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| AL GAME 1 7/29/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| ROYALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | 0 | 3 | 6 |
| POLECATS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 6 | X | X | X | 13 | 9 | 0 |
POLECATS JUMP ALL OVER ROYALS
The Polecats took it to the Royals, using solid defense, excellent pitching and a strong attack at the plate to make a statement in this mercy rule-shortened game. Polecats starter Matt Weber was the real story in this one, pitching all seven innings, allowing just three hits while walking four. After a pair of hits in the first inning, Weber retired thirteen consecutive Royals. Only one runner managed to make it to third base all night, and Weber fanned at least one batter in every inning, with a total of eight in the game. Jonathan Dove opposed Weber for the visiting Royals, and deserved a much better fate, but his defense let him down to the tune of four errors in the fourth inning alone, in which the Polecats pushed across six unearned runs. The biggest blow, however, came in the sixth long after Dove was out of the game, a no-doubter Grand Slam off the bat of firstbaseman Jeff Griffeth. Griffeth ended up 3-4 on the night, with the four RBIs and a stolen base to boot. Other big hitters for the Polecats included Billy Hutchins, who went 2-4, with an RBI and a run scored, and Feeney Armistead, who picked up a pair of hits in three at bats, with a double and two runs to go with a stolen base. Game two of this best-of-three series is scheduled to take place Saturday Night at 7:30PM.
GAME MVP: MATT WEBER
| POLECATS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | ROYALS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB |
| Jeffery Crosby-cf | 3 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 1 | Matt Ayers-cf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Billy Hutchins-ss | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Josh Babb-2b | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Rob Brown-rf | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | Nick Rudolph-ss | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Danny Tillery-3b/ss | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | Jonathan Dove-p/3b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jeff Griffeth-1b | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 0 | Scott Mixon-c | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Greg Foster-dh | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Jay Rudolph-rf | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Josh Stovall-ph/dh | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | John Babb-1b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Ryan Doolittle-2b | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Carlos Lopez-lf | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Feeney Armistead-dh/3b | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Nick Sorel-3b/p | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Hawk-lf | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | ||||||
| Joe Smith-c/dh | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| TOTAL | 28 | 13 | 9 | 7 | 6 | TOTAL | 23 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 |
HR: Jeff Griffeth-Polecats
SB: Jeffery Crosby,Rob Brown,Jeff Griffeth,Feeney Armistead-Polecats
| IP | BF | R | ER | H | BB | HB | K | IP | BF | R | ER | H | BB | HB | K | ||
| Matt Weber | 7 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | Jonathan Dove | 4 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Nick Sorel | 2 | 13 | 6 | 6 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 7 | 27 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 0 | 8 | TOTAL | 6 | 34 | 13 | 7 | 9 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| NL GAME 1 7/27/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| NINJAS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 17 | 3 |
| HEAT | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | X | 9 | 12 | 2 |
HEAT SLIP BY NINJAS IN EPIC BATTLE
Game one of the 2010 AAMBL National League Playoff Series got underway Tuesday Night with a matchup between a perennial contender in the Heat, and the upstart Ninjas. The Heat sent their ace, Mike Padgett to the hill against Dustin Alewine of the Ninjas. After an uneventful first couple of innings, the Ninjas got things going with a pair of runs in the third. With one out, A.J. Schnelle laced a single to right-center and Rick Pittard doubled him home. Then, Dustin Alewine hit a grounder to short that should have cut Pittard down at third base, but the shortstop dropped the ball and everyone was safe. Jed Gurley then stepped up and smacked the second of his four singles on the night and Pittard came in with the second run of the inning. The Heat came roaring back with four runs in their half of the third, taking advantage of three Ninja errors. Ethan Seagraves led off with a single and Corey Boswell beat out a bunt for a single and an alert Seagraves moved all the way to third. Alewine struck out the next batter, and induced a seemingly harmless grounder to third on the next play, but the ball was misplayed and Seagraves was able to score and Phillip Archer made it to second on the overthrow. Matt Kennison then stepped up and singled to center, allowing Boswell to come home and tie the score at 2 runs each. Alex Holmes then hit a high chopper to third, and Archer headed plateward as the throw headed to the catcher, but Archer turned back and made it safely back into third and the bases were loaded. Alewine then struck out the next batter, but Trey McCay then came up and swatted a hard single that plated Archer and Kennison and gave the Heat a 4-2 lead. In the fifth, Heat shortstop Phillip Archer hit a towering fly ball to left that probably should have been caught, but dropped over the head of the leftfielder for a lead-off double. Matt Kennison then singled to center and Archer came home. After a pop out, Sam Barth singled to right and Kennison went to third, eventually scoring on a sac fly by Trey McCay for the 6-2 lead. The Ninjas had their big inning in the top of the sixth, plating four runners. With one out, Miguel Trujillo beat out an infield single and Nick Stiles moved him into scoring position with a walk. Brannan Wilburn then singled Trujillo home and Stiles found third base on the hit and an error in right field on the same play. A.J.Schnelle then cleared the bases with double to left-center. Jed Gurley's fourth hit of the game allowed Schnelle to score the tying run and knocked Heat starter Mike Padgett off the mound in favor of Ethan Seagraves, who stopped the bleeding in the inning by striking out the next batter. The Ninjas kept the pressure on and retook the lead with a two-run seventh. Alex Simmons and Miguel Trujillo led off with back-to-back singles and after a strikeout, Brannan Wilburn walked to load the bases for a red-hot A.J. Schnelle, who promptly delivered a two-run single as Trujillo and Wilburn scored and the Ninjas lead 8-6. The Heat weren't ready to give up this game, and got to work in the eighth. With one down, Corey Boswell singled and Russ Williams worked a base on balls and Phillip Archer beat out an infield single and the sacks were juiced for Matt Kennison. Kennison's fly ball to center was just deep enough to send Boswell plateward, and Williams and Archer took advantage as well, with both runners also moving up ninety feet into scoring position, setting the stage for Alex Holmes's heroics. With two outs, Holmes muscled a ball into shallow centerfield and Archer followed Williams to the plate with the tying and go-ahead runs. Seagraves got into a little bit of trouble in the top of the ninth as the Ninjas tried to muster a comeback, but a controversial strike three was called and the game ended with two runners on base for the Ninjas. The Heat took game one by a score of 9-8 and now lead the best of three series, one game to none. Game two of this series will commence Friday Night at 7:30PM at Lay Field. Game 3, if necessary, is slated for Sunday afternoon at 3:30PM at Lay Field.
