Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2014.

League 1
Outstanding Batter Award: Hooks Goetz (Brooklyn Knights)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Ralph Kerfoot (Brooklyn Knights)
Newcomer of the Year: Manuel Montaya (Luisville Beasts)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Ralph Kerfoot (Brooklyn Knights)
Catcher: Aaron O’Boylan (Dunedin Otters)
First Baseman: Rico Gómez (Luisville Beasts)
Second Baseman: Pete Chavez (Luisville Beasts)
Third Baseman: Moray Williams (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Alfredo Herrán (Nashville Firecats)
Left Fielder: Hyung-jin Kim (Dayton Grizzlies)
Center Fielder: Romeo Usquiano (Brooklyn Knights)
Right Fielder: Aleck Stella (Dayton Grizzlies)

League 2
Outstanding Batter Award: Tony Rodarte (Richmond Slam)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Porfiro Quiñones (Washington Allies)
Newcomer of the Year: Kurt Johnson (Key West Corals)
Manager of the Year: Cherokee Clark (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Charles Revels (Vancouver Wild)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
Second Baseman: Jae-won So (Vancouver Wild)
Third Baseman: Hsiao-lou Yuan (St. James Crusaders)
Shortstop: Ramiro Socastro (Washington Allies)
Left Fielder: Dorian Chivers (Washington Allies)
Center Fielder: Roy Dabbs (Washington Allies)

Fans got their money’s worth watching the 2014 NALB playoffs. The Brooklyn Knights (105-57) came from behind after losing the first two games to the Luisville Beasts in the League 1 Series. The Richmond Slam (85-77) defeated the Key West Corals in a hard fought seven game League 2 series. It was only fitting that the 2014 World Championship Series between the Knights and the Slam would go seven games as well.

Both teams had potent offenses, leading their respective leagues in runs scored. The two big hitters were surprisingly unproductive in the WCS, however. Hooks Goetz hit .091 (2 for 22) for the Knights. Triple crown winner Tony Rodarte wasn’t much better, hitting .107 (3 for 28) for the Slam.The Series featured less scoring than many expected thanks to some fine pitching efforts. Overall, the Slam’s top three starters pitched an excellent Series. Bedford, Eizan, and Jiménez made things difficult for the Knights’ hitters. Brooklyn’s pitching was outstanding down the Series stretch in games five, six, and seven. The Knights only allowed two runs in the final 28 innings of the WCS.

Richmond won the opener in Brooklyn and then the teams traded wins through game six. Game seven was an epic extra innings battle. The Knights won in dramatic fashion, coming from behind to win 2-1 with a walkoff home run in the fourteenth inning.

Game 1: Richmond 4, Brooklyn 2
Game 2: Brooklyn 8, Richmond 4
Game 3: Richmond 7, Brooklyn 5
Game 4: Brooklyn 5, Richmond 3
Game 5: Richmond 5, Brooklyn 3
Game 6: Brooklyn 2, Richmond 1
Game 7: Brooklyn 2, Richmond 1

Click the image for the NALB 2014 World Championship roster

Game seven. There is nothing quite like it in sports. The NALB 2014 World Championship was on the line in Brooklyn, NY. The pitching matchup featured two hard throwing young stars—Gutierre Jiménez (15-8, 3.13 ERA) vs. Tony Tamayo (16-4, 2.69 ERA). Jiménez and the Slam got the better of Tamayo and the Knights in game three of the WCS, winning 7-5. The Slam hoped Jiménez could duplicate his brilliant performance.

For fans of pitching, this game did not disappoint. Tamayo pitched 5 ⅓ scoreless innings while Jiménez pitched 7 ⅔ scoreless innings. Both teams had scoring opportunities but they were hard to come by. The starters always found a way to work out of trouble. Tied 0-0, the game went into extra innings.

