V-8 Splash Tigers 7

Castrol Yankees 1



The V-8 Splash Tigers took the first game of a three-game Major League Championship Series on Wednesday from the Castrol Yankees, 7-1. Strong pitching by the Tigers’ Byron Ferguson proved to be the key to this game, as he recorded 11 strikeouts for the game and kept the Yankees on their heels the entire game.


Yankee pitcher Lakeem Rahming drew first blood in the game in the top of the first inning, with a hard-hit shot up the middle that was mishandled by the Tigers’ center fielder. The ball rolled all the way to the fence and allowed Rahming to round all the bases and cross home plate for an in-the-park home run off an error. It would be the only run the Yankees would score for the game.


Both pitchers threw the ball well in the early innings, striking out batters and allowing only choppy short hits. Ferguson retired two out of the first three Yankee batters in the second inning to keep the score 1-0 in Yankee favor going into the bottom of the second.


The Tigers tied the game in the bottom of the second, after Alejandro Gambirazio made it to first on a short hopper that Rahming couldn’t field in time. Gambirazio then stole second on a pitch that scooted past Yankee catcher Dylan Christie. A Cara Curry error on a Kyle Carroll hit up the first base line allowed Gambirazio to come home and Carroll to make it all the way to third.


The Tigers would strike again soon after, as Joe Lockhart blooped a Rahming pitch into right field to bring Carroll and Julio Orduno home and allow the Tigers to grab the lead, 3-1. But Lockhart was hobbled by a leg injury, which required a pinch runner, Annisa Albury, at second base.


Two more Tigers recorded hits, as Paul Smith and Rodney Forbes both showed bursts of speed to outrun throws to first. When the inning ended, Albury had crossed home plate for another run to increase the Tiger lead to 4-1.


Tiger first baseman Gambirazio recorded two out of the next three Yankee outs at first base, when the Rahming and Kendal Major hit down the line and into his glove. The Yankees left a man on base without making any headway and the score remained 4-1.


Rahming walked Danny Lockhart in the bottom of the third, only to have Lockhart steal second and third. Yankee third baseman Ian Banks couldn’t handle a well-thrown strike by Christie to catch Lockhart at third, and Lockhart came home on the error. Nimble fielding by Christie on the very next play, though, caught Jermaine Smith trying to steal home for the second Tiger out of the inning. Rahming struck out the final batter and the inning ended with the score 5-1.


The Yankees could not overcome Ferguson’s strong pitching in the fourth inning and again left a man on base with the third out. The Tigers would drive in two more runs in the bottom of the inning, as Rahming’s began to waver on the mound. After Smith and Forbes hustle their way onto second and third base, pitcher Ferguson launched a monster shot into center field. Although the Yankee center fielder caught the ball for the second out, the hit allowed Smith and Forbes to come home. In a tight call at the plate, Forbes slid underneath Yankee catcher Christie’s tag to make the score 7-1.


Gambirazio, the very next Tiger batter, sent a Rahming pitch nearly over the center field fence, but again the Yankee fielder made the catch for the final out of the fourth inning.


The Yankees went three-up-three-down in the top of the fifth, while the Tigers left two men on base but did not score to end the inning with the score still 7-1. The final Yankee at bat produced two strike outs and one line drive shot into center field by Major that was caught by the Tigers’ Carroll.