GAME MVP: ALEX HOLMES-HEAT
| HEAT | AB | R | H | RBI | BB | NINJAS | AB | R | H | RBI | BB |
| Russ Williams-cf | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | Dustin Alewine-p | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Phillip Archer-ss | 5 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | Jed Gurley-3b | 5 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 0 |
| Matt Kennison-rf | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | Sam Pittard-cf | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Alex Holmes-3b | 4 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | Alex Simmons-c | 5 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Sam Barth-c | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Miguel Trujillo-ss | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Trey McCay-1b | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | Nick Stiles-1b | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Scott McBride-dh | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Brannan Wilburn-lf | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Ethan Seagraves-lf/p | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | A.J.Schnelle-2b | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 1 |
| Corey Boswell-2b | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | Rick Pittard-rf | 5 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 38 | 9 | 12 | 9 | 2 | TOTAL | 41 | 8 | 17 | 8 | 4 |
SB: Russ Williams,Sam Barth-Heat
| IP | BF | R | ER | H | BB | HB | K | IP | BF | R | ER | H | BB | HB | K | ||
| Mike Padgett | 5.2 | 29 | 6 | 5 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 2 | Dustin Alewine | 8 | 41 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
| Ethan Seagraves | 3.1 | 16 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 5 | |||||||||
| TOTAL | 9 | 45 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 4 | 0 | 7 | TOTAL | 8 | 41 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 1 | 1 | 9 |
2010 WEEK 17 PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK:JONATHAN HOUSE-DESPERADOS 3-4/2B/2RBI/R/SB
2010 WEEK 17 PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: JONATHAN DOVE-ROYALS 8IP/W/0R/3BB/1H
2010 WEEK 17 TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK-DESPERADOS
| GAME 74 7/25/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| DESPERADOS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 9 | 3 |
| DODGERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
FIVE DESPERADO PITCHERS COMBINE TO NO-HIT DODGERS
The Desperados used five pitchers to no-hit a reeling Dodgers team and let the Desperados head into the postseason on a high note. The Desperados offense got a run in the second when Dustin Thacker reached on an error, then went to third on a double by Jonathan House before scoring on a sac fly by Will Ryder. The big inning was the Desperado fourth. Chris Ray led off with a single and Matt Reiter walked. One out later, Barry Meek reached on an error to load the bases and Jonathan House singled in Ray and Reiter while moving Meek to third and making second himself on an error in right. Will Ryder then singled in Meek and House with Ryder landing at second via error on the same play. After swiping third, Wesley Rice's grounder to first was then misplayed and Ryder scored. Roman Kelly then doubled in Rice and the rout was on. The Desperados put up another tally in the seventh when Jonathan Kelly doubled and scored on Matt Reiter's two-out single for the 8-0 lead. But it was the Desperados pitching staff that were the story of the game, with five pitchers combing on a no-hit bid. Roman Kelly pitched the first three innings, walking one and fanning five. Matt Reiter came on for the next two frames and fanned five batters. Barry Meek then came in and struck out the side in his inning of work. Burton Parker came in for the next two innings, facing the minimum. Wesley Rice pitched the hitless ninth to close the door on the Dodgers's season.
The Desperados were led at the plate by Jonathan House, who went 3-4, with a run, a double, a stolen base and two RBIs.
| GAME 73 7/23/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HEAT | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 |
| HAMMERS | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 7 | 1 |
HAMMERS BEAT HEAT, WIN NATIONAL LEAGUE
The Heat and Hammers met up with everything on the line Friday Night at Lay Park. The winner would be in first place, looking at a first round bye in the tough NL playoffs. The Hammers got things going in the first off of starter Blaine Seagraves. Sam Woods singled to lead off the game and was bunted over to second. Matt Cooper was hit by a pitch and Brandon Cooper blasted a three-run shot in support of starter Sam Woods. The Hammers gave Woods an insurance run in the third when Matt Cooper walked and eventually scored on a single by Nick Bruner to make it 4-0. That was more than Woods would need as he pitched a complete game four-hitter. The only run against Woods came in the eighth when Ethan Seagraves walked ahead of J.J. McCay's double that scored Seagraves, but McCay tried to stretch it into a triple, only to be hosed at third. The Hammer's victory sealed the division and a first round bye for coach Tate Silcox. The Heat will now have to tangle with the Ninjas in round one, which begins Tuesday Night at Lay Field.
