2018 Nationals Sweep D’Backs for 35+ Title in Southern Maine Men’s Baseball League
Southern Maine Men’s Baseball League, 35+ Division
Nationals 2, Diamondbacks 1
‘Nationals Sweep D’Backs in Pitcher’s Duel’
Submitted by Clair Crandall, SMMBL
The SMMBL Nationals defeated the previously undefeated Diamondbacks in two straight to win the 35+ Southern Maine Men’s Baseball League (SMMBL) Championship.
Game number one saw the Diamondbacks jump on Nationals starter Marc Powers for two runs in the first (one earned) on a lead-off double by Brett Urban, an error and a single by Ed Simmons. The Nationals struck for three in the second stringing four hits together including RBI singles by Chris Weaver and Matt Crandall, sandwiched around an RBI double for Mike Collar.
The game was deadlocked at 4-4 in the sixth when an RBI single by Mike Collar broke the deadlock. While Powers had buckled down and was throwing great, league rules dictate no more than six innings pitched by any pitcher. Matt Crandall pitched the seventh and eighth for a hold and Bryan Harvie earned the save in the ninth.
Game two was a classic pitcher’s duel that lasted a total of 1:40 minutes for the nine inning game. Things started promising in the bottom of the first when the Nationals loaded the bases on three consecutive singles only to have the hard throwing Brett Urban reach back for a little extra striking out the next two and enticing a ground out from Tim Curley to end the inning.
Marc Powers cruised through the first two innings with three Ks and a single hit. Mike Collar led off the second with a single and was out on a fielder’s choice grounder by Chris Weaver. With two outs Jim Seymour caught up with an Urban fastball and drove it into the right center field gap and the fleet footed Weaver scored standing up.
Dan Proctor of the Diamondbacks led off the fourth with a single and came around to score on a throwing error to tie the game. In the bottom of the sixth Urban, who sat down 11 in a row, walked Chris Weaver on a close 3-2 pitch and appeared to have him picked off first on a steal attempt, however Weaver’s speed caused an errant throw and he stood at second base as the go ahead run on the steal. Jim Doran followed with a well-placed hard ground ball up the middle plating Weaver with the go ahead run.
Powers had pitched his six inning limit giving up three hits, 0 earned runs, while striking out seven. He was relieved by former Houston farm hand Mike Collar, who sat down nine in a row and didn’t allow a ball out of the infield
Congratulations to the Nationals and the Diamondbacks for a great hard fought series!