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Borden's blast lifts Coplay, 6-5
Jesse Borden's 2-out, walk-off 3-run
HR lifts the Reds to a 1-0 series lead over ICC.
SCHERERSVILLE
-- Elation, then deflation. Deflation, then elation. It is all a matter of
perspective.
From Coplay's point of view, the latter fits the bill, because after a long ICC
rally produced four runs in the top of the seventh to lift the Pirates to a 5-2
lead and apparent victory, the Reds responded with a lightning quick 4-spot of
their own, climaxed by a thunderous and prolific 3-run bomb with two outs by
Jesse Borden to lift Coplay to a thrilling 6-5 victory and 1-0 series lead in
the best-of-3 first round playoff series.
Until the rollercoaster seventh inning came along, runs were hard to come by for
both sides.
ICC lit the scoreboard first in the visitor's half of the fourth when Rob
Williams was awarded second base after a throwing error to start the inning.
After Bill Hezel laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt, Ben Behler laced a RBI
single to right-center and the Pirates were proud owners of a 1-0 lead.
And ICC starter Brett Vroman made that lead hold up. Until the fifth inning.
Coplay's John Curreri ripped a one-out single to right. After he moved to second
on a groundout, perennial clutch performer Brandon Leslie lofted a single to
right-center to tie the game at 1-1. Three pitches later, Kevin Thompson smashed
a double that short-hopped the left-field fence, scoring Leslie on a bang-bang
play at the plate, and suddenly, the Reds had a 2-1 lead.
And it appeared as though that would be all Coplay starter Jose Medina would
need to bring home a victory. It seemed to be smooth sailing for the
right-hander as he had not walked a batter through six strong innings, allowing
just 5 hits and working around three errors and a catchers interference play.
But choppy waters were just ahead.
Angel Rivera worked a full count, then drew a walk to start the seventh. Dave
O'Leary sacrificed him to second, but on the play, he stepped on first baseman's
Kirk Mueller's foot, which started a bit of a brouhaha which did not end until
Mueller was tossed from the game. Medina also came close to being ejected, and
once play resumed after cooler heads prevailed, Vroman worked a seven-pitch
walk. Medina plunked Erik Ruff on the next pitch to load the bases with one out.
It appeared as though Medina had lost focus.
And ICC would waste no time taking advantage.
Three pitches later, Cody Ruff ripped a single through the box, scoring Rivera
and Vroman, and the Pirates regained the lead, 3-2. Kyle Ruff then walked to
reload the bases. Williams smacked a single to center, scoring Erik Ruff, and
Hezel lined a single to right, scoring Cody Ruff to make it 5-2, Pirates, and it
appeared as though the merry-go-round would never end for the Reds' faithful.
But just when it appeared as though the Pirates would blow the game wide open, Medina
managed to get a routine double-play ground-out two pitches later with the sacks
still loaded to finally
end the nightmare for Coplay.
And with just about all of the air taken out of the Coplay balloon in the
top of the seventh, nobody in the park dreamed the deflated Reds could answer
that 4-spot in the bottom of the seventh.
But Coplay would soon show why you need to get all 21 outs before you can claim
victory.
Curreri smashed a one-out, ground-rule double to right and Kyle Rhoades laid
down a perfect drag-bunt single to put runners on the corners and give the Reds
some life. Leslie followed with a laser-beam to right, but it was right at
Behler, who hauled it in for the second out and Leslie had to settle for a
sacrifice fly, as Coplay now trailed 5-3. Thompson drew a walk, setting the stage for Borden, who cranked Vroman's first offering well over the fence in right-center, a
no-doubt-about-it, walk-off, three-run homer that gave Coplay the 6-5 victory
and left the ICC faithful stunned.
Game 2 will be at Bethlehem Township Municipal Park at 5:45 on Monday as ICC tries to
even the series.
Williams was 3-for-4, Cody Ruff was 2-for-4 and Hezel was 2-for-3 for the
Pirates. For Coplay, Curreri and Thompson both went 3-for-3 with a double.
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