The Heat were led by Sam Barth (2-3,BB)
The Hammers were led by Sam Woods (9IP,4H,6K/2-4,R,SB) Brandon Cooper (1-4,HR,R,3RBI) and Larry McGhee (2-3)
| GAME 72 7/23/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| POLECATS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 2 |
| NINJAS | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | X | 4 | 5 | 3 |
NINJAS SURPRISE POLECATS
Two more teams met up in a game with huge playoff implications as the Polecats and Ninjas squared off on Friday Night at Holland Sports Complex. The Polecats took and early lead with a run in the first when Jeffery Crosby was hit by a pitch and then stole second before scoring on an error. Two more Polecats runs came in the third when Billy Hutchins singled and stole second and Rob Brown hit a single that put Hutchins on third. Jeff Griffeth then hit a pop fly to third and Hutchins managed to score on the play. Brown then stole second and eventually scored on Greg Foster's two-out single for the 3-0 lead. The Ninjas got right back into the game with a three-run third inning. AJ Schnelle walked to open the frame and Pete Thorne followed with a single. Schnelle was erased on a fielder's choice as Brannan Wilburn made first safely. Dustin Alewine then singled in Thorne and Wilburn and Alewine made home via errors, passed balls and a wild pitch to tie the game at 3 runs apiece. The Ninjas's go-ahead run came in the sixth when Nick Stiles reached on a fielder's choice, then made second when AJ Schnelle walked. Stiles then stole third and scored on an error by the catcher for the 4-3 lead. Alex Simmons then took the mound for the Ninjas in relief of starter Dustin Alewine. Simmons pitched the final three innings of no-hit ball, fanning five batters in picking up the save.
The Polecats were led by Rob Brown (2-4,R,SB) and Greg Foster (2-3,BB,SB,RBI)
The Ninjas by Pete Thorne (1-2,R,BB)
| GAME 71 7/22/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| BRAVES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| ROYALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | X | 5 | 6 | 6 |
ROYALS MOVE INTO THIRD PLACE, BRAVES ELIMINATED
Any chance the Braves had of making a playoff run was ruined by a 5-0 pasting by the newly revitalized Royals club. The Royals scored their first run in the fourth when Nick Sorel led off with a walk. Nick Rudolph then singled him to second and both runners moved into scoring position by way of wild pitch. Jonathan Dove then hit a sac fly and Sorel raced home. The fifth inning also produced a run for the Royals. Carlos Lopez walked and went to second on a passed ball. The next batter was struck out on a dropped strike three, and Lopez made third on the throw to first to complete the strikeout. Matt Ayers then singled in Lopez for the 2-0 lead. The Royals doubled the lead with two outs in the sixth when Josh Babb singled and John Babb walked. Matt Goyen then doubled down the left-field line and Josh Babb raced home. John Babb then scored on a wild pitch. The Royals put the finishing touches on a big win with a run in the seventh when Nick Sorel was hit by a pitch, made second via passed ball and scored on Nick Rudolph's two-out single.
The Royals were led by Jonathan Dove on the mound (8IP,1H,8K), and at the dish by Nick Rudolph (2-4,RBI) and Matt Goyen (1-3,2B,RBI)
| GAME 70 7/20/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| GRIZZLIES | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 13 | 5 |
| POLECATS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 4 |
GRIZZLIES GO OUT ON TOP, TAKE A BITE OUT OF POLECATS
The Polecats came into this game looking for some momentum heading into the playoffs, and the Grizzlies were just looking for a positive ending to a tough season. The Polecats got two runs early when Jeffery Crosby led off the game with a single and Billy Hutchins followed that with a double. Crosby scored on a grounder by Ryan Doolittle and Danny Tillery knocked Hutchins with a grounder of his own. The Grizzlies got both runs back a half inning later after one-out hits by Dion Roseberry and Jason Wallace. Kyle Shubert hit what should have been a double play, but an error on the play allowed Roseberry to score. Wallace then stole third and scored on a passed ball for the 2-2 tie. Kent Rollins led off the second for the Grizzlies with a walk before swiping second and scoring on Jason Little's single. Kent Rollins had a one-out single in the fifth and then made third on an errant pickoff attempt before scoring on brother Neil Rollins's single for the 4-2 lead. The Grizzlies stretched the lead to 7-2 with a three-run sixth. Jason Wallace singled and went to third on Kyle Shubert's double. Justin Levesque then popped to short and Wallace tried to take advantage of the shortstop falling towards the outfield and raced home, but Billy Hutchins got up and unloaded a bullet to a waiting catcher and Wallace was hosed. Preston Bostic then laced a double that plated Shubert and Kent Rollins singled home Bostic. After swiping second and third, Kent Rollins capped the Grizzlies scoring when he came home on an error on the steal of third. The Polecats tried to make a game of it in the seventh when Rob Brown led off with a single. Greg Foster's ground ball was misplayed and runners were on first and second. Josh Stovall then worked a walk and the sacks were juiced. A wild pitch then allowed all three runners to move up with Rob Brown scoring. Feeney Armistead then walked one out later to reload the bases. After a strikeout made two down, Foster scored on a wild pitch and Stovall came home via error to make it 7-5. Reliever Jason Little then settled down for the next two innings and held the Polecats scoreless in picking up his first save of the season.
The Grizzlies were led by Preston Bostic (2-5,R,2B), Kent Rollins (2-4,RBI,BB), Jason Wallace (2-4,R,SB) and Kyle Shubert (2-3,R,2B,SB,BB)
2010 WEEK 16 PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK:TREY McCAY-HEAT 2-2/HR/4RBI/R/BB
2010 WEEK 16 PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: MIKE PADGETT-HEAT 6IP/W/1R/0BB/2H
2010 WEEK 16 TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK-HEAT
| GAME 69 7/18/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| BRAVES | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 2 |
| HAMMERS | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | X | 7 | 5 | 5 |
HAMMERS EARN SHOWDOWN WITH HEAT;BRAVES CLING TO PLAYOFF LIFE
The Hammers overcame an early three-run deficit to stay in first place in the National League and all but dashed any hopes the Braves had of making a postseason run. The Braves looked like they came to play with a three-run outburst in the first. With one down, Matt Charron walked and Brant Copeland reached on an error and put Charron at third. Charron then scored on Ryan Rickard's groundout for the second out. Will Lance then singled in Copeland and Myles Watson singled in Lance for the 3-0 edge. The Hammers came right back with a two run first inning. Sam Woods led off for tech Hammers and reached via error at short, then Robert Cooper singled him to second. Both runners moved up on a wild pitch before Matt Cooper singled them both in to make it 3-2. The Braves scored another run in the third with two outs to make it 4-2. Brant Copeland singled and scored when Ryan Rickard's grounder to third was misplayed then thrown around the field for a while. The Hammers got that run back in the bottom of the third, however, when Matt Cooper was hit by a pitch leading off the inning, then came around to score via errors and wild pitches. Two more runs came in the fourth for the Hammers when Scott Cooper led off with a single and Sam Woods walked. Two outs later, Brandon Cooper was hit by a pitch and bases were loaded. Nick Bruner then worked a walk that plated Scott Cooper and Todd Laniak was plunked and Woods scored as the Hammers took a 5-4 lead. Robert Cooper was hit by a pitch in the sixth, then came around to score via a bunt, a fielder's choice and a wild pitch. In tech seventh, Todd Laniak went deep for an insurance run, making the score 7-4. Larry McGhee came on in relief of starter Brandon Cooper and cruised to his second save of tech season.
