, SB
• Ramos 1-3, R, 3B, BB, OF assist at 3B
• Kieboom 1-4, 2B, 2RBI

A pinch-hit double by the league’s oldest player put the tying run for Auburn in the bottom of the 9th, but despite a pair of walks and three pitching changes, the clutch hit eluded the Doubledays for a 5-4 loss to Tri-City. Auburn scored a first-inning run but gave it back in the 3rd and fell behind with three in the 4th, a pair of errors turning might have been one-run frame into a crooked number. The Doubledays got a couple back with a two-run double off the bat of Spencer Kieboom, then had the miscues evened out with an error and a balk in the 5th to plate the tying run.

The ValleyCats got the go-ahead run in the 7th with three singles, the only hits that Michael Boyden gave up, but it stood up for the win. Boyden took the loss with one run over three innings, while starter Brett Mooneyham gave up four runs (two earned) on four hits and three walks over the first five innings. Auburn outhit TriCity 8-7, with Tony Renda leading the hit column with a 2-for-4 effort.

The series shifts to Troy, NY for Game Two tonight with Auburn needing to win to force a deciding Game Three in the best-of-three format.

Greensboro 7 Hagerstown 5
• Estevez 2⅓ IP, 3H, 4R, 4ER, BB, 3K, 2HR
• Turnbull (L, 0-1) ⅔ IP, 4H, 2R, 2ER, BB, 0K
• Hawkins 2⅓ IP, 2H, 0R, BB, 0K, 3-0 IR-S
• Burns 2-3, R, BB, SB
• Ramsey 2-4, R

Two big innings powered Greensboro to a 7-5 win to eliminate Hagerstown and advance to Sally League Finals to defend their 2011 title. The Grasshoppers went deep twice against Wirkin “For The Weekend” Estevez for all four runs scored in the 3rd inning to chase the 20-year-old from the game. The Suns responded with four of their own in the top of the 5th to tie the game, only to see Greensboro take the lead right back with two in the bottom of the inning. Hagerstown got within one with a run in the 8th, but gave it right back with a run in the 8th and went in order in the 9th.

Estevez got the no-decision with the four runs allowed over two and a 1/3rd innings on three hits (a double and two home runs) and a walk while striking out three. Kylin Turnbull took the loss with two runs given up on four hits and a walk in 2/3rds of an inning in the 6th. Richie Mirowski and Ben Hawkins combined for four scoreless innings of relief following Estevez and Turnbull. Billy Burns and Caleb Ramsey both singled twice and scored a run as Hagerstown made the most of its chances with a 4-for-6 night with RISP and just two runners left on base.