Semifinals: Isotopes take down Grays; Plug Uglies flatten Goats

 

Dorian Grays 7
Isotopes 18

WP: Gary Webber, LP: Mike Whatley 

The Isotopes earned a trip to the finals with a solid 18-7 win over the Dorian Grays Wednesday at McKenzie Field in Holyoke.

As he did so often during the season, starting pitcher Gary Webber did Gary Webber things. He pitched a complete game and struck out 11. 

The Isotopes batters gave him a nice cushion with which to work. Steve Ostrowski had 4 RBI, Scott Keldun was 4 for 4 with a triple, double and two stolen bases, and Dave Warner had a double and 3 RBI.

With the win, the second-seed Isotopes earn their first trip to the final game. They square off against the Plug Uglies Wednesday in a battle of the two best teams. 

Fainting Goats - 1
Plug Uglies - 15

WP: Jeff Whitehead, LP: Eddie Esposito
(6 innings) 

The number-one seed Plug Uglies easily defeated the number-four Fainting Goats Friday night at MacKenzie Field in a game that ended in controversy in the 6th.

The Plug Uglies jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the bottom of the first, and it grew to an unsurmountable 13-0 after 3.

Jeff Whitehead was dominant through 6, allowing just one baserunner - a base hit to lead off the 3rd -- through 4. 

The first 5 batters for the Plug Uglies -- Bill Evans, Greg Elbaum, Matt Belanger, Jeff Whitehead, and Jeff Cabana -- were relentless. They accounted for 12 of the teams's 15 runs, and ten of those scored in the first 3 innings.

The Plugs scored in 5 of the 6 innings. 

The Goat's starter Eddie Esposito, who in round one was spectacular over 8 innings versus the Phillies, didn't have it this night. He allowed 6 runs in the first. 

The Goat's lone run scored in the 5th when Hector Arroyo drove in Tony Maspo with a single.

The game ended in the bottom of the 6th when, after the Uglies stole the second of two bases with a 14-run lead, Goats manager Patrick Johnson pulled his team from the field.
There were some heated verbal exchanges between players on the two teams before they separated.

After a brief cooling off in their dugout, the Goats emerged to walk to home plate and meet the Uglies for the post-game handshake. Because sportsmanship is a cornerstone of this league. 

Photos

No photos this week. To paraphrase Yogi Berra, the light is awful when it's dark. 

Championship game

Wednesday, 5:45 p.m., Mackenzie Stadium, Beech Street, Holyoke.
Come on out and celebrate the conclusion of another successful season in a final game pitting the league's two best teams, the  Plug Uglies and the Isotopes.
The league will be providing hot dogs and soda, there will be a  PA system and walk-up music, and each team's most-valuable player will be honored.
Come on out and support your league. 




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