The Hammers were led at the dish by Todd Laniak (1-3,HR,R,RBI)
| GAME 68 7/18/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| GRIZZLIES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 | 4 | X | 13 | 12 | 5 |
| DODGERS | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 2 | 6 | 6 |
DODGERS MISS CHANCE TO CONTROL OWN DESTINY
The Dodgers appeared to be in control through the first four innings of this game, but things got away from them in the later frames. The Dodgers got a run and a lead in the first of Neil Rollins when Ryan Blackwell led off the game with a walk and made second on an errant pickoff throw, then third via passed ball before scoring on Robert Allen's single. Another Dodger run came in the second when Derek Harris reached on a lead-off error, then stole second and got to third on an error on the same play. Harris scampered home on a passed ball for the 2-0 lead. The game stayed that way until the Grizzlies put up two runs in the fifth. With one down, Scott Mixon singled and Kyle Shubert followed with a double. Jason Little's sacrifice fly plated Mixon and moved Shubert to third. Shubert then stole home to tie the score at 2 runs apiece. In the next Grizzlies inning, Dion Roseberry and Jordan Addison led off with base knocks and Jason Wallace followed suit to tie the game. Justin Levesque then hit a fly ball to right that allowed Roseberry to score, but Wallace was gunned down trying to make second on the play. However, Addison took advantage of the play at second and scored all the way from second on the same play for the Grizzlies's 4-2 lead. Things started to slip away for the Dodgers in the seventh when Scott Mixon reached after strike three was dropped, the stole second. Kyle Shubert then singled and Mixon went to third. Jason Little's grounder was misplayed at short and everyone was safe, with Mixon scoring and Shubert to second. Shubert then stole third and Little eventually made second on a wild pitch. Neil Rollins's sac fly plated Shubert and Little came home when Roseberry doubled. Roseberry then scored on a pair of passed balls. Jason Wallace kept the inning going with a single and a pair of steals before scoring on a single by Zach Baker for the 9-2 lead. The Grizzlies put the game away with a four-run eighth, marred by errors and featuring no hits in the inning. The four runs led to a mercy ruling and the Grizzlies won 13-2.
The leader for the Dodgers was Robert Allen, who went 2-4, with an RBI, a stolen base and a HBP. The Grizzlies got a big game from Dion Roseberry, who went 2-5, scoring twice, hitting a double and knocking in two runs. Jason Wallace went 3-4, scored a run, stole a base and walked. Kyle Shubert went 3-4, scored twice, stole two bases and doubled.
| GAME 67 7/16/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| DESPERADOS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | X | X | 11 | 12 | 1 |
| ROYALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | 1 | 2 | 3 |
DESPERADOS DROP ROYALS INTO FOURTH PLACE
The Desperados jumped all over the Royals with a six-run first inning and paced themselves to an 11-1 victory in seven innings. Big hitters for the Desperados were Roman Kelly, who went 3-4, with two runs, a double, a stolen base and a HBP. Matt Reiter went 2-5, scored twice, stole a base and knocked a run in. Jonathan Kelly went 3-4, with a double, two RBIs, and a run scored.
| GAME 66 7/15/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| POLECATS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
| HEAT | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | X | 6 | 5 | 2 |
HEAT TOO HOT TO HANDLE FOR POLECATS
The Heat faced the Polecats in a game both teams needed to have any hopes of catching the leaders in their respective divisions and gaining a first round bye in the postseason. The Heat took a step in the right direction with a 6-1 victory. Mike Padgett won for the fifth time this season, going six strong innings. The only blip on the radar against Padgett came in the fifth when Danny Tillery smoked a solo homer for the Polecats' only tally of the game. Padgett's offense got behind him early with a three-run first inning, all the damage done with two outs. The Polecats sent their ace, Matt Weber to the hill, and after getting the first two batters out, Weber issued walks to Matt Kennison and Alex Holmes before Trey McCay launched a shot just over the fence for the 3-0 lead. The Heat put up another three-spot in the sixth after Weber left the game, replaced by Justin Pannell. Pannell walked the first two batters he faced, then both runners moved up ninety feet when the catcher tried to pick a runner off, but his throw sailed into the outfield. Then Sam Barth hit a grounder to first that was misplayed and J.J. McCay came home from third as Russ Williams stayed at second and Barth at first. Matt Kennison then singled to load the bases. Alex Holmes then brought Williams in with a sacrifice fly to center that also put Barth on third. Barth then scored on Trey McCay's sacrifice fly to end the scoring at 6-1. Ethan Seagraves came on in relief for the Heat and recorded the three-inning save, his first of the season.
