NALB 2010 World Championship Series - Game 4

K. Fields
2011-10-19T19:19:05-04:00
Baseball

Down three games to none in the series, every game was an elimination game for the Stade Maples. Instead of sticking with a four man rotation and pitching Iván Urías, manager Sakutaro Yoda decided to roll the dice. He went back to his game one starter, Martin Claunch (12-8, 5.02 ERA). Claunch got a no-decision in the opener. He out-pitched Tracy Corkhill, however, lasting into the sixth inning and giving up only three runs. The Knights stuck with their number four starter, Ralph Kerfoot (20-7, 3.78 ERA).

Three consecutive singles almost put the Maples on the scoreboard in the first. It took a perfect throw from left fielder Angel Santago to get Travis Araoz at home plate. Araoz redeemed himself in the third, however, with a two-run homer. Strong starting pitching kept the score 2-0 going into the seventh inning. With nobody out, the Knights then loaded the bases, thanks to three straight singles by Yeh, Swader, and Duhon. Brooklyn struggled to convert. They managed just one run on a sacrifice fly by Santago. After Alexis Schmidt pinch hit for Kerfoot, Lonnie Bennett replaced him in the bottom of the seventh. After retiring the first two batters, Bennett got into trouble. He gave up a single to Scott Buckley and a double to Mark Huff. Pitcher Brian Hanson was pulled for a pinch hitter. James Maguire came off the bench and blasted a three-run home run to make it 5-1 Maples. In the eighth inning, the Knights kept their hopes alive with a leadoff double by Carl Gwinn. Dick Moran lined out hard to short and Gwinn was tagged out for a double play. The rally was killed. Brooklyn tried another comeback in the ninth. Yeh, Duhon, and Pollet all singled to load the bases with only one out. In the ninth, Stade’s closer, Floyd Minoso, saw his first action in the World Championship Series. He got Angel Santago to ground into a 4-6-3 double play to end the game.

Final score: Stade 5, Brooklyn 1