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 Grays Slay the Knights - Head to Municipal League Championship

 

The Zane Grays took the last 3 games of the season from the Savoy Specials to win the National League South.  Then beat the playoff experienced Rubble and Knights to earn a spot in the 2009 Championship Series.

 

Game One -  The Grays on the road at the Jake sent Caruthers to the mound to face potential Cy Young winner John Smoltz.  The Grays were sharp getting to the Knights early.  Juan Gonzalez was the beast driving in 5 and hitting home runs in the 4th, 6th and 8th to take the first game 6-5.

 

Game Two - Zane's Preacher Roe was true, going seven innings and holding the powerful Knights to a pair.  The Grays push across four runs with another Gonzo homer.  The New York Knights 0 game rest and homefield advantage was squandered.  4-2

 

Game Three - Grays Ace Kevin Brown tosses a 4 hit complete game shutout.  Larry Doby led the charge with two run homer off Luis Tiant.  The score, 3-0, matched the series.

 

Game Four - The New York Knights fighting off a potential sweep come back from a 7-3 deficit to send the game into extra innings.  Manny Rameriz comes to life leading off the 10th with a home run.  Knights get their first win, 10-7

 

Game Five -  The last home game for the Grays to be played a Forbes Field.  Hoping to celebrate on their home turf, Caruthers sent to the hill to face the Knights John Smoltz.  Smoltz regular season dominance disappeared, as a Larry Doby first inning triple scored two.  That was all the Zane Ballclub needed for a 4-1 series clinching win.

 

American League Championship Series - Best Ever?

 

The Gahanna Small Ball and the Pequot Lakers battled through seven games.  Both Games Six and Seven went eleven innings, with the GSB claiming the AL Pennant.

 

Game One -  Host GSB, flexing their muscles, jumped all over Pequot's starter Tim Wakefield for 7.  A Johnny Mize homer and 4 RBI's and a Willie Mays Homer and 5 RBI's  help slap the Lakers for a 13-4 win.

 

Game Two - The Pequot Lakers sent Lefty Grove to stop the GSB uprising.  Grove goes nine giving up one.  Gooden was dented for two runs in the first inning on a pair of triples by Cobb and Matty Alou.  The Lakers knot the series at one on a 5-1 victory.

 

Game Three - Series moved to Pequots Colt Stadium.  Young and Fernandez faced off in a pitchers duel through Six.  A Huge 7th for the Gahanna Ballclub scoring 5 on a Boggs 2 run triple and a Mize 3 run blast.  Lakers fight back in 8th but fall short 6-5.

 

Game Four - Slugfest.  GSB strikes early with 2 in the first.  Pequot matches with two also in the first.  The post two more in the second and four more in the third, powered by a Cecil Cooper 2 run blast.  That was just enough to knot the series at two holding off a 5 run Gahanna run.  8-7.

 

Game Five - Grove v. Tudor.  GSB broke through in the 6th.  Grove would have closed out the inning if not for a Steve Garvey error allowed Gahanna to continue the inning.  A Nellie Fox error later in the inning allowed the first of 3 runs in the inning.  No recovery.  4-1 Gahanna win.

 

Game Six - Shea Stadium.  Best Game of the series.  Gooden faced Young, as Gahanna had command of the game up 3-1 heading into the 9th.  A Pequot rally ensued.  A Garvey triple, Fox single, Cobb single brought home three and pushed the Lakers ahead by one.  The lead was short-lived as Rusty Staub homers for Gahanna to tie the game.  At the top of the 11th Cooper leads off with a homer, followed by an Aaron two run homer.  GSB's Piazza, whose error in the 11th extended the inning for Pequot, led off with a homer.  Series tied 3-3 with a Pequot Lakers 8-5 win.

 

Game Seven - Truly the best game of the series. Wakefield v, Fernandez.  This is the same Sid Fernandez that no-hit the Lakers this season.  The game is the Lakers to win as they take a 4-2 lead into the bottom of the 9th.  Quisenberry on the hill gives up a Mays single, McCovey double and Staub double to send the game into extra innings.  At the bottom of the 11th Mike Piazza hit a leadoff walkoff series winning homer.