The Polecats were led offensively by the Danny Tillery (1-4,HR,R,RBI)
The Heat got a big night from Trey McCay (2-2,HR,4RBI,BB)
2010 WEEK 15 PLAYERS-OF-THE-WEEK:
JEFF KILGORE-DESPERADOS 3-5/HR/2R/RBI AND DANNY TILLERY-POLECATS 4-5/3SB/2R/2RBI
2010 WEEK 15 PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: WESLEY RICE-DESPERADOS 5IP/W/10K/2H
2010 WEEK 15 TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK-BRAVES
| GAME 65 7/11/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| ROYALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | 1 | 7 | 2 |
| POLECATS | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 4 | X | 11 | 16 | 2 |
ROYALS MISS BIG OPPORTUNITY
The Royals and Brooklyn Dodgers were tied for the final playoff spot in the American League, and with the Dodgers' loss to the Hammers earlier in the day, the Royals had a chance to grab sole possession of the last spot in the playoffs. But the Polecats stood in their way, and they weren't budging. Three Polecat pitchers combined to hold the Royals at bay while their offense continued to rack up runs. The first Polecat run came in the first when Billy Hutchins singled, stole second and went to third on a wild pitch before scoring on Danny Tillery's single. The Polecats got a lead-off double from Ryan Doolittle to start off the third and an error on Danny Tillery's grounder to second allowed Doolittle to score. Tillery then stole second and third and scored on Adam Hawk's two-out single for the 3-0 lead. The lone Royals run came in the fourth when Nick Rudolph's liner to center went into and out of the glove of a diving centerfielder for a single. Rudolph's huge turn around first prompted a throw out attempt, but the centerfielder launched the ball into the Royals' dugout and Rudolph was awarded third base. Pitcher Jason Powell left Rudolph on third as he recorded the next two outs, but an error on what should have been the third out brought Rudolph in to score. The Polecats got things going again with a two-run sixth. Pinch-hitter Joe Smith walked and went to third on Jeffery Crosby's single, and Crosby made second on the throw to third.. Two outs later, Danny Tillery singled in Smith and after Tillery swiped second, Jeff Griffeth singled in Crosby, but Tillery was hosed at the plate to end the inning with the Polecats now up 6-1. Adam Hawk singled in the seventh for the Polecats and eventually made the score 7-1 when he scored on an error. The eighth inning was the big inning for the Cats as they induced the mercy rule with four-run, walk-off frame. With one down, Danny Tillery picked up his fourth hit of the game and Jeff Griffeth moved him to second with a base knock of his own. Feeney Armistead then reached safely on a fielder's choice to load the bases and Adam Hawk drew a walk that sent Tillery in. Jason Pannell then placed a soft liner over the head of the firstbaseman and Griffeth and Armistead raced home with Hawk moving to third. Jason Powell then punched a single into left and Hawk scored final tally of the game. The Royals fell back into a tie with the Brooklyn Dodgers for third place.
The Royals were led by Nick Rudolph (2-4,BB,R) and Devin O'Malley (2-2,BB,SB)
The Polecats were led by Jeffery Crosby (3-4,2R,HBP,2SB), Ryan Doolittle (2-4,BB,R,2B,RBI), Danny Tillery (4-5,2RBI,2R,3SB), Jeff Griffeth (2-4,R,RBI,BB), and Adam Hawk (2-4,2R,2RBI,BB)
| GAME 64 7/11/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HAMMERS | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 7 | X | X | X | X | 16 | 11 | 2 |
| DODGERS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | X | X | 0 | 2 | 3 |
HAMMERS WAY TOO MUCH FOR BROOKLYN DODGERS
Just the stars for this one.
For the Hammers, Matt Cooper went 2-3 with two RBIs, two runs and a walk. Todd Laniak went 2-3 with a double, two RBIs a run and a walk. Also, Brandon Cooper went 2-3, scored twice, walked once and knocked in a run for the Hammers.
| GAME 63 7/9/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| DESPERADOS | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 9 | 1 |
| GRIZZLIES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 |
DESPERADOS MANHANDLE GRIZZLIES
The Desperados jumped out to an early lead and took another step towards a first round bye in the A.L. playoffs. The big hitters were Jeff Kilgore (3-5,HR,2R,RBI), and Jonathan House (2-3,R,RBI,2BB)
| GAME 62 7/8/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| NINJAS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 12 | 5 |
| BRAVES | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2 | X | 10 | 11 | 6 |
BRAVES BEAT NINJAS; KEEP PLAYOFF HOPES ALIVE
With their playoff hopes dimming by the day, the Braves met up with the Ninjas in a must-win situation without their ace pitcher on hand. Coach Scott Mixon turned to his newest pitcher, Will Lance, in hopes of keeping their dream season alive. The hot-hitting Ninjas and some shaky defense from the Braves contributed to a early deficit for Lance. With one out in the first, Dustin Alewine reached on an error at short and made second on a wild pitch. Sam Pittard then stroked a double to plate Alewine with the game's first run. Zach Kles then sent Pittard plateward by lacing a single to left for the 2-0 lead. The Braves got one back in the third when Brant Copeland walked with one down, and Ryan Rickard doubled to put two runners in scoring position. Copeland was able to score on a ground out by Matt Garner, but the rally was cut short when Ninjas starter Alex Simmons struck out the next two batters. The Ninjas got Simmons the run back in the fourth, however, when Zach Kles led off with a single, stole second and scored on Jed Gurley's double to make it 3-1. More Braves errors led to a two-run fifth and a 5-1 lead for the Ninjas. Chase Harris reached on an error leading off the inning and went to second on Preston Satterfield's ground out, then made third via wild pitch.. After another out was recorded, Brannan Wilburn reached on a walk and an errant pickoff attempt sent him all the way to third as Satterfield scampered home to score. Another error then allowed Wilburn to come home. The Braves kept battling, though, and managed to