Maui Wins Pitchers' Duel To Advance To Cecil Cup Series

The Maui Mashers and the Saskatoon Amigos traded zeros for seven full innings.  When they finally did trade runs in the eighth, the Maui managed to push one more across than the Amigos, giving them a 3-2 victory and another chance at a Cecil Cup.

Juan Villatoro and Jeffrey Brunton were locked in a real pitchers' duel.  Through the first seven innings, only two Saskatoon and one Maui batter managed to reach third base.

In the top of the 8th, Saskatoon finally managed to get a runner across the plate, doing so in grand fashion when pinch-hitter Matt Foster hit a two-run homer.

In the bottom of the inning, Maui struck back.  With Brunton out of the game (being lifted for a pinch hitter), Will Stout came in to pitch.  After striking out the leadoff batter, Dong Lutz walked.  Pedro Caro came in to face Bruce Parker who struck out.  Next Leo Carerro came in to face switch-hitter Barney Maxon.  A wild pitch sent Lutz to second.  He then came across the plate when Maxon doubled on a full-count pitch.  Manuel  Robles then became the fourth Amigo pitcher of the inning, facing pinch-hitter Pedro Martinez.  Martinez ripped a 1-1 pitch down the left field line for a double, driving in Maxon and tying the score.  The next batter, Angel Banuelos slapped the first pitch up the middle for a single, scoring Martinez, giving Maui a 3-2 lead.

For the ninth, Maui brought in their closer, Carlos Arias, who struck out Luis Ramon, coaxed a fly ball to right from Santiago Salazar and got Cristobal Cordero looking to end the season for the Amigos.

If both Seattle and Maui let me know (via email or a comment here) that they are ready for Game 1 of the Cecil Cup by 9PM EDT Wednesday, I'll sim Game 1 of the Cecil Cup series on Wednesday night.  If not, I'll do it on Sunday.

Zev