Las Vegas moves on 4-2 over Maine

Single digit temperatures did not chill the Friendship League division series between Maine and Las Vegas. Maine brought the league’s top record with 53 wins; wild card Las Vegas brought their 45 wins and a we’re-just-happy-to-be-here attitude in what was supposed to be a rebuilding year. Maine had taken the season series 8-3, and even the odds makers in the Fremont’s home town listed Maine as the heavy favorite.

Game one saw Fremont ace Reese Olsen, 4-1, 2.81 ERA, 2.0 WAR face the Logger’s Luis Castillo, 9-2 / 3.38 / 2.1. Back-to-back two-out solo home runs from Jose Ramirez and Austin Wells in the first gave the ‘Monts a solid start. Oswaldo Cabrera put the men from New England on his back, single handedly evening the score with a two-out single in the first and a two-out solo home run in the third. In the fourth, Maine catcher Ben Rortvedt fumbled a Marcus Seimen foul pop-up giving the .151 hitter a second chance at the plate. Seimen then walked and the Las Vegas manager may have said out loud that that might come back and bite the Loggers. And bite it did, as Taylor Ward followed with a double, and Ernie Clement brought them both around with a single for a 4-2 lead that the desert men would not relinquish. Austin Wells knocked two more home runs to extend the lead eventually to 6-2 by the seventh. Maine gave the Fremont pen a scare scoring single runs in each of the last three innings, but fell short as Las Vegas took game one, 6-5.

Fremonts........ 2 0 0  2 1 0  1 0 0  -  6 11  0
Loggers......... 1 0 1  0 0 0  1 1 1  -  5 10  2
W: Olson (1-0) L: Castillo (0-1) S: Slaten (1st)
HR: J.Ramirez(1st), A.Wells-3(3rd), K.Carpenter(1st), O.Cabrera(1st), T.Soderstrom(1st)

Game two saw the Fremont’s Nick Pivetta 5-2 / 3.10 / 2.2 face lefty Carlos Rodon 10-4 / 4.63 / 0.5. The Loggers pummeled Pivetta, plating seven runs over the first four inning with home runs from Ceddanne Rafaela, Kerry Carpender, Issac Paredes. The ‘Monts caused the Logger’s manager to quickly order another beer after a Ramirez grand slam closed the gap to 8-6 in the sixth. But that was the final score as the Maine bullpen held, Griffin Jax retiring the next four in a row after the home run and Tyler Holton going six-up, six-down to even the series at 1-1.

Fremonts........ 0 1 0  0 0 5  0 0 0  -  6  6  0
Loggers......... 0 0 2  5 1 0  0 0    -  8 11  0

W: Rodon (1-0) L:Pivetta (0-1) S: Holton (1st)
HR: J.Ramirez(2nd), J.McCann(1st), I.Paredes(1st), G.Henderson(1st), K.Carpenter(2nd), C.Rafaela(1st)

After two high scoring games, we were due for a nail-biter. Game three didn’t disappoint as the two teams traveled to the more hospitable climate. The visitors sent Joe Ryan 5-4 / 4.22 / 1.0 to the bump --- Kutter Crawford 4-6 / 3.36 / 1.6 for the downtowners. Maine and Las Vegas traded single runs like middleweights trade jabs in the early rounds of a championship fight. There were home runs, run scoring singles and even a bases loaded walk to knot the score at 3-3 after five. The bullpens scattered seven hits between them, but no more runners crossed in regulation and the game went to extra innings. Auston Voth had come on in the ninth for the ‘Monts striking out 4 of six batters he faced. But with two out in the eleventh, Ceddanne Rafaela stepped up and launched a homer to put the Loggers up 3-2. Jason Adam put the home team down quietly in the ninth and the visitors were up 2-1 in the series.