put up a pair of tallies in the bottom of the frame. Brant Copeland singled and Ryan Rickard walked to start the inning, then both runners advanced on a balk. Matt Garner walked to load the bases and Myles Watson followed suit with a bases-loaded walk that scored Copeland. An error allowed Rickard to score and the Braves inched back into the game. The Ninjas, however, scored two more runs in the sixth to widen the lead back to four runs at 7-3. Zach Kles and Alex Simmons led off with back-to-back singles and Kles made third and then scored on Miguel Trujillo's RBI ground out. The next two batters, Chase Harris and Preston Satterfield were both hit by pitches to load the bases and Simmons came home from third when Cameron Blinn coaxed a two-out walk. The Braves wouldn't go away though, and put up a three-spot in the bottom of the same inning. With one out, Brant Copeland doubled and scored when Ryan Rickard launched a high fly ball to right center for a triple. Matt Garner then walked and one out later Myles Watson's grounder to second was misplayed, allowing Rickard to make home and moving Garner to third. Garner made it 7-6 when he scored on Joel Courson's two-out single. The Ninjas kept the pressure on with another pair of runs in the top of the seventh, though. Dustin Alewine and Sam Pittard singled leading off the inning and Zach Kles was plunked to load the bases. Will Lance looked like he was going to get out of the jam when he got the next two batters out by way of a popout and a soft liner to second. But Miguel Trujillo had other ideas and promptly laced a single to left that allowed Alewine and Pittard to score and make it a 9-6 game. But, the Braves just kept coming, this time with two more runs in the bottom of the seventh. Chaz Crumpton singled to start the inning and one out later, a miscue at second base put Brant Copeland on first and Crumpton to second, and both runners moved up ninety feet on a passed ball. Ryan Rickard then hit what should have been a sacrifice fly, but the ball was dropped in right field and Crumpton and Copeland scored to make it 9-8. The Braves turned to Myles Watson to keep the game close and the pitcher held the Ninjas scoreless in the top of the eighth before his offense got back to work in the bottom of the inning. Watson started things off himself with a single and Joel Courson's sac bunt put him in scoring position. Scott Mixon then singled to left and runners were on the corners with one down. Ninjas reliever Cameron Blinn then struck out the next batter and Mikey Mixon then stepped up with two away and tied the score at 9 with a single as Watson scored from third. Brant Copeland then singled to left and Scott Mixon scored the improbable go-ahead run as the Braves took their first lead of the game at 10-9. Now it was up to Myles Watson to finish the job on the bump. Watson did just that with a three up, three down ninth inning to pick up the win and keep the National League's playoff race a four-team dogfight with two weeks left in the season.
The Ninjas enjoyed a big game from Dustin Alewine, who went 2-5, scoring a pair of runs, and Sam Pittard, who also scored twice, while going 2-5, with a double and an RBI. Zach Kles joined the fray with a 3-4 showing with an RBI, two runs scored, a stolen base and a hit by pitch. Miguel Trujillo pitched in a 2-4 game, with a double and 3RBIs.
The Braves were led by Brant Copeland, who went 3-4, scoring four times, walking twice, knocking in a run and hitting a double. Ryan Rickard went 2-2, with a double and a triple, 2RBIs, two runs scored and two walks.
| GAME 61 7/6/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HEAT | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 8 | 4 |
| SIDEWINDERS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 6 |
HEAT GET BY SIDEWINDERS
The Heat took another step towards a postseason birth with a win over the Sidewinders. Blaine Seagraves pitched six strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits. The two runs came in the bottom of the first when Jeremy Barrett singled with two outs and Nick Sorel followed with a homerun to left-center. The Seagraves's offense had already given him a three-run cushion in the top of the frame when a two-out error put Matt Kennison on first. Alex Holmes and Scott McBride walked to load the bases and Trey McCay walked as well, forcing in Kennison. Then an error at second base plated Holmes and Ethan Seagraves drew a walk to plate McBride for the 3-0 lead. The Heat put up two more runs in the top of second when Russ Williams led off with a single and stole second, then scored on Matt Kennison's single one out later. Kennison put himself into scoring position by swiping second, then scored on a two-out error. The score stayed 5-2 until the Heat half of the seventh when Phillip Archer walked with one down and Ethan Seagraves singled him to second. Corey Boswell's groundout moved both runners up, and an error after the out sent Archer plateward. Russ Williams then singled in Seagraves and pinch-hitter J.J. McCay drew a walk. Matt Kennison was then hit by a pitch and the sacks were loaded for Alex Holmes. Holmes then laced a single and Williams and J.J. McCay scooted home. The Sidewinders made it respectable with a three-spot in the eighth. Scott Mixon led off with a walk, stole second and made third via balk, and Blake Cotton walked to put runners on the corners. Curtis Mosely then hit what should have been a fielder's choice, but it was misplayed and all runners were safe with Mixon making it home. After a pop-out, Travis Ragsdale's ground ball was misplayed and everyone was safe, with Cotton coming in to score, and a second error on the play allowed Cotton and Mosely to get to second and third base. Jason Wallace then grounded out to the pitcher, but Mosely scored on the play to make it 9-5. Mike Padgett pitched out of further trouble in the inning, then finished the ninth without incident to pick up the three-inning save.
The Sidewinders were led by Nick Sorel's 1-3, with a homer, 2RBIs, HBP and run scored.
The Heat got a big night from Russ Williams, who went 3-5 with two runs, two stolen bases, a walk and an RBI.
