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08/26/2024 01