Here are links to the box scores and play-by-play from the California Lumberkings Championship run on Wednesday, August 13, 2008.
Quarterfinal win, 3-1 over Team Easton Thunder, Ottawa, Ontario Canada.
Semi-final win, 2-1 over New York Knights
Championship Game, 2-1 win over Waterdown Hammer, Ontario, Canada
ISC II Commissioner Blair Setford’s Recap from the final day of the 2008 ISC II Tournament of Champions:
Day 4 – California Dreamin’
August 14th, 2008
California Taylor Farms LumberKings rallied for a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Waterdown Hammer to become the first top-ranked team to win the ISC II Tournament of Champions.
The LumberKings victory capped a day spectacular fastball with all but one of the seven games played at Memorial Park in Appleton decided by only one or two runs.
In the final, winning pitcher Dave Drotzmann and the Hammer’s Wayne Wells each worked three scoreless innings before the Hammer got on the board in the bottom of the fourth with Matt DaSilva coming in to score.
The LumberKings replied with two runs of their own. Pat Fuentes scored the tying run on a wild pitch and then Brian Teeters scored on an infield ground out to put California in the lead for good. Drotzmann worked 1-2-3 innings in the sixth & seventh to get the complete game victory.
California started the day with a nervy 3-1 win over Ottawa Team Easton Thunder. ISC II MVP Marcus Tan lead off the game with an inside the park home rund to give the LumberKings a lead they would never relinquish. Jeff Twist reached base after a strike out passed ball, and came around to score the second run. Ottawa trimmed the lead to 2-1 on an unearned run, though the LumberKings added a key insurance run in the 6th on a Marcus Tan sacrifice fly. Centerfielder Brian Teeters made a game saving catch in the bottom of the 6th on a long gap shot with two men aboard to preserve the win.
In the semi finals, it was Teeters to the rescue again, with a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning to provide themargin of victory as the Lumberkings edged the previously unbeaten New York Knights 2-1. Mike Egerdeen turned in his finest performance of the 2008 ISC II tournament, an 11 strikeout, 3-hitter, going the distance for the win. Egerdeen had only one mistake in the game, surrendering a fourth inning solo home run to straight-a-way center to first baseman Dave Lohman. Until the Teeters home run, it appeared that the performance might go for naught, but the Lumberkings showed remarkable resiliency, with three wins coming in their final at bat.
For Waterdown, they started the day facing hard-throwing righty Kevin Kammueller of St. Paul, MN ASB Villard. Wells lasted only four innings before giving way to Tim Neill. With the game tied at 2, the Hammer broke the game open in the top of the seventh with three runs, two of them coming on a key Dave Brownhill triple.
Neill would go the distance for Waterdown in their 2-1 semi-final win over Kitchener Outlaws. Waterdown got on the board early as Tim Coe followed a John Kemp triple with an RBI single. In the second, back to back triples by Brownhill and Kemp counted the second run for the Hammer. Neill was masterful, not allowing an Outlaws runner past first base until a Tim Dubois home run in the 5th.
Earlier in the day, New York ended the run by Bryan Newton and the River City Rockers with a 6-2 victory while Ashland Stock Pack were eliminated by Kitchener.
Marcus Tan was named the ISC II MVP. Also the RBI leader with 11, Tan played stellar defence at second for the LumberKings and provided both power and average from his lead-off spot in the order.
John Kemp was the leading hitter, batting .562 prior to the final.
Dave Drotzmann was the Most Outstanding Pitcher, finishing with a 5-0 record.
Patsy’s Smashes Seven Home Runs Enroute to Win Over So Cal Team
The So Cal Trejo Bombers, after winning their first two games at the ISC World Tournament at Kimberly, Wisconsin, ran into a buzz saw against Patsy’s of New York, falling 13-2 and into the loser’s bracket in the double-elimination tournament. Patsy’s hit seven home runs in the contest, scoring in every inning against All World pitcher Lucas Mata. Mata surrendered 10 of the 13 runs, in an uncharacteristic bad outing. Patsy’s led 6-2 headed into the fourth inning, when Patsy’s hit two more home runs, extending the lead to 10-2. Tony Peeples came on for Mata and retired the next two batters to end the inning, but the damage was done and the Bombers never recovered.
Patsy’s is one of the favorites in the tournament, having won the ASA Major tournament a couple of weeks ago. They certainly looked like the team to beat on Wednesday against the Bombers. Young Australian pitcher, just three years out of the junior program picked up the win, tossing a three hitter and striking out nine.
The Bombers, now 2-1, will return to play in the loser’s bracket, playing the late night game tonight, Thursday, August 14th, at 10:00 p.m. on the main (lower) diamond, taking on the winner of an 5pm game.
Two Run Triple by Jesse Duncan in 5th Keys Rally
Team Rainey bounced back after their loss to the defending champions, the Farm Tavern of Madison, Wisconsin, with a 6-2 win over the Texaco Pirates of the Bahamas. Pitcher Bricklen Anderson tossed a 9-strikeout 2 hitter for Rainey. The Bahamas squad struck first, scoring two runs in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rainey rallied in the top of the fifth, scoring three times to take the lead, one that they would not surrender enroute to the 6-2 win.