2010 WEEK 14 PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: ROBERT ALLEN-BROOKLYN DODGERS 5-5,R,SB
2010 WEEK 14 PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: NEIL ROLLINS 9IP/4H/16K/W
2010 WEEK 14 TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK-GRIZZLIES
| 7/3/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| NINJAS | F | O | R | F | E | I | T | E | D | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| HAMMERS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| GAME 60 7/3/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| POLECATS | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 11 | 4 |
| DODGERS | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 10 |
ROBERT ALLEN GOES 5-5, BUT DODGERS ERRORS TOO MUCH TO OVERCOME
This game looked like a close one for a little while, but the Polecats pulled away in the middle innings. The Polecats started the scoring in the third when Matt Weber walked to open the frame and made third on Jason Powell's single, with Powell making second on a throwing error from the right fielder. Jeffrey Crosby's grounder to first was misplayed and the bases were full. Billy Hutchins's sacrifice fly plated Weber for the 1-0 lead. Rob Brown reached on a fielder's choice in which Crosby was erased at second. Brown then stole second and Powell was able to scamper home on the play for the 2-0 lead. An error in the bottom of the inning put Steven Powers on first, and after swiping second base, Powers eventually scored on a fielder's choice groundout by Matt Davis, making it 2-1. The Polecats got that run back in the fourth when Feeney Armistead reached on single and made second on an error on the hit, then came home via another error making it 3-1. The errors continued to hurt the Dodgers in the fifth as Jeffery Crosby reached first on an error at third, then scored on Rob Brown's two-out double. Brown scored on Jeff Griffeth's single to make it 5-2. In the next inning, Greg Foster led off for the Polecats with a single and Joe Smith followed with a double, moving Foster to third, but Foster took advantage of yet another Dodger miscue and made his way home. Smith scored as well on another error. The Polecats made their share of mistakes as well, as two errors in the sixth allowed Bryant Lawrence to make first base and eventually score. The Polecats answered with their best inning of the game in the seventh, all with two away. Ryan Doolittle and Feeney Armistead singled and both moved up on a wild pitch before Greg Foster singled them both in. Joe Smith's second double of the contest sent Foster home and the Polecats led 10-2. The Dodgers tacked on a couple of runs in bottom of the seventh when Ron Fowler walked and Robert Allen singled. Both runners moved into scoring position on a Matt Davis groundout and both scored on Lee Jackson's single to cap the scoring for the day.
The Polecats were led by Rob Brown (2-4,R,RBI,BB,2-2B,2SB), Feeney Armistead (2-3,2R,BB), Greg Foster (2-5,2R,2RBI) and Joe Smith (2-4,2-2B,R,RBI) The Dodgers were led by Robert Allen's 5-5 performance, with run and a stolen base.
| 7/2/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| DESPERADOS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| SIDEWINDERS | F | O | R | F | E | I | T | E | D | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GAME 59 7/1/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| GRIZZLIES | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 3 | 0 |
| ROYALS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 7 |
STRIKE THREE!!!!
The Grizzlies played their best game ever Thursday night against the Royals, delivering the playoff-hopefuls a serious blow. Neil Rollins pitched a gem for his team, fanning 16 Royals in a complete game four-hitter in a game in which no runner even reached third base. Rollins worked the corners to get ahead of hitters, but reached back and blew them away with a hard fastball whenever he needed it. And the team needed it, as the Grizzlies' own offense was held to just three hits and did their fair share of striking out as well. Jonathan Dove started for the Royals and pitched very well for five innings, allowing just three unearned runs while striking out eight batters. Kent Rollins singled off Dove in the first and scored via errors for the 1-0 lead. Another couple of errors in the fourth inning allowed the Grizzlies to score another unearned run in the form of Cody Jett, who had doubled in the inning. Kent Rollins scored again in the fifth after reaching on an error to make it 3-0. Dove was relieved by Matt Goyen, who struck out every batter he saw in three innings of relief. Goyen actually struck out ten, but one batter reached when strike three was dropped and thrown away by the catcher. Evan Tieles pitched the ninth for Royals and fanned one batter for a total of 19 strikeouts. Between the two teams, 35 outs were recorded by way of the strikeout. Neither team recorded an RBI.
Jonathan Dove led the way at the plate, with two doubles in a 2-4 night.
| GAME 58 6/29/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HEAT | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | X | X | 13 | 10 | 4 |
| BRAVES | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X | X | 2 | 5 | 6 |
HEAT TORCH BRAVES; TAKE SOLE POSSESSION OF THIRD PLACE
The Heat and Braves met up in a crucial N.L. matchup,with the final spot in the N.L. playoffs on the line. The Heat wasted no time in letting the Braves know they intended to keep their long streak of playoff births alive. With one out in the first, Sam Barth singled and Matt Kennison and Alex Holmes followed with walks to load the bases. The next batter hit a soft grounder back to the mound that should have been and inning-ending double play, but the catcher threw the ball into the runner heading to first and Kennison came home from second with the game's first run. After a walk to Scott McBride, another error allowed Holmes to score and the Heat lead 2-0. In the second, Corey Boswell led off with a walk and made second on an error on a pickoff attempt. Boswell went to third on a groundout and eventually scored on Alex Holmes's single. The Braves got one back in their half of the third inning when Forrester Gholston led off with a single, went to second on a wild pitch and scored on an error with two down. The Heat got that run back when Matt Kennison homered in the top of the fifth. The Braves answered that with a run of their own, thanks to another error by the Heat. Matt Garner reached first on the miscue, made second on Mikey Mixon's sac bunt and third on a single by Brant Copeland before scoring on an RBI groundout by Myles Watson. It looked like a game until the sixth when the Heat broke it wide open. Russ Williams walked and stole second ahead of Sam Barth's RBI double. An error on Matt Kennison's grounder to short then plated Barth. That spelled the end for starter Forrester Gholston, who gave way to Myles Watson. Watson's first batter was Alex Holmes, who promptly greeted him with a two run blast to make it 8-2. Trey McCay also greeted Watson rudely and hit a second consecutive bomb off the reliever to make it 9-2. Things got worse for Watson, as Scott McBride laced a single and then Phillip Archer ripped a double. Ethan Seagraves then walked to load the bases. The next batter hit into a double play, but McBride scored to make it 10-2. Russ Williams then capped the scoring with a double that plated Archer. The Heat put the game away with two more runs in the seventh. Alex Holmes and Scott McBride walked and scored in the inning when Phillip Archer hit his second double of the game.
