The regular season couldn't decide it, the tie breakers couldn't decide it and the weather in Camden yesterday wouldn't allow it, so it was "game on" at DeLutis Field in Rome this morning as Whitestown Post (12-5) and Moran Meeker O'Rourke Post (12-5)met in a one game playoff for the OCLB Gold Division Crown.
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Whitestown, which had lost two of its last three games, sent righthander Dan Smith to the mound to face Moran's lefty Dylan VanDreaser. Moran-Meeker won the coin flip and elected to be the home team.
VanDreaser struggled to find the strike zone early, walking the first two Whitestown hitters and then hitting #3 hitter Brendan Heitz with a pitch to load the bases.
(Moran's Kyle Campbell delivers a 6th inning pitch.)
Ryan Watson's sac fly to right field scored Mike Sullivan for the first run of the ball game and Matt Cornmire followed up with a single to right which scored Mike Bunal and Heitz to make it 3-0 Whitestown, which is the way we'd go to the home half of the first.
Consecutive infield singles for Moran loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the first had the fans at DeLutis thinking this was going to be a barn burner.
Dan Smith got the next three Moran hitters to pop out, strikeout and ground out consecutively though and Whitestown's three run lead was intact.
After a scoreless top of the second, Moran put two runs on the board in the bottom of the second as Kyle Campell singled and Angelo Gonzalez reached on an error setting up Doug Forbragd's one out RBI single to make it 3-1.
After another strikeout, Dylan Smith singled home Gonzalez to pull Moran to within 3-2. Forbragd came around to score after stealing second, reaching third on a passed ball and reached home on a wild pitch to make it 3-3.
Dan Smith struck out Dylan VanDreaser to end the inning and the Moran threat.
(Whitestown Post's Dan Smith (14) delivers a third inning pitch.)
Whitestown made it 5-3 in the top of the third when Ryan Watson and Matt Cornmire reached on errors and moved into scoring position on a wild pitch to Matt Engler.
Two pitches later Engler's single to right center scored Watson and Cornmire and Whitestown was back on top.
Brendan Heitz scored Whitestown's 6th run of the game in the top of the fourth on an RBi single off the bat of Matt Cornmire to make it 6-3 in favor of Post 1113.
Whitestown added another run in the top of the fifth when Dylan Gorski scored after walking and came around to score on passed balls. Kyle Campbell took over on the mound for VanDreaser after that run and was able to shut down Whitestown the rest of the inning.
Post 1113 increased the lead to 9-3 in the top of the 7th, sending eight hitters to the plate. Dan Russo's bunt single, followed by a single by Mike Sullivan set the table for Whitestown.
Mike Bunal flew out to shallow center and Brendan Heitz was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Consecutive walks to Ryan Watson and Matt Cornmire scored Russo and Sullivan to make it 9-3.
(Moran's Doug Forbragd slides under the tag of Whitestown Catcher Dylan Gorski for a second inning run.)
Dan Smith's longest inning was the bottom of the seventh. After two quick strikeouts, VanDreaser and Dylan Smith drew one out walks. Rob Waller then popped a foul ball down the left field line which was chased down and caught by third baseman Adam Pexton to end the game.
Following the Gold Division clinching playoff game, Whitestown Manager Paul Engelhart was happy to see his team win the division the right way, adding "I'm glad we went out there and won the game and the division on the field, that's the way it should be".
Engelhart also credited starting pitcher Dan Smith with a strong effort "Danny did a real nice job today, he had great control and after struggling a little in his last three outings it was a big confidence boost for him and our team heading into the Districts".
Smith finished with seven strikeouts, while walking only one in the winning effort for Whitestown (13-5). Dylan VanDreaser took the loss for Moran Meeker O'Rourke, which ends the regular season at (12-6).
(Looking for me? Whitestown's Dylan Gorski slides safely into third base as Moran's Doug Forbragd, Kyle Campbell and Dylan Smith converge on the bag to tag him out.)
Both teams have qualified for the District V Tournament which begins Wednesday at Delutis Field. Whitestown will play Adrean Post at noon on Wednesday and Moran Meeker will take on New Hartford Post Wednesday at 10am to kick the tourney off.
Whitestown 9 Moran-Meeker O'Rourke 3
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 R
Whitestown 3 0 2 1 1 2 0 9
Moran-Meeker 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 3