It appeared all but certain the Knights had the game won in the bottom of the eleventh. Alexis Schmidt led off with a double and Hsiao-lou Yeh was intentionally walked. Maurílio Godim was brought in to pinch run for Schmidt. Lariel Gómez put down a successful bunt to advance the runners. Once again, the Slam called for the intentional walk to set up the double play. Angel Santago ended up at first to load the bases with one out. Blas Ramos hit a grounder to the second baseman who threw home to get the second out. The catcher rifled the ball to first to complete the double play.

In the fourteenth inning, the Knights had Bernard Gastelu on the mound. Nub Spade led off the inning with a home run. Although Gastelu finished the inning, the Slam’s 1-0 lead appeared to be enough to secure its first title. In the bottom half of the inning with one out, Walt O’connell walked Alvino Flores. Romeo Usquiano came to the plate to face an obviously tired O’Connell. In a magnificent eight pitch at bat, Usquiano fouled off four pitches. He turned on a fastball and promptly deposited it into the seats in right field. His two run walk off homer won the game and the World Championship for the Brooklyn Knights. The fans were treated to perhaps the greatest WCS game in NALB history!

Final score: Brooklyn 2, Richmond 1

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14   R  H  E
Richmond     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  0  0  0  1   1 10  0
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0  0  0  0  0  2   2  9  0

W: B. Gastelu
L: W. O’connell

Game six was a potential clincher for the Richmond Slam. Up three games to two, a win would give the Slam their first World Championship. Richmond hoped for a better start out of Katamor Eizan (13-8, 3.78 ERA) than he delivered in game two of the WCS. The Knights liked their chances to even the Series with Ralph Kerfoot (21-5, 2.57 ERA) on the mound.

After easily retiring the first two batters, Kerfoot called to the Brooklyn dugout. Clearly in pain, he was taken out of the game. The post-game medical diagnosis revealed bone chips in his right elbow, which will require surgery to remove. The Knights had to rely on their bullpen with over eight innings to play. In the top of the second with Rigo Hurtado pitching, Carlos Tejera scored when DH Nub Spade singled. Heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Slam were still up 1-0 with Eizan clearly in command. With one out, the Knights struggling leadoff hitter, Romeo Usquiano, singled to right. Blas Ramos followed with a triple to the right field corner to tie the game. Hooks Goetz hit a deep sacrifice fly to put the Knights ahead 2-1. Eizan delivered a fine outing of 6 ⅔ innings. It was the Brooklyn bullpen that was the collective star of the game, however. The Knights used six relievers to finish the game—Rigo Hurtado, Bruce MacOmish, Lonnie Bennett, Bernard Gastelu, Rikiya Kiyomizu, and Bris Clark. Clark struck out two Slam batters in the ninth to seal the win and force a game seven.

Final score: Brooklyn 2, Richmond 1

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Richmond     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0   1  6  1
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0 X   2  9  0

W: L. Bennett
L: K. Eizan
S: B. Clark

With the World Championship Series tied 2-2, game five was pivotal. As the last game in Richmond, the Slam desperately wanted the win before traveling to Brooklyn. They felt confident with Hap Bedford (12-10, 3.49 ERA) getting the start again against Porfírio Portio (8-6, 4.27 ERA). In game one, the Slam rode Bedford for seven innings on way to a 4-2 win.

The action picked up in the second inning. Hsiao-lou Yeh led off with a homer for the Knights. The Knights gave up the lead in the bottom half of the inning with poor defense. An error by Blas Ramos in left and a throwing error by shortstop Lariel Gómez help set up three runs by the Slam. With four hits in the third, the Slam added two more runs. Portio was pulled for a pinch hitter in the fifth but Bedford continued to cruise. Bedford left after six innings with the 5-1 lead intact. Richmond reliever Luís Baboun kicked off the eighth inning with an error and the Knights began a rally. A double by Ramos and a single by Yeh drove in two runs and narrowed the score to 5-3. With closer Benny Alazardo pitching in the ninth, the Knights made one final attempt to draw even. After Alvino Flores doubled, the tying run came to the plate. Alexis Schmidt and Alberto Pescador were both retired on infield ground balls. The Slam are now one game away from the championship. They take a 3-2 Series lead back to Brooklyn.