Heat big hitters: Sam Barth (2-5,2B,R,RBI), Matt Kennison (1-3,HR,3R,RBI,2BB), Alex Holmes (2-3,HR,3RBI,3R,2BB) Trey McCay (1-4,HR,RBI,R,BB) and Phillip Archer (2-5,R,2BB,2-2B,SB)
2010 WEEK 13 PLAYER-OF-THE-WEEK: KYLE SCHISLER-HAMMERS 2-4,GSHR,5RBI,2B,2R
2010 WEEK 13 PITCHER-OF-THE-WEEK: WILL LANCE-BRAVES 7IP/2H/8K/W
2010 WEEK 13 TEAM-OF-THE-WEEK-HEAT
JUNE 2010 PLAYERS-OF-THE-MONTH:
JONATHAN KELLY-DESPERADOS .580AVG 7-12/3R/2-HR/2B/5RBI
BURTON PARKER-DESPERADOS .460AVG, 6-13/2R/2SB/HR/2SB/2RBI
MAY 2010 PITCHER-OF-THE-MONTH:
EVAN TIELES-ROYALS 8IP/0BB/15K/W
| GAME 57 6/27/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HEAT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 2 |
| NINJAS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 5 |
HEAT BURN NINJAS, GET A LEG UP IN N.L. RACE
The Heat and Ninjas met up on a cool Sunday Evening for a game with huge implications in the National League Playoff race. Heat coach Jack O'Quinn turned to his closer, Ethan Seagraves for a rare start as his usual starters were absent at the game's start. Seagraves pitched four strong innings, allowing just a pair of hits before giving way to late arrival Blaine Seagraves (no relation) who pitched the final five innings and held off a late push from the Ninjas in the ninth inning. The Ninjas sent staff ace Cameron Blinn to the mound. Blinn was as sharp as he usually is, walking six batters while scattering five hits in the complete-game loss. It was the Ninjas' defense that let them and Blinn down, however, as key errors allowed all four runs to score. In the first inning, Russ Williams led off with a walk and stole second before making third when Matt Kennison's grounder to third was dropped at first base. Williams scored the first unearned run on a sacrifice fly off the bat of Alex Holmes, who had a huge night at the plate for the Heat. Holmes was the catalyst in the Heat's three-run fourth inning, leading off the frame with a double. Scott McBride then walked and Phillip Archer caught everyone off guard with a sacrifice bunt, moving both runners up ninety feet. Ben Fitzpatrick then hit a ground ball that seemed harmless enough, but, it too was dropped by the first baseman and Holmes took advantage and scampered home. After a pop out for the second out, Josh Strickland drew a walk, forcing Fitzpatrick to second and loading the bases. Russ Williams singled in McBride and Fitzpatrick with two outs, and the Heat led 4-0. The score stayed the same until the bottom of the ninth when the Ninjas got something going. After a strikeout to start the frame, Alex Simmons and Jed Gurley singled back-to-back with Simmons going to third and Gurley making second on the throw to try to nab Simmons at third. One out later, a seemingly harmless grounder to second was thrown away and both baserunners came home to score. The Ninjas now had the tying run on base, but Blaine Seagraves put the game away with a final strikeout, preserving the 4-2 victory in a game his coach had to talk him into attending. The win gave the Heat the tie-breaker against the Ninjas in the National League's hotly-contested playoff race.
The big bat for the Ninjas was Jed Gurley with his 3-4 night, with a run scored. The Heat were led by Alex Holmes, who smashed two doubles off the fence in three at bats, with an RBI and a run scored. Scott McBride went 1-2 with two walks and a run.
| 6/27/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| DODGERS | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| ROYALS | F | O | R | F | E | I | T | E | D | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| GAME 56 6/24/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| BRAVES | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 4 |
| GRIZZLIES | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 5 |
BRAVES ROUGH UP GRIZZ...MOVE INTO THIRD PLACE
The Braves moved a step closer to their first playoff birth with a solid win against the Grizzlies. Will Lance pitched seven strong innings of two-hit baseball, and his offense backed him early and often. Chaz Crumpton led off the game with a walk and stole second base before making third on Matt Charron's single. Matt Garner then hit a ball back to the pitcher that was misplayed and everyone was safe, with Crumpton coming in to score and Charron and Garner both resting in scoring position. Ryan Rickard then singled both runners home and eventually scored on Will Lance's RBI groundout for the 4-0 lead. The lead was doubled in the fourth when Brant Copeland led off with a walk and made second on a groundout. Myles Watson then drew a base on balls and after another out, Scott Mixon slammed a double to left-center and both runners came home to score. Cody Smith and Crumpton worked walks to load the bases and Matt Charron singled again, this time plating Mixon and Smith for an 8-0 lead. Joel Courson's two-out single in the fifth increased the lead to 9-0 as Ryan Rickard scored after reaching via error. The Grizz put a tally on the board in the sixth when Preston Bostic was plunked ahead of a double by Jason Little. Another batter was hit by a pitch in the seventh, leading to another run for the Grizz. Pete Thorne singled up the middle and Michael Sandiford scampered home after making it to third on a pair of wild pitches. The Braves got both of those runs back in the eighth when Brant Copeland doubled and a grounder by Will Lance was misplayed and allowed Copeland to score as Lance went to second. Joel Courson singled once again and Lance scored the game's final run.
The Braves enjoyed big nights from Matt Charron (2-3,R,2RBI,SB,HBP), Brant Copeland (2-3,2B,2R,BB) and Joel Courson (2-4,2RBI)
| GAME 55 6/22/10 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
| HAMMERS | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | X | X | X | 16 | 9 | 0 |
| SIDEWINDERS | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | X |