Game 1: Buffleheads 6, Ivy Dwellers 2Game 1 looked promising for the visitors, as ace Carlos Zambrano was set to face off against the Buffleheads’ Jered Weaver, who came into the match sporting an ERA over 8. But the home squad drew first blood when Dwellers’ shortstop Wilson Betemit fumbled a routine ground ball with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the third allowing a run to score. Zambrano struck out Jason Varitek to end the threat and Betemit redeemed himself in the next half-inning with a long fly ball to center that plated Geovanny Soto to even the game at 1-1. But the Buffleheads broke through in the bottom of the 5th when Carlos Pena, Mike Lowell and their own private Betemit hit consecutive singles to start the inning, the latter scoring Pena for a 2-1 lead. Frank Catalanotto then bounced one off the wall in right center, scoring Lowell, and a sacrifice fly by Varitek and an RBI groundout by David DeJesus gave the Ducks a 5-1 lead. Weaver (3-2) allowed two runs while striking out seven in 5.2 innings, while Zambrano fell to 1-6 on the year. Pena went 4-4 with a walk and a solo homer and Mike Lowell had three hits for the Buffleheads. Soto singled twice and doubled for the Dwellers.
Game 2: Buffleheads 9, Ivy Dwellers 1
Game 2 started off as a pitchers’ duel between Ivy’s Ben Sheets and Budd Bay’s Roy Halladay, with each hurler allowing a single run through four. The Buffleheads’ run scored on an RBI double by Adam Jones, and Jeff Kent went yard to account for the Dwellers’ offense. But Jones was the catalyst again in the 5th for the Buffleheads, this time with his legs. Jones led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second off Sheets and Soto. Sheets then walked Mike Napoli, and Frank Catalanotto’s long fly ball to right moved Jones over to third. After Sheets struck out Jhonny Peralta, Jones swiped home on the front end of a double steal, with Napoli taking second. A sharp line drive off the bat of Adrubal Cabrera cashed Napoli, and then the wheels fell off for a disgusted Sheets as Carlos Pena walked, Mike Lowell reached on an error by Wilson Betemit, and Franklin Gutierrez brought home two with a double into the gap in left center. Jason Varitek singled in a run off reliever Jonathan Sanchez, and Jones finished what he started with an RBI single to give the home squad a 7-1 lead. Halladay allowed five hits and two walks in 7.1 innings, striking out eight Dwellers, to move to 5-0 on the year. Sheets dropped to 2-3.
Game 3: Ivy Dwellers 6, Buffleheads 4
Rich Hill held to the Buffleheads to one hit through seven innings to lead the Ivy Dwellers to victory in Game 3 of the series. Hill (2-3) retired the first ten batters and didn’t allow a hit until Jhonny Peralta connected for a two-run homer in the bottom of the 6th. Jeff Kent led off the game with his 7th homer for Ivy, and the visitors scored two more in the third on a sacrifice fly and a wild pitch from Ducks’ starter Rich Harden (5-2). Peralta’s blast brought the Buffleheads to within one, but the Dwellers loaded the bases with two out in the top of the 7th against Rafael Perez and Geovanny Soto greeted vaunted Ducks’ closer Jon Papelbon with a bases-clearing double to give the Dwellers some breathing room. They would need it, because Mike Napoli hit a two-run blast off Dwellers’ reliever Brad Thompson in the bottom of the 8th to make it 6-4. But that was all the Duck’s could muster as the Dwellers salvaged a win in the final game of the series.
Things don’t get any easier for the Ivy Dwellers, who travel to Boston to take on Margo Adams’ Fan Club. The Buffleheads finish off a long, 15-game homestand against Spahn and Sain and Pray for Rain before going back out on the road for the final nine games of the season.