Final score: Richmond 5, Brooklyn 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0   3  7  2
Richmond     0 3 2 0 0 0 0 0 0   5 11  1

W: H. Bedford
L: P. Portio
S: B. Alazardo

Richmond led the Series 2-1 going into game four. Because of the injury to starter Ronaldo Mijangos in the League 1 Series, the Knights turned to Juan Fuentes (4-3, 3.84 ERA). The 25 year old with the blazing 100+ mph fastball was under a lot of pressure pitching on the road in his first playoff game. The Slam hoped to get a solid performance out of Taiwanese starter Chun-Hua Zhou (12-9, 4.45 ERA).

Both pitchers looked good early on. However, the Knights broke out against Zhou in the third with two runs. They followed up with three runs in the fourth. Blas Ramos surprised everyone when he took Zhou deep for a two run homer. Ramos had only hit four home runs all season. The Slam finally managed to score of off Fuentes in the fifth inning. They trailed 5-1 but were happy to see Fuentes taken out in the sixth inning. The Slam challenged the Knights relievers and they started to find some success at the plate. Runs in the seventh and eighth innings trimmed the lead to 5-3. After Pyeong-kyu Pae doubled in the ninth, the Slam brought the tying run to the plate against Knights closer Bris Clark. Pae was stranded on second as the Knights held on to tie the Series.

Final score: Brooklyn 5, Richmond 3

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 0 2 3 0 0 0 0 0   5  5  1
Richmond     0 0 0 0 1 0 1 1 0   3 11  1

W: J. Fuentes
L: C. Zhou
S: B. Clark

The World Championship Series moved to Richmond for game three. That meant League 2 rules—pitchers were in the lineup and no designated hitters. Tony Tamayo (16-4, 2.69 ERA) got the start for the Knights while Gutierre Jiménez (15-8, 3.13 ERA) started for the Slam.

Chick Veras doubled in the bottom of the first to get things started for the Slam. He later scored on a Carlos Tejera single. The home crowd had much to cheer about as the Slam’s offense was clicking and Jiménez was looked very sharp on the mound. The Slam scored a run in the fourth. They added another in the fifth off of a Shimon Rhodes solo home run. Down 3-0, Tamayo was pulled in the top of the sixth for a pinch hitter. The Knights could get nothing going again Jiménez. With Xerxes Scaife on in relief for Tamayo, the Slam struck for two more runs in the bottom half of the sixth. Brooklyn’s relievers could do little to slow down Richmond’s attack. In the eighth inning, Isaías Aleman and Bernard Gastelu couldn’t find the strike zone. They walked five Slam batters and gave up another two runs. Walter Sheehan came on in the ninth to finish the game with a comfortable 7-0 lead. That’s when the Knights finally made their move. Brooklyn’s bats came alive and the inning was highlighted by catcher Alvino Flores’ three run homer. However, it was too little, too late. With a Knights baserunner on second, Slam closer Benny Alazardo came on to save the win.

Final score: Richmond 7, Brooklyn 5

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Brooklyn     0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5   5  8  0
Richmond     1 0 0 1 1 2 0 2 X   7  7  1

W: G. Jiménez
L: T. Tamayo
S: B. Alazardo

Game two of the 2014 World Championship Series featured two very successful starting pitchers. For the Slam, it was Katamor Eizan (13-8, 3.78 ERA). For the Knights, it was this season’s winningest pitcher, Ralph Kerfoot (21-5, 2.57 ERA).

