CARDINALS (9-13) 5
MONARCHS (14-8) 9
Trevor Gienau doubled in the go-ahead run as part of a six-run third inning to propel the Monarchs into the ICBL championship series. Trailing 5-2, Maxx Countryman ignited the rally with a walk and advanced to third on a Jourdan Plaisted double. Anthony Anazalone and Bryce Tyndell both cashed in with back-to-back run-scoring singles. Dan Tirabassi reached on an error which plated Tyndell for the game-tying run. With runners at the corners and nobody out, Gienau hit a double to score Anazalone for a 6-5 lead they would not relinquish. Dan Hooper capped off the inning with a two-run single.
Tirabassi and Tyndell both paced the offense with a double, single and pair of RBI. Tyndell crossed the plate twice and Tirabassi once. Plaisted legged out two doubles and scored a pair of runs. Hooper’s two-run single was his lone base knock of the contest. Along with his go-ahead double, Gienau added a run.
Devin Hicks came in relief and tossed three shutout frames of two-hit ball. After giving up a one-out single in the fifth inning, the right-hander settled down to retire six of the next seven batters he faced. Hicks fanned six as well.
For the Cardinals, DJ Stoianovich led with a trio of singles, a walk, an RBI and run scored. David Stirpe singled twice, walked, drove in a run and crossed the plate once. Josh VanBramer and Walker Wright both added run-scoring extra-base knocks. Mike Protz accrued five strikeouts in 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball.
VIEW MORE PHOTOS FROM DENNIS JOYCE HERE.
DUCKS (7-15) 10
BLUE JAYS (14-8) 6
Zachary Mock cracked a go-ahead, two-run single as part of a six-run sixth inning as the Ducks rebounded from two separate deficits to advance to the ICBL championship series. Trailing 6-4, Jason Story ignited the rally by reaching on an error. Trey Brown was hit by a pitch and Joe Wintermute walked to juice the bases with zero outs. Shane Pray worked a seven-pitch walk to score Story. Then Mock cashed in Brown and Wintermute for a 7-6 lead the Ducks would not relinquish. Mateo Santos provided insurance with an RBI double. Alan Michael LeFrois attacked the first pitch and lifted it to left field for a sacrifice fly to bring in Mock. Dylan Boprey capped off the inning with an RBI single.
Mock’s two-run single was his lone base knock as he crossed the plate once as well. Story hustled for a pair of triples, including one to open the game’s scoring in the opening frame, and scored two runs. Brown singled in Story as part of a two-run fourth inning in which the Ducks tied the game at four apiece. Brown scored twice as well. Jake Dockum singled twice and crossed the plate on Story’s two-run triple in the first inning.
Thomas DiFranco whiffed seven batters in four frames of relief. After relinquishing the lead in the fourth inning, DiFranco settled down to retire seven of the next eight batters he faced and prevented the Ducks from bringing the tying run to the plate with a strikeout and pop up.
For the Blue Jays, Henry Juan launched a grand slam in the third inning for a 4-2 lead. Owen Murphy posted a go-ahead hit as well with a two-run double in the fourth for a 6-4 advantage.
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