Gamers Cruise Into Championship Game

Hicksville, NY -

With the field at Burns Park in Massapequa submerged under water the Gamers' first round playoff matchup with Just The Tip was delayed half an hour and moved to Cantiague Park in Hicksville.

The sudden change of plans seemed to effect the Gamers as they fell behind by six runs in the top of the first inning only escaping further damage when Rob Roll snared a line drive and turned it into a double play. With a six run deficit to make up right off the bat the Gamers' championship hopes looked bleak. Five minutes later those hopes were alive when as the Gamers responded in a big way in the bottom of the first with an eleven run outburst capped off by a two run inside the park homerun from Roll.

After holding Just The Tip scoreless in the second inning the Gamers tacked on six more runs in the second inning on a leadoff homerun from Adam Goldberg, his team leading 5th, and a grand slam from Scott Zimmerman. Brian Malfettone also homered but unfortunately that did not count due to the two homerun rule. Later in the game Stu Plotkin and Adam Goldberg would be victimized by that as well.

With a 17-6 lead after 3 innings the Gamers turned their attention to trying to win by run rule which was 12 runs after 5 innings. They had a chance to do just that after Brian Malfettone's RBI single in the 4th put them up 12. But unfortunately Jimmy Dundon, on to close out the game, couldn't escape a bases loaded jam, allowing one run to score a throwing error that kept the game alive. After failing to score in the bottom of the fifth the Gamers held Just The Tip scoreless again in the top of the 6th ending the inning of an around the horn double play started by Seth Koslow at third base and turned by Craig Shames at second base. (Shames was splitting time at second base with Danny Balestas who earlier in the game made a nice diving stop to get a force out at second base.)

With the game now in the bottom of the sixth the Gamers just needed to score one run in order to lock up the victory and they managed to do so after Stu Plotkin hit a double with one out. After a walk to Koslow, Scott Zimmerman came up huge again with a single to left to score Plotkin.

The Gamers will now turn their attention to Game Face in Sunday's championship game. These two teams have been a collision course all year after almost getting into a fight earlier in the year so it's only fitting that it would come down to this.