Hooks Goetz singled in the first inning. He then scored all the way from first base when Alexis Schmidt hit a line drive double down the third base line. The Knights lead was short lived, however. The Slam took a 2-1 lead the next inning when catcher Steve Sheppard hit a 404 foot long ball. The Knights responded in the bottom half of the inning. A base on balls to Maurílio Godim got things started. Hits by Flavio Marquez and Alvino Flores scored a run. After another base on balls by Romeo Usquiano, a Blas Ramos single scored another run. Hooks Goetz batted in the third run of the inning on a sac fly to make it 4-2 Brooklyn. The Knights did more damage in the fifth. Schmidt led off the inning with a home run. Next, Yeh walked. Consecutive doubles by Godim, Marquez, and Florez added a pair of runs. Brooklyn’s lead was 7-2. Godim continued his fine game with a solo homer in the seventh. The Slam are a team that never quits, however. In the ninth, Kerfoot left after retiring a batter and giving up a hit. Richmond began a rally when Pyeong-kyu Pae went deep to left with a man on. Reliever Bruce MacOmish was replaced with Isaîas Alemán, who struck out one batter but walked two. Rigo Hurtado came on with two on and two out to halt the Slam’s comeback. Shimon Rhodes ripped a ball into the gap in right-center. It took a diving catch by Godim to end the game. After committing two errors in game one, the Knights looked excellent defensively. In addition to Godim’s great catch, Lariel Gómez made three amazing catches at shortstop. Brooklyn also turned two double plays.

Final score: Brooklyn 8, Richmond 4

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Richmond     0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 2   4  8  0
Brooklyn     1 3 0 0 3 0 1 0 X   8 12  0

W: R. Kerfoot
L: K. Eizan
S: R. Hurtado

The NALB 2014 World Championship Series is a showdown between the Richmond Slam (85-77) and the Brooklyn Knights (105-57). The Knights are playing for the World Championship for a record thirteenth time. For the Slam, it is their fourth time in the WCS. Their previous three appearances were all losses to the Knights, the last being in 2012. Rurik Bonner has had a distinguished NALB career managing three seasons in Cornfield and now six in Richmond. His teams have made the playoffs seven out of eight years, and they have never finished lower than second place. A World Championship has eluded him, however.

The Slam had NALB legend Hap Bedford (12-10, 3.49 ERA) on the mound for game one. Bedford is a 35 year old right-hander who has been pitching since 2000, the first year of NALB. No pitcher in NALB history has started more games, won more games, or struck out more batters than Hap Bedford. The Knights had a relative youngster on the mound, 24 year old Porfírio Portio (8-6, 4.27 ERA). Portio is known as a hard throwing sinker ball pitcher.

The Knights got on the board in the second inning behind a supportive Brooklyn crowd. Consecutive singles by Hsiao-lou Yeh, Lariel Gómez, and Maurílio Godim led to a run. Another single by Angel Santago loaded the bases with one out. Bedford worked out of the jam, however, and kept the score 1-0. In the top of the third, Shimon Rhodes singled to left field. Chick Veras hit a ground ball back to the pitcher. Portio spun toward second base and tried to get the lead runner. His throw was wild, however, and sailed past the bag. After Edmundo Ovelha singled, the bases were loaded with one out. When Tony Rodarte lined out to the shortstop, it looked like Portio might get out of the inning unscathed despite his error. Carlos Tejera delivered in the clutch, however, with a 2 RBI single. Richmond added another run in the fourth inning on a ground out RBI by Shimon Rhodes, which scored Pyeong-kyu Pae. In the bottom of the fourth, the Knights loaded the bases with one out but came away with nothing yet again. In the seventh inning, Alexis Schmidt gave Brooklyn fans some hope when he hit a solo blast over the fence in right field. The Slam’s Odalis Corrales hit a solo homer of his own in the eighth inning to extend Richmond’s lead to two runs. Benny Alazardo pitched the ninth inning to save the win.

