Fall Ball Week 5: Rain, Rain, Go Away

The crafty TNB Fall Ball managers' rain dance did what it needed to do, and held off the showers from the extended reach of Hurricane Acai...Isee...Isay...Isaias!, long enough to get our games in.

Results are:

The Batmen 6, Spears 3

The win clinches the top spot for The Batmen for the Championship Game. The loss leaves the Spears in the hunt for the visitors' spot in Finals matchup.

Doubleheader for the Diamond Dawgs and Holyoke Millers

Game 1: Dawgs 4, Millers 3

Game 2: Dawgs 7, Millers 3

The Twin Wins leapfrog the Diamond Dawgs into a tie for second place with the Spears, preparing for an exciting head-to-head matchup in Week 6!

Diamond Dawgs 4, Millers 3

Diamond Dawgs Earn Walk-Off Win Over Millers in Game 1 of Double Header 10/11/26

SP's -John Wills vs Lundy Bancroft

A down-to-the-wire win at Landers Field for the Diamond Dawgs, who grabbed the victory in walk-off fashion, 4-3, over the Holyoke Millers.

The action got underway at Landers Field in South Hadley on a beautiful cloud-covered day with that morning Fall fragrance filling players’ nostrils. It was a tale of two rosters: the Millers were down to 7 players and leaned on two subs to get the game in, while the Diamond Dawgs finally had the majority of their squad present for the first time in Fall Ball. 

In the top of the 1st, the Millers went down 1,2,3 with JW "the mad dog" Wills inducing 3 routine pop ups. In the bottom frame the Diamond Dawgs were the first to get on the board after John "Sully" Sullivan unleashed a hard-hit line drive to Terry “The Terror” Randall in center, who made a great bid but could only get the tip of his glove on the blast. Randall recovered fast and threw an absolute bullet to Mo Partee at 3rd, but Sully was able to slide in before the tag. Millers' pitcher Lundy Bancroft was undeterred and settled back in, striking out the #2 batter Emilio Chaverri. Ed “HOT” Cauley laid down a sacrifice bunt, and Sully reached home to score the 1st run of the game for the Dawgs. 

In the top of the second, the Millers were determined to unleash hell and batted around their lineup, scoring 3 to take the lead. Back-to-back hard-hit singles to start by Terry Randall (roping a liner into center field) and Jim “Kruk” Fogarty, followed by Chris “Chaka” Scanlon reaching on a fielder’s choice and super sub Jon Adolph walking to load the bases. Morris “Mo” Partee whacked a single to score 2, followed by an RBI single via Lundy Bancroft, and suddenly the Millers were up 3-2. 

In the top of the 5th, the Dawgs got a new pitcher in the form of Russ Dupere, but he loaded the bases with only 1 down and got the hook from the Dawgs’ manager. Looking for prayers to be answered, Sully called in his hurler Scott Dunaisky, who made quick work of it with some solid defense behind him to leave the bases loaded. In the bottom of the inning Dunaisky helped his cause with a single to right field, scoring Chaverri and tying the game at 3 apiece.

The Millers were able to get out of some tough jams throughout the 7 inning contest, leaving 10 Dawgs on base. But soon their luck ran out: in the bottom of 7th, with things all knotted up with 2 outs, it looked like the Millers might get out of another pickle. But Ed "The Hammer" Cauley had different plans: he stroked a hard hit on the right side that took a wacky infield hop and got through to score Mike “Deet” Dietlin for a walk off win and the first Diamond Dawgs victory of the season. Final score: Diamond Dawgs 4, Holyoke Millers 3.

Pitching:   

• John “JW” Wills gets the W, gave up seven hits and three runs over four innings, striking out none and walking one.    

• The Millers starting pitcher Lundy Bancroft allowed four hits and two runs over three innings, striking out two and walking two.    

• Jeff Whitehead pitched 4 in relief, giving up 2 runs (1 earned).   

• Ron “Tater” Totten tossed two innings of scoreless ball for Diamond Dawgs in relief. Tater gave up one hit, striking out one and walking one.

• Diamond Dawgs turned one double play in the game. 

Millers Hitters of the Game

Terry Randall: 1-3, R

Jon Adolph: 1-2,R,RBI,BB 

Morriss “Mo” Partee: 2-2, 1 RBI, BB

Jeff Whitehead: 2-4

Diamond Dawgs Hitters of the Game

John “Sully” Sullivan:-1-3 BB,3B,R

Emilio Chaverri: 1-3 BB,R,RBI

Ed Cauley: 1-4, 2 RBI (walk off RBI) 

Marin Goldstein: 1-3,RBI

Russ Dupere: 1-2,BB,2B

Mike Dietlin: 2-2,BB,2R (scored the walk off winning run)