Rod Rainey got things started in the fifth when he reached on an error. Chris Hunt followed with a double, sending pinch runner Walushka to third. A ground ball fielders’s choice by Joel Manfredi brought home the first run, with Hunt advancing to third. With runners at the corners and two outs After the second out was recorded, Mr. Clutch, Jesse Duncan tripled home the tying and go-ahead runs.
Click here for the box score and play-by-play.
Team Rainey plays again this morning, Thursday, August 14th against Circle Tap of Denmark, Wisconsin. Rainey is currently 2-1, and will need to win three games on Thursday to stay alive in the double elimination event. Should they win their first two games, they would face local rival, the So Cal Bombers at 10pm Central time tonight.
2008 ISC II All-Tournament Team
Catchers
John Kemp, Waterdown Hammer
Shane Flinner, Ashland Stock Pack
Pitchers
Dave Drotzmann, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Bryan Newton, River City Rockers
Tim Neill, Waterdown Hammer
Infielders
Ron Guzman, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Marcus Tan, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Adam Hiller, Elmira Cubs
Josh Brohman, Kitchener Outlaws
Neil Curtis, Waterdown Hammer
Outfielders
Brad Web, Ashland Stock Pack
Peter Hill, Bulyea Rustlers
Canyon Vance, Innovative Communications
Brian Teeters, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Designated Player
Toby Ranck, Keating’s Fitness
Most RBIs
Marcus Tan, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Leading Hitter
John Kemp, Waterdown Hammer .562
Top Pitcher
Dave Drotzmann, California Taylor Farms LumberKings 5-0
Most Valuable Player
Marcus Tan, California Taylor Farms LumberKings
Final Four
1st California Taylor Farms LumberKings
2nd Waterdown Hammer
T3 Kitchener Outlaws
T3 New York Knights
Pitcher Dave Drotzman, Second Baseman Marcus Tan Earn MVP Honors
The Taylor Farms Lumberkings of California won the ISC II Tournament, with (another) come-from-behind win, 2-1 over Waterdown Hammer of Ontario, Canada.
Marcus Tan was named as the Most Valuable Player in the tournament, and pitcher Dave Drotzman was the Most Valuable Pitcher. Tan also garnered the award for the most RBI in the tournament.
Watch this blog for a complete recap of the Lumberking’s Championship run.
Teeters Homers for Come-from-Behind Win
Lumberkings centerfielder Brian Teeters delivered once again when it counted most, hitting an opposite field, two run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, to give his team a come-from-behind 2-1 semi-final win over the previously unbeaten Knights. The home run catapulted the Lumberkings into their second ISC II championship game in two years, where they will take on the Waterdown Hammer team from Ontario, Canada.
Lumberking Mike Egerdeen turned in his finest performance of the 2008 ISC II tournament, an 11 strikeout, 3-hitter, going the distance for the win. Egerdeen had only one mistake in the game, surrendering a fourth inning solo home run to straight-a-way center to first baseman Dave Lohman. Until the Teeters home run, it appeared that the performance might go for naught, but the Lumberkings have shown remarkable resiliency, with three of the five wins in a row coming in their final at bat.
The Lumberkings advance to the championship game for the second consecutive year. They lost last year’s title tilt to TNT of South Lebanon, Pennsylvania. TNT was eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by another California team, the River City Rockers of Sacramento. In 2008, they will face Waterdown Hammer of Ontario, Canada, the first time the ISC II has had a USA-Canadian final since its inaugural year in 2002. The finals in 2003 through 2006 were all Ontario affairs, while the 2007 championship was an all USA match-up.
Marcus Tan Leads the Way Once Again
The Taylor Farms Lumberkings from California won their fifth game Wednesday morning, a 3-1 win over Team Easton Thunder of Ottawa, Canada, to advance to the Final Four at the 2008 ISC II Tournament of Champions. Young 23-year-old second baseman Marcus Tan started off the game with an inside the park home run, for a lead the Lumberkings would never surrendered. Jeff Twist reached base after a strike out pass ball, and came around to score the second run. Ottawa trimmed the lead to 2-1 on an unearned run, though the Lumberkings added a key insurance run in the 6th on a Marcus Tan sacrifice fly. Centerfielder Brian Teeters made a game saving catch in the bottom of the 6th on a long gap shot with a man aboard.
The Lumberkings advance to a semi-final game against the unbeaten New York Knights.
The River City Rockers run at the ISC II Tournament of Champions finally ended Wednesday morning, falling to the unbeaten New York Knights, 6-2. The Rockers won three playoff games yesterday to advance to the Elite Eight, and finished the tournament with a 5-2 record. Rocker’s pitcher, young Brian Newton took the loss Wednesday morning, pitching in his seventh consecutive game. (Pitcher Ed Gaspar suffered a groin injury and only pitched a few innings in game 2).
Haziel Mc Donald’s Texaco Pirates of Abaco, Bahamas notched their first ISC World Tournament win, 4-0 over the Quad City Sox on Tuesday at Kimberly, Wisconsin. The Bahamas squad scored a run in the first when Jordan Tavares tripled and scored on a passed ball. They added another run in the fourth when Eduardo Leonardo doubled, advanced to third and also scored on a passed ball. Veteran pitcher Rob Scheller tossed a 12 strikeout, 4 hitter for the complete game victory.
The Pirates will face So Cal’s Team Rainey in their next elimination contest, Wednesday at 9am central time.