Final score: Richmond 4, Brooklyn 2

             1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9   R  H  E
Richmond     0 0 2 1 0 0 0 1 0   4 11  0
Brooklyn     0 1 0 0 0 0 1 0 0   2 10  2

W: H. Bedford
L: P. Portio
S: B. Alazardo

2014 League 2 Series - Richmond Slam (85-77) vs. Quebeck Sky Chiefs (90-72)

Game 1: Richmond 7, Quebeck 2
Game 2: Richmond 4, Quebeck 3
Game 3: Quebeck 12, Richmond 7
Game 4: Richmond 2, Quebeck 0
Game 5: Quebeck 5, Richmond 0
Game 6: Quebeck 3, Richmond 1
Game 7: Richmond 4, Quebeck 2

The Richmond Slam have become regulars in the postseason. This marks their fifth straight playoff appearance. On the other hand, the Quebeck Sky Chiefs have been slowly improving under the steady hand of manager Cherokee Clark. In his fifth year with Quebeck, Clark delivered the turnaround story Sky Chiefs fans have been waiting for. After a 70-92 season in 2013, his ball club improved 20 games to go 90-72. Canadian baseball enthusiasts rejoiced as the Sky Chiefs returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2002.

Quebeck hosted the opener for game one of the League 2 Series. The Slam named Katamor Eizan (13-8, 3.78 ERA) as their starter while Dan Eckenrode (11-6, 3.29 ERA) pitched the opener for the Sky Chiefs. Richmond’s offense is keyed by right fielder Tony Rodarte, the league’s most dangerous hitter. Rodarte wasted no time by taking Eckenrode deep with a two run blast in the top of the first. First baseman Odalis Corrales contributed a solo homer in the fourth to make it 3-0 Richmond. Quebeck went to their bullpen in the sixth and the Slam took advantage. The hits came easily against relievers Mauro Santana and Boris Crookshanks. The Slam extended their lead to 7-0. The Sky Chiefs scraped out a run in the seventh and another in the ninth. However, it wasn’t enough to overcome a four hit gem by Eizan as he pitched a complete game to give Richmond a 7-2 win.

In game two, the Slam had an inconsistent starter on the mound, Luís Baboun (9-19, 5.20 ERA). The Sky Chiefs were in much surer hands with veteran Paul Pole (12-11, 3.57 ERA). Baboun was up to the challenge, however. Both pitchers gave up three runs in seven innings. Shortstop Chick Veras led off the game with a home run for the Slam. Richmond added a run in the second and Quebeck responded with a run in the fifth. The Slam pulled ahead 3-1 when Tony Rodarte and Carlos Tejera hit back to back doubles in the sixth. Quebeck’s superstar second baseman, Marc-André Lavoie, thrilled the hometown fans with a game tying two run homer in the seventh inning. The game went into extra innings. In the twelfth inning with Ezra Demello pitching, the Slam scored the winning run on an Edmundo Ovelha single. Richmond defeated Quebeck, 4-3.

Game three saw the series move to Richmond. The Sky Chiefs desperately needed a win. They pinned their hopes on left hander Norberto Baleazar (13-11, 3.15 ERA). The Slam like their chances with hard throwing Argentinean lefty Gutierre ‘Bucky’ Jiménez (15-8, 3.13 ERA). It was a hitters game as neither pitcher looked particularly sharp. The Slam had 12 hits while the Sky Chiefs had 13. The Slam had a 7-6 lead heading into the eighth inning. Richmond’s bullpen was ineffective. They surrendered four runs in the eighth and two more in the ninth. The game was a disaster for the Slam as they also committed four errors on way to a 12-7 loss.

The Sky Chiefs had another lefty on the mound for game four. Heath MacKissock (11-11, 4.06 ERA) was paired off against Richmond’s Hap Bedford (12-10, 3.49 ERA), one of the greatest pitchers in NALB history. Bedford lived up to his lofty reputation. He fell one out shy of a complete game shutout. He walked none and struck out nine. MacKissock pitched a solid 6.1 innings and only gave up two runs. The Slam won this pitchers’ duel 2-0.

