Thrilling Game Ends in Tie
July 12, 2008
Orleans, Mass. – An up and down, emotional filled game between the Orleans Cardinals and Cotuit Kettleers finished without a winner. The two teams tied, 4-4, after both clubs had a ninth inning lead.
Cotuit jumped out quickly with a two-run homer off the bat of OF Jeff Schaus (Clemson) in the second. A base-hit by SS Kyle Spraker (Loyola Marymount) put the Cardinals on the board in the top of the third. 2B Matt Holliman (Dyersburg St.) added a run for the Kettleers when he scored on a balk in the bottom of the third to make it 3-1.
The Cardinals would cut the lead in half during the sixth when OF Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) singled in DH Rich Poythress (Georgia).
Trailing by a run, Songco put himself on the bases with a leadoff single in the final frame. He attempted to swipe second and the throw appeared to beat him. He hooked his slide and tried to reach for the base under the bag and was called safe.
With the tying run in scoring position and the winning run at first after PH Shaun Kort (Nevada) drew a walk, Orleans received the big hit they had been lacking most of the game. 3B Mike Murphy (Maryland) lifted a soft liner into left-center that fell for a hit. Songco scored to tie the game and the runners advanced an extra base on the throw.
After a groundout by OF Gary Brown (Cal State Fullerton) with the Cotuit infield in, Cardinals OF Tim Wheeler (Sacramento St.) came up with two runners in scoring position and a chance to take the lead. He hit a groundball to the first baseman that came home with the throw. Kort, the runner at third, was in a rundown and headed back to third where Murphy was waiting.
With both runners standing on the base, Kettleer C Joey Lewis (Georgia) ran towards the bag and tagged Kort a few times. Kort was declared safe, because he had occupied the base at the beginning of the play, and finally Lewis tagged Murphy for the second out. Lewis took his time walking back to his position and flipped the ball to his pitcher. That’s when Kort took off from third. With the ball still live, he beat the catcher, and the throw, to the plate to give the Cardinals the one run lead.
RHP Brad Stillings (Kent State) struck out Kettleer OF Dallas Poulk (NC State) for the first out in the bottom of the ninth. Just two pitches later, however, Cotuit OF Brett Jackson (California) pummeled a ball to deep right-center. It left the yard for a home run and tied the affair at four.
A single and error put the go-ahead run at second with one away but Stillings pitched out of the jam. He picked up a nice throw from C Hampton Tignor (Florida), who did not start the game and had the day off, to gun down a stealing 3B Jeff Kobernus (California) and end the inning.
After the umpires and coaches gathered, the game was called due to darkness and ended in a 4-4 tie. Cotuit manager Mike Roberts was ejected following the top of the ninth inning for arguing multiple calls.
Orleans had a solid start from RHP Matt Thomson (San Diego) after striking out five and allowing three runs in 5.1 innings pitched. The All-Star candidate is now 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA and has at least one more start before the All-Star teams are chosen.
Murphy, Poythress and Songco all had multi-hit games for the Cardinals. LHP Adam Wilk (Long Beach St.) tossed 1.2 innings of shutout ball.
The Cardinals now own a two point lead in first place in the Eastern Division. They’ll face another Western Division opponent tomorrow when they host the Bourne Braves. The season series between the two clubs is tied at one win each. The game will be played at Eldredge Park beginning at 7:00pm.
(Unofficial
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