NALB 2014 World Championship Series - Game 1

K. Fields
2015-10-13T19:45:35-04:00
Baseball

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