In game five, Dan Eckenrode (11-6, 3.29 ERA) and Katamor Eizan (13-8, 3.78 ERA) were back for their second starts of the series. In game one, Eizan pitched a complete game to give Richmond the win. This time, it was Eckenrode who came out on top. The Sky Chiefs won behind 5.1 shutout innings from Eckenrode and their bullpen took care of the rest. Quebeck scored a run in the second and fifth innings and put the game away with three runs in the seventh. It was a decisive 5-0 win.

The series shifted to Quebeck for game six, where every game was a must win for the Sky Chiefs. The starters were Luís Baboun (9-19, 5.20 ERA) and Paul Pole (12-11, 3.57 ERA), who each got a no decision in game two. Both pitchers looked very good. Baboun lasted seven innings while Pole went a full eight. Pole helped his own cause in the fifth inning when he batted in the first run of the game with a line drive double. Feliciano Gómez followed with an RBI single and the Sky Chiefs took a 2-0 lead. The Slam managed a run in the sixth inning when Steve Shepphard scored on a wild pitch. Marc-André Lavoie padded Quebeck’s lead with an RBI single in the eighth inning. The Sky Chiefs evened the series at three games each thanks to a 3-1 win.

The atmosphere was electric in Quebeck for game seven. The pressure was on Richmond’s Gutierre Jiménez (15-8, 3.13 ERA) and Quebeck’s Norberto Baleazar (13-11, 3.15 ERA) to deliver quality starts. The Sky Chiefs had home field advantage as well as momentum in the series. The Slam appeared calm and collected, however. In the top of the second inning, the Slam got things started with a pair of walks by Odalis Corrales and Carlos Galicia. Benny Way got a hit to load the bases. Baleazar forced in a run when he gave up a walk to Chick Veras. Edmundo Ovelha and Tony Rodarte had back to back hits and the Slam were quickly out in front 4-0. The score remained until the bottom of the seventh. Javier Mejia and Manuel Arellano got hits and the Sky Chiefs had two men on. They caught a break when Richmond’s Carlos Tejera committed an error in left field. Both runners scored and it was a 4-2 game. Neither team would score again. The Slam won the game and the League 2 Series.

Shortstop Chick Veras was the League 2 Series MVP. The Slam’s leadoff hitter hit .321 (9 for 28) with 3 2B, 1 HR, 5 R, and 5 RBI.

2014 League 1 Series - Luisville Beasts (84-78) vs. Brooklyn Knights (105-57)

Game 1: Luisville 4, Brooklyn 3
Game 2: Luisville 9, Brooklyn 3
Game 3: Brooklyn 18, Luisville 7
Game 4: Brooklyn 9, Luisville 7
Game 5: Luisville 2, Brooklyn 1
Game 6: Brooklyn 2, Luisville 1
Game 7: Brooklyn 4, Luisville 2

Last season, the Luisville Beasts had a 66-96 record, worst in NALB. After spending two seasons in Las Vegas, former Luisville manager Bob Brunton was brought in to turn things around for the Beasts. Brunton did a marvelous job managing the Beasts from worst to first. The Brooklyn Knights missed the playoffs for the first time last season. This year, the Knights returned to the postseason thanks to a league best 105 wins.

The series opened in Brooklyn with the league’s winningest pitcher, Ralph Kerfoot (21-5, 2.57 ERA), on the mound for the Knights. George Manzo (8-10, 4.28 ERA) took the mound for the Beasts. Three singles in the third inning put Luisville on the board first with two runs. Alexis Schmidt hit a solo home run in the bottom of the fourth to give the Knights their first run. The Beasts and Knights added runs in the fifth and sixth, respectively, to make it a 3-2 game. A 423 foot blast by Alexis Schmidt in the eighth tied the game 3-3. Both bullpens pitched well and the game went into extra innings. Roque Cordero’s RBI double in the 13th inning was the game winner as the Beasts edged the Knights 4-3.

