Fleetwings thump Reds 8-4

Tom Williams' 3-run blast in the 7th caps off the Game 1 victory.

By Steve Smull

    SCHERERSVILLE -- Tom Williams' three-run homer in the top of the seventh put an exclamation point on an 8-4 Fleetwings' Game 1 victory to give his club a 1-0 lead in the Finals.

    Not only was it an exclamation point (because it made the score 8-1 at the time), it turned out to be some much needed insurance because Coplay's first five runners reached base safely in the seventh as the Reds got the tying run to the on-deck circle.

    You can make an argument that both teams are lucky to even be in the Finals.

    The #4 seeded Fleetwings, down 1-0 in their First Round series and trailing 7-2 after three innings and 8-3 after four innings in Game 2 versus the Northern Yankees, came storming back to earn a 9-9 tie in that six-inning game, shortened due to darkness. The Fleetwings' bats came alive just in time to stave off elimination in that game, and they won five of their next six games (including three straight vs. #1 seeded Gabelsville after dropping the opener) to reach the Finals.

    Coplay, seeded #3, seemed hopelessly behind in the Limeport series, down 2-0 and looking worn out in Game 3, but Kevin Reese threw a gem, a much needed 4-hit shutout and the Reds pushed across an unearned tally to win 1-0 over the #2 seeded Bulls. And then the Coplay bats came alive, outscoring Limeport 25-5 in the last two games of that series to reach the Finals.

    And these comebacks set up the "Series at Scherersville", which will only be at Scherersville for the opening weekend as both teams plan to finish the series at Limeport Stadium this week.

     Scott Garger got Game 1 of the Finals started with a single to right. After a fly-out, Coplay starting pitcher Jose Medina plunked Matt Godusky. After a strikeout, veteran Dave Toth, who just continues to keep getting clutch hits for Woodlawn in the postseason, got another one, a two-out RBI single to center to give the Fleetwings a 1-0 lead. After a walk to load the bases, Williams smacked a shot off Medina, who found the ball in time to nip Williams at first to end the inning.

    Coplay wasted no time getting that run right back.

    Kyle Rhoades walked and Kirk Mueller sacrificed him to second. Brandon Leslie continued his sparkling postseason with a RBI single to center to tie the game at 1-1. Leslie took second when the relay throw skipped away from the cut-off man. But Fleetwings' pitcher Matt Wiltrout got a strikeout and pop-up to end the frame.

    Things stayed quiet until the third, when Matt Godusky got hit by a pitch for the second consecutive at-bat with one out to take first base. Big Ben Swatsky ripped a ball down the left-field line that went for a double when Godusky beat the throw to third base. After both runners had to stay put after a hard ground-out to first, Player/Manager Jeremy Arner then blooped one down the right-field line that was reminiscent of his series-clinching hit against Gabelsville in Game 4 three days ago. This one was definitely fair (by about three feet), scoring Godusky and Swatsky to make it 3-1 Fleetwings. Medina then got a strikeout to end the inning.

    Woodlawn would go right back to work in the fourth.

    Brian Martin singled to right to start the inning and Dan Hemberger followed with a walk. Garger moved both runners up 90 feet with a sacrifice bunt and Justin Godusky promptly ripped the first pitch up the middle for a two-run single to make it 5-1 Fleetwings. A strikeout and fly-out ended the inning.

    Both pitchers worked out of some jams to put up goose-eggs until the seventh. Then Woodlawn would strike again.

    Toth reached on an error to start the inning and Arner got hit on the helmet by a 2-2 pitch to put two runners on to set the stage for Williams, who lofted a towering drive to deep left-center for a three-run homer to make it 8-1 Fleetwings.

    Those runs would make the Fleetwings' fans breathe easier in the bottom of the seventh because Coplay got their first five batters to reach base safely.

    Jesse Borden, batting for the first time, ripped a ground-rule double to start the inning. John Curreri got his third hit of the game to put runners on the corners. Rhoades smacked a RBI single to left to cut the lead to 8-2 Fleetwings and Mueller singled to right to load the bases. Leslie then flared a RBI single to right to make it 8-3 and the sacks were still loaded with nobody out and the tying run was suddenly on deck. But a 6-4-3 double-play (scoring a run) and a fly-out ended the game and the Fleetwings had an 8-4 win.

    The Fleetwings have now won four straight postseason games and six of seven.

    Arner finished 2-for-2 with 2 RBI, Garger was 2-for-3 and Williams had a 3-run clout for Woodlawn, while Brandon Leslie was 3-for-4 and Curreri was 3-for-3 for Coplay.