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Needless
to say, game 1 of the 2005 HMWL Championship was far from a pitcher's duel. Before the game, all four participants in the championship predicted low-scoring games, knowing that clutch hitting would be important and dominant pitching would be expected. Not so much. The brothers Hastings jumped all over pitcher Will Kenney in the first. Following a lead-off double and a groundout, the brothers ran off three consecutive hits anchored by a Craig Hastings 3-run homer. Throughout the weeks leading up to the championship, it was discussed that Fred Rogers would get the ball in game 1. Instead, it was Kenney surrendering 4 runs in the top half of the first. Justin Hastings took the ball for the opposition. Over the first two innings, Hastings allowed 5 hits, but only one run on a Kenney RBI-single. Any remains of a pitcher's duel would be completely blown apart in the game's final 2 innings. In the third inning, Kenney would quickly allow another run on a Craig Hastings RBI-double. With that, Rogers was called in for relief but he would not fare much better. Rogers would allow 3 RBI-singles before recording the inning's second out. Kenney & Rogers would begin their comeback in the home half of the third. Justin Hastings, who had avoided an offensive explosion, couldn't hold the #1 seeded team to just one run. Fred Rogers cut the lead to five runs after his 2-run homer, his first postseason long ball since the walkoff job of '02. "I'll tell you one thing," said Justin Hastings, "it was much easier to pitch with a 5-run lead than small one." Hastings would nearly give up that 5-run lead in the home half of the fourth. With seemingly an uncatchable lead, the brothers Hastings took the field looking to quickly wrap up a game 1 victory. Rogers led off the inning with a single followed by a Will Kenney 2-run homer. 3-run lead. Again, another Rogers single. Again, another Kenney 2-run homer. 1-run lead. With no outs. A suddendly shocked team of the Hastings needed to bear down and record two outs to win the game. Rogers had other ideas, hitting a double. Will Kenney then grounded out to the pitcher, leaving the tying run on third base with Rogers coming to the plate. After a brief battle with pitcher J.Hastings, Rogers struck out swinging on a high and away fastball to end the game. The brothers Hastings led the best-of-3 series, 1-0. |
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