Redlegs Top Scouts to Move back into 3rd
The Redlegs and Scouts met up on Tuesday night (8/18) in a crucial matchup that will likely have a significant impact on playoff seeding. The Redlegs ended up prevailing, which gives them a tiebreaker over the Scouts in the jam packed 2-4 seeding in the 2020 MVABL playoffs. The Scouts have the tiebreaker over the Rangers, while the Rangers have the tiebreaker over the Redlegs.
This contest was tight all the way through, and truly felt like a glimpse into the future of MVABL playoff action. Camden got on the board in the 1st inning. Matt Morrison started the game with a walk and stolen base, followed by a walk to Jacob Robinson to put two runners aboard and nobody out. The Scouts then turned a nice double play on a hard grounder to 3rd base. Scouts third baseman snagged, stepped on third, and delivered a perfect throw to first for the double play. Saige Micomonaco ensured the Redlegs would walk away with something as he knocked a single that would score Robinson from 2nd. They added another run in the to of the 2nd when Brad Malott led off the inning with a single and was later driven in by Cameron Svarda.
The Scouts picked up a couple of runs in the bottom of the 2nd to tie it back up, but that was short lived as the Redlegs again scored a run in the top of the 3rd. Matt Morrison again singled and swiped 2nd base before Micomonaco again drove home a run with two-outs later in the inning. The Scouts then tied things back up at 3 when they scored another run in the bottom of the 3rd.
Things got interesting in the 4th. Camden went scoreless in the top half, but the Scouts really started to threaten in the bottom. Aaron Carmack, fresh off 4 innings pitched in a long continuation game against the Rangers on Sunday, looked like he was starting to run out of gas and the Scouts were starting to rally. The Scouts loaded the bases with two outs and had their skipper and lethal hitter Ryan MacFarlane at the plate. Carmack didn’t give him anything, and MacFarlane drew an RBI walk to give the Scouts a 4-3 lead. Carmack then induce a flyball out to right field to get out of the jam.
Camden then tied things up in the top of the 6th when Jacob Robinson led the inning off with a single and later scored on another RBI single by Saige Micomonaco.
Another adrenaline-fueled scenario then played out with the Scouts at bat in the bottom of the 6th. The inning started with a lead-off single followed by a strikeout. The next batter reached on an error before Carmack again punched out the next batter. Camden then elected to intentionally walk MacFarlane to load the bases and Carmack struck out the next batter in a pressure packed bases loaded situation to keep the game tied.
The 7th started slowly. A groundout and strikeout made it look like this game would go to the bottom half with the Scouts given an opportunity at a walk-off. But Cameron Svarda worked a two-out walk and would then turn in a heads-up hustle play by moving from 1st to 3rd on a passed ball. He then scored on another pitch that made its way to the backstop. Matt Mattice then singled followed by a walk to Matt Morrison. With runners on 2nd and 3rd, another passed ball resulted in a run scoring from 3rd, but Morrison turned on the jets and never stopped from 2nd base and scored to put Camden up by 3.
Carmack then punched out 3 batters in the bottom of the 7th to put the game away without any further excitement.