Game 1 - BOX SCORE

Game 2 - BOX SCORE

EXPANDED STATS

The Redlegs and Knights squared off for the final time of the 2017 regular season back on Sunday, August 6th.  Both games would turn out to be hard fought battles, but when the dust settled the Redlegs would walk away with another split double header and a loss in game 2, which has been a common theme in the 2nd half of this season.

Kyle Arend got the scoring started for the Redlegs when he doubled in Matt Mattice in the bottom of the 1st inning, Mattice had earlier walked.  Joey Watson then delivered a 2 out single to score Arend and give the Redlegs an early 2-0 lead. 

In the bottom of the 2nd, Jared Bradley single with 2 outs, moved up to 2nd on a throwing error and then was driven in with a single by Matt Morrison. 

The Knights then finally put a dent in, yet another, brilliant starting performance by Aaron Carmack in the 4th.  Connor Bishop did the damage with a 2-run double. 

The Redlegs answered immediately in the bottom of the 4th scoring twice more highlighted by a sacrifice fly by Jared Bradley.  Brandon Howard then extended the Redleg lead to 6-2 with an RBI double in the bottom of the 5th. 

Matt Redman took over on the hill and turned in a quiet 6th and the Redlegs went down in order in the bottom half, giving the Knights one last chance to rally.  As has happened to Carmack so many times this season, the Redleg defense couldn’t hold on to his win, committing a couple of costly errors that resulted in 4 Knight runs and a tie ball game. 

Carmack’s bad luck, however, would lead to a blessing for Mike Hartman.  After Matt Mattice singled with 1 out in the bottom of the 7th, the Knights elected to intentionally walk Kyle Arend.  This brought Hartman to the plate with his 20-game hit streak on the line.  Hartman blasted a walk off RBI double into the right center gap and at the same time set the Redleg single season hit streak record at 21.  The RBI was also Mike’s 50th since joining the Redlegs in 2015. 

Early on, it looked like game 2 was going to be all Redlegs as they started the game by racking up 6 runs in the first 2 innings.  Adam Parks and Matt Mattice started things off with back to back singles in the top of the 1st.  Kyle Arend then reached on an error, which allowed Parks to score.  Later, Brandon Howard delivered a 2 run single and James Robinson added an RBI single to give the Redlegs a 4-0 lead. 

First Baseman James Robinson made a nice catch in foul territory in the bottom of the 1st as he ranged deep into foul territory and snagged the high pop up over his shoulder to record the 2nd out of the inning. 

Parks and Mattice then both singled to start the 2nd inning, and later Mike Hartman singled to load the bases.  Joey Watson then hit a sacrifice fly to score Parks, and Mattice moved to 3rd.  Hartman then stole 2nd, and Mattice alertly scored on the throw down to 2nd base. 

The Knights roared right back into the game in the bottom of the 2nd, using 3 hits and a pair of Redleg miscues to score 5 times making it a 6-5 game. 

Starting Pitcher Kevin Campbell rebounded after the Knights 5 run frame and turned in a scoreless 3rd, helping himself out with two excellent defensive plays.  Anthony Turner doubled to start the inning, followed by a flyout to record the 1st out.  The next batter hit a soft grounder in no man’s land between 3rd base and the pitcher’s mound, but Campbell made his signature play of making a sliding stop and quickly firing to 1st to get the runner by a step.  The next batter placed a grounder in almost the same exact spot, and Campbell again made his sliding stop, this time flipping to Ryan Gross at the plate, who made the tag on another very close play. 

Gross then started the next inning off with a double and scored on an RBI single by Adam Parks, pushing the Redleg lead to 7-5.  The Redlegs then went down in order in the 4th and 5th innings.

The Knights took their first lead in the bottom of the 5th, as they scored 3 times highlighted by a 2-out 2-run single by Alec Hutzelman.  Things could have been worse however, but Jared Bradley made a clutch sliding catch in left field with the bases loaded to end the inning and keep the deficit at one run.

After the Redlegs stranded a runner in the top of the 6th, the Knights poured 4 more runs on in the bottom half to take a commanding 12-7 lead.  The Redlegs did try to rally in the top of the 7th as Matt Redman and Ryan Gross drove in a run each, but the Knights would escape the jam and hold on for the 12-9 win.