NALB 2010 World Championship Series - Game 5

K. Fields
2011-10-20T19:28:53-04:00
Baseball

Game five was the final game in Stade. A win by the Maples would send the series back to Brooklyn. Pitching for the Knights was their game one starter, Tracy Corkhill (11-1, 2.30 ERA). Opposing him was young 24 year old Puerto Rican lefty, Iván “Hawkeye” Urías (8-11, 4.92 ERA).

Dick Moran led off with a double. He ended up scoring on a sacrifice fly by Hooks Goetz and the Knights were quickly up 1-0. The Maples didn’t wait long to tie the game. Leslie Hubbard hit a double in the second inning. He later scored on a ground out to even the score. Brooklyn struck back in the third. With Moran and Pollet on base, first baseman Alexis Schmidt struck with a three-run homer. Corkhill cruised along until the fifth inning. Left fielder Shayne Kimpel led off the inning with a solo home run. Hisham Makwetu, Dad Taylor, and Gene Anson hit consecutive singles to score another run for the Maples. Brooklyn’s lead was cut to 4-3. After Corkhill was pulled for a pinch hitter, the Knights brought in Rigo Hurtado to pitch in the sixth. Hurtado gave up hits to Ivan Cahill and Travis Araoz. Cahill scored on a sac fly by Leslie Hubbard. At 4-4, the game was tied for the second time. Phil Carter pitched the seventh inning for the Maples. He walked three (one intentionally) and gave up a run on a fielder’s choice. Brooklyn had the lead back, 5-4. In the top of the eighth, the Knights went to work against a tired and aging Maples bullpen. Elbert Sullivan and John Hamilton struggled to retire Brooklyn’s hitters. Singles by Angel Santago and Carl Gwinn got things started. Victor Trujillo doubled and the Maples responded by intentionally walking Dick Moran. Ted Pollet doubled and the Maples decided to put Hooks Goetz on. The bases were loaded when Hamilton entered the game. He struggled to find the strike zone against Schmidt and walked in a run. With the sacks full, Martin Swader hit a bases clearing double deep to center field. A big six-run inning put the Knights solidly in front by a score of 11-4. The Knights turned to their lefty setup man, Craig Bella in the eighth. After a walk and a hit, he gave up an RBI single to Roberto Rentería. With an 11-5 lead, Brooklyn sent in their star closer, Bernard Gastelu to get the last out in the eighth. Gastelu was anything but sharp in the ninth, however. The Maples staged a comeback with consecutive hits by Scott Buckley, Mark Huff, and Ivan Cahill. Leslie Hubbard also singled off of Gastelu and the score was 11-8. With two on and two out, Shayne Kimpel came to the plate, representing the tying run. Kimpel fouled off a few pitches in a tough at bat. With a full count, Gastelu struck him out to preserve the win.

Final score: Brooklyn 11, Stade 8