Loggers......... 0 1 0  1 1 0  0 0 0  0 1 -  4 10  0
Fremonts........ 0 1 1  1 0 0  0 0 0  0 0 -  3 12  0
W: Adam (1-0) L: Voth (0-1)
HR: L.Jimenez(1st), C.Rafaela(2nd), J.Ramirez(3rd)

Two high scoring games, an extra inning game. What would we have next in game four. For Maine, Jon Gray 2-4/ 6.59 / -0.6, Las Vegas, Simeon Woods-Richardson 4-1 / 2.91 / 2.3. The starters bossed the early action with just five hits between the sides after five. The Fremonts struck first after a Terry Sweeney pinch hit single scored Trevor Casas in the sixth. Kerry Carpenter did it the easy way, knocking in his third home run of the series in top of the seventh. The score was 1-1 all the way to the bottom of the eleventh. As they had done all season, the Monts ground out a run. Rob Refsnyder doubled. The Loggers called in Daniel Lynch from the pen. He proceeded to give up a single to Austin Wells, sending Refsnyder to third. Ramirez was walked intentionally, loading the bases with one out. James McCann stuck out and with no hitters left on the bench, Chaz McCormick -- .171 average, 8 RBI in 111 AB Chaz McCormick – came to the plate. And dear reader, you know what happens next, McCormick shoots a line drive to right scoring Refsnyder. 2-1 Fremonts. Series even at 2-2.

Loggers......... 0 0 0  0 0 0  1 0 0  0 -  1  5  1
Fremonts........ 0 0 0  0 0 1  0 0 0  1 -  2  8  1
W: Cleavinger(1-0) L: Ferguson(0-1)
HR: K.Carpenter(3rd)

So now what. A rematch of game one starters Olsen and Castillo. Maine kicked up their heals in the second when two doubles, a walk, and a Jarren Duran triple staked them to a 3-0 lead. Las Vegas answered two innings later when Wells’ fourth home run of the series made it 3-2. Castillo had been strong enough for the Loggers to go out and start the sixth. He got the first two hitters before giving up a single to Ramirez and a double to Wells to tie it 3-3. A Will Brennean home run followed, 5-3 Fremonts. Back-to-back singles from Marcus Semien and Taylor Ward made it 6-3, five straight two-out hits and that was that. Maine managed just a walk over the last three innings, Las Vegas added 2 in the eight to win 8-3, taking control of the series. headed back east, 3-2.

Loggers......... 0 3 0  0 0 0  0 0 0  -  3  3  0
Fremonts........ 0 0 0  2 0 4  0 2    -  8 13  0
W: Cleavinger(2-0) L: Castillo(0-2)
HR: A.Wells(4th), J.McCann(2nd), W.Brennan(1st)

Game six saw a rerun of the Pivetta/Rodon matchup, and balls were flying though the cold winter sky. Ward led off with a home run for the visitors. Then the teams traded long balls, Jimenez for Maine, Refsnyder for Las Vegas, Garcia for Maine made it 4-2 for the home team by the bottom of the fifth. The pace slowed until the top of the eighth when McCann’s two run home run tied the score. The Loggers couldn’t drive in a runner from second with one out in the eight, then Casas led off the top of the ninth with a walk. Griffin Jax came in to pitch and was greeted with a sacrifice bunt moving Casas to second. Wells was walked intentionally to bring Ramirez to the plate. In the clutch, the greatest Fremont of them all smashed a double, bringing Casas in and bringing home the lead, 5-4. Jorge Mateo followed with some insurance, a single plus an error to extend the difference to 7-4. Nick Sandlin recoded the final out and the ‘Monts move on taking the series 4-2.

Fremonts........ 1 0 0  0 1 0  0 2 3  -  7  9  0
Loggers......... 0 0 0  2 2 0  0 0 0  -  4  9  1
W: Slaten(1-0) L: Adam (1-1)
HR: T.Ward(1st), R.Refsnyder(1st), J.McCann(3rd), A.Garcia(1st), L.Jimenez(2nd)

There were MVP candidates everywhere. Caddanne Rafaela had a .348 / .348 / .783 for Maine. A case can be made for Chaz McCormick, just for his game winning RBI in game four --- possibly the difference between being tied 2-2 or down 3-1 in the series. Jose Ramirez .417/.517/.875 would have earned the title most years, but --- Austin Wells, with clutch hitting in game five, a .444/.500/1.167 and 4 HR – 3 in one game (probably tying the playoff record) is the series MVP.