In game two, the Beasts started Te Li (11-11, 4.81 ERA), a 34 year old right hander from Taiwan. The Knights started fireballer Tony Tamayo (16-4, 2.69), who struck out 239 batters in the regular season. The Knights could not have asked for a better start. Romeo Usquiano walked, Blas Ramos singled, and Hook Goetz went deep to give Brooklyn a 3-0 in the first inning. Luisville’s star second baseman, Pete Chavez, hit a homer in the next inning to cut Brooklyn’s lead to 3-1. The Beasts added two more runs in the third, thanks to a Blas Ramos error in left field. The game was tied at three runs each. A pair of runs in the top of the fourth put the Beasts ahead 5-3. Tamayo was pulled in the fifth but things didn’t improve for the Knights. The Beasts extended their lead to 8-3. Leonard O’Marron’s home run in the ninth dispelled any hopes for a Brooklyn comeback. Luisville won easily, 9-3.

The day before the playoffs began, the Knights activated Ronaldo Mijangos (8-8, 4.24 ERA) from the disabled list. Mijangos had been inactive since straining his hamstring on August 4. Brooklyn wasn’t sure what to expect from their former ace. The Beasts hoped to build an insurmountable 3-0 series lead. They felt confident back home in Luisville with Tony Martell (14-10, 4.66 ERA) on the mound. After getting swept at home in the first two games, the Knights needed to turn things around quickly. Brooklyn’s mighty bats had been a bit quiet. Luisville awoke a sleeping giant in game three, however. After a scoreless two innings, the scoring erupted in the third. Without any long ball, the Knights bludgeoned Martell with hit after hit to build a quick 7-0 lead. In the bottom of the third, the Beasts roared back. Manuel Montaya singled in a run and Pete Chavez followed with a two run deep ball make it a 7-3 game. Brooklyn’s bats struck with fury again the next inning. Martell only registered one out before being pulled for Alex Martínez. Another big seven run inning was capped by Romeo Usquiano’s two run homer. With the score 14-3, a stunned Luisville crowd sat in silence. Three runs from the Beasts brought the home crowd back to life in the eighth. The Knights added to their lead in the ninth, however, as they cruised to an 18-7 win.

In game four, the Knights hoped Porfírio Portio (8-6, 4.27 ERA) could pitch them to victory and even the series. Opposing him was lefty Logan MacImmey (8-8, 4.48 ERA). A pair of doubles by Dan Conley and Pete Chavez in the first inning put the Beasts ahead 1-0. There was a nervous energy in the Luisville crowd as the Knights began a hitting assault in the third. Angel Santago led off with a home run. Later, a Flavio Marquez RBI double gave Brooklyn the lead. The hot bat of Alexis Schmidt did the most damage. His fence clearing shot to left field added three runs. The Knights led 5-1. The Beasts came back with a run in the bottom half of the inning with a ground out RBI. In the top of the fourth, Santago deflated the crowd when he went deep for the second time in the game. His two run line drive homer made it 7-2. It seemed all but over after the Knights extended their lead to 8-2 in the seventh. Luisville had plenty of fight left, however. They scored three runs in the eighth. The slugfest continued in the ninth. Schmidt doubled to give Brooklyn its ninth run. Manual Montaya hit a two run home run in the bottom of the ninth but that was all the Beasts could manage. Final score: Knights 9, Beasts 7

With the series tied at two games apiece, the final game in Luisville was pivotal. Game five’s pitching matchup was a rematch of game one. Once again, Ralph Kerfoot (21-5, 2.57 ERA) and George Manzo (8-10, 4.28 ERA) were on the mound. With 41 runs scored in the last two games, fans may have been expecting another slugfest. They didn’t get one. Kerfoot and Manzo were both in command as game five turned into a pitchers’ duel. Connor Duck reached base courtesy of shortstop Lariel Gomez’s error in the third inning. Rico Gómez batted him in to give the Beasts a 1-0 lead. In the fifth, DH Tim Hill took Kerfoot deep to right field. With George Manzo pitching a shutout, two runs felt like a solid lead. However, Hooks Goetz smashed a monster 448 foot home run in the top of the eighth. Closer Jesús Montufar came on in the ninth to save the Beasts win, 2-1.

