Usually, the York Revolution plays the Somerset Patriots in the Championship Series for the Atlantic Baseball League. A funny thing happened in the division playoffs though. With both playoff divisions needing a 5th game to decide the best-of-five series, the underdogs won. So, the Revolution and the Patriots had to send their victory champagne back to the pantry. The Championship Series would be a best-of-five series between The Lancaster Barnstormers and The Sugar Land Skeeters.
It wasn’t easy in their Divisional series against the Somerset Patriots, who were up 2 games to 1 and leading the 4th game 3-0 with the Barnstormers just 6 outs away from elimination. A pinch hit grand slam by second-baseman Yasuke Kajimoto in the top of the 8th inning put the Barnstormers in the lead and the Patriots in shock. The Stormers held on to win that game and the next day they were still riding high. They were ahead 10-1 in the deciding game going into the bottom of the 9th inning. Then the Somerset Patriots showed them why they usually go to the Championship Series and scared the hell out of them. They scored 5 runs and had two men on base before Lancaster finally got the out that sent them into the Championship Series against the also unlikely Skeeters.
After that, the Barnstormers must have doused themselves in Deep Woods Off, because they easily repelled the Skeeters in Houston to win the first two games of the Series convincingly. The pesky Skeeters did not go away easily in the 3rd game, though. It was back-and-forth as they played the game through a steady rain shower in Lancaster. Finally, in the bottom of the 13th inning, Gabe Jacobo hit one over the right-centerfield fence to decide the game 8-7 and the series 3-0.
It was a great season, and I was happy to be a part of it. I threw out the first ball at one of their games back in May, and my brother and I went to a birthday party the team threw for their manager, Butch Hobson, back in August. First Fridays are special around here and the Barnstormers won the Championship at home on the first Friday of October. Sounds like Destiny, doesn’t it.
I welcomed the hangover I had the next day, because I knew the team deserved my best celebratory effort.
Peace & Love, and all of the above,
Earl
earlthepearl137 