Bucs Battle Back Behind Bodlovich

The Griffith Park Pirates arrived at this championship game facing the regular season-winning South Bay Sidewinders. The Pirates limped through the playoff turnstyle going 2-8 in the second-half, finishing just a game over .500: enough for third in the division but clearly a big 'ol question mark begged, "Where'd they go?" Offense all laggy, pitching parsed to committee, defensive yipps and such... While the rest of the league spent the second-half getting their win percentage on, the Pirates tap danced backwards, week by week, falling from their first-half division lead, hard. The backpedalling would need to reverse (wha?! That is so bad) for a legit post-season try. With a few well-noodled, strategic tweaks, the listing Bucs fuste (a pirate vessel with sails AND oars - yeah, this reporter had to look it up, so what?) was righted. The Bucs sailed past the second-place Brentwood Braves 13-1 in the semi, but those Snakes would be stingier in the decider...
The Pirates jumped out quick, and with power: back-to-back-to-back doubles from Ryan Lehnert, DJ Chomyk and Karmen Randolph, proved good for two runs against Winders starter Mike Cahill. After settling in, however, Cahill drained the Buc sails striking out seven Pirates and holding the privateers scoreless for the next five. A fine performance, which forced the Bucs to row their boat to win (yes, a fuste reference).
Lucky for the Pirates that Mike Bodlovich was calling cadence with the genuine stuff to pace and then surpass Cahill, to the tune of a complete game, 10-inning win with six K’s and zero earned.
So, how’d this game get won, you're wondering. Well, kinda dramatically, it turns out. The Pirates are up 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th, two outs, and a Winder on second. Can-o-corn flyball is struck... the game-ender... for the championship trophy... wait for it... ball bounces out of a glove and lands on the ground.
Game's tied.
Man, was it was quiet. Both sides, shock-quiet. New game, 0-0, right?
Top of the 10th, Pirates scrap and grind runners to 2nd and 3rd with two outs. Mister Richard Nash steps into the box and drops a looper in the outfield and the Pirates lead, 4-2. Bodlovich swashbuckles two K’s in the bottom of the 10th to secure the second Pirates championship in the South Bay Wood National, consecutive.
BTW, Bodlovich's playoff pitching line:
2 complete-game wins, 19 IP, 0.00 ERA, 1.21 WHIP, .226 AVG Against, and 14 K's against the first and second place regular season teams.
Thanks to all our opponents for a great summer of baseball! Every Sunday was a battle!

BOX SCORE 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 R H E
Griffith Park Pirates 2000000002 4 10 4
South Bay Sidewinders 0100000010 2 10 2

Date: September 16, 2012     Time: 10:00am      Venue: Narbonne HS   

Griffith Park Pirates
Hitters AB R H RBI BB K
Ryan Lehnert 5 1 1 0 0 1
DJ Chomyk 5 1 2 1 0 0
Karmen Randolph 5 1 1 1 0 2
Dale Dymkoski 5 1 1 0 0 2
Richey Nash 4 0 2 2 0 1
Mylan Stepanovich 2 0 0 0 2 1
Chris Ciketic 4 0 0 0 0 1
Jose Munoz 4 0 1 0 0 1
Eddie Corona 4 0 2 0 0 0
Jack Cargerman 0 0 0 0 0 0
Mike Bodlovich 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 38 4 10 4 2 9
2B: Lehnert, Chomyk, Randolph, Corona
SB: Randolph
HBP: Nash
SH: Stepanovich
South Bay Sidewinders
Hitters AB R H RBI BB K
Rich Fallat 5 0 1 0 0 0
Dave Becker 5 0 2 0 0 0
Jamil Mamdani 5 0 2 0 0 0
Roberto Torres 5 0 0 0 0 3
Steve Rombro 4 1 2 0 1 0
Casey Matthews 4 0 1 0 1 1
Colman Costello 5 0 0 0 0 1
Mike Cahill 4 1 2 1 0 1
Bob Affrunti 2 0 0 0 1 0
Kaz Arakawa 0 0 0 0 0 0
Totals 39 2 10 1 3 6
SB: Matthews
SH: Affrunti

Griffith Park Pirates
Pitchers IP H R ER BB K PT
Mike Bodlovich (W) 10.0 10 2 0 3 6 0
South Bay Sidewinders
Pitchers IP H R ER BB K PT
Mike Cahill 6.0 6 2 2 1 7 0
Rich Fallat (L) 3.2 3 2 2 1 1 0
Roberto Torres 0.1 1 0 0 0 1 0
HB: Cahill

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