The series shifted back to Brooklyn for game six with the Knights down three games to two. Te Li (11-11, 4.81 ERA) and Tony Tamayo (16-4, 2.69) each got their second start in the series. Like game five, this was another pitchers’ duel. Te Li didn’t strike out a single batter. He was masterful, however, as he changed speeds and located his pitches extremely well. He gave up only four hits and one run in eight innings. Tamayo was almost as good. He pitched 6.1 innings, struck out five, and allowed but one run. Doubles by Ramos and Schmidt gave Brooklyn a run in the first. Roque Cordero’s solo homer in the second gave Luisville a run. After that, the starters settled in and took over the game. With the score tied 1-1, the Beasts sent their closer Montufar to the mound in the bottom of the ninth. Consecutive singles by Ramos, Goetz and Schmidt ended the game in walkoff fashion. The Knights 2-1 victory forced a game seven.

The series was on the line in a winner take all game seven. Starters Ronaldo Mijangos (8-8, 4.24 ERA) and Tony Martell (14-10, 4.66 ERA) each had the chance to pitch their team to a League 1 Championship. Although Mijangos had been solid in game three, Martell was shelled. He needed to put those memories behind him. The Knights jumped on Martell early with solo homers by Maurílio Godim and Alvino Flores in the second inning. An energetic Brooklyn crowd was hushed when Mijangos was taken out of the game after four innings. He hurt his back and was later diagnosed with a torn back muscle. Despite pitching a one hit shutout, it was now up to the Brooklyn bullpen. Rigo Hurtado was pitching in the top of the sixth when Rico Gómez led off with a home run. The Knights tried to take advantage of situational matchups and brought in Xerxes Scaife and Rikiya Kiyomizu to each face a single batter. Next, Lonnie Bennett was brought in for a right handed reliever. He surrendered a ground out RBI to Leonard O’Marron and the game was tied 2-2. The Knights opened the seventh with a walk by Flavio Marquez. Hsiao-lou Yeh put the Knights ahead with an RBI double. Lariel Gómez and Maurílio Godim each singled, which added another run. Brooklyn was up 4-2. Bernard Gastelu pitched a scoreless eighth and Bris Clark pitched a scoreless ninth to seal the 4-2 win for the Knights.

Alexis Schmidt was the League 1 Series MVP. He hit .500 (15 for 30) with 3 HR and 9 RBI.

The Brooklyn Knights claimed another division title as well as the best record in North American League Baseball. The Luisville Beasts overtook the Nashville Firecats as they delivered an impressive worst to first transformation from last season. The NALB defending champion Key West Corals came up a bit short by losing its division by two games to the Quebeck Sky Chiefs. The Sky Chiefs will make their second playoff appearance in franchise history, the last being in 2002. The Richmond Slam were the only team team to repeat as division champions.

The League Series match-ups:
Luisville Beasts (84-78) vs. Brooklyn Knights (105-57)
Quebeck Sky Chiefs (90-72) vs. Richmond Slam (85-77)

Head to head:
The Knights were 15-9 against the Beasts this season.
The Sky Chiefs were 14-9 against the Slam this season.

Playoff injury report:
The Knights have been playing without LF Fernando Canales for some time. He tore his PCL in late July. Likewise, star pitcher José Arisa has been on the DL with shoulder inflammation since late July. The Beasts are pretty healthy. However, they will miss the defensive wizardry of SS Joshua Ridings in the League Championship Series. The Sky Chiefs have three players on the disabled list: SP José Sandoval, LF Bruno Payton, and MR Mário Reyes. The Slam also have three players on the DL: CF Aramis Jáquez, MR Carl O’Mullen, and MR Tim Fisher. Jáquez, a young star from Venezuela, is a particularly big loss for Richmond. He ruptured his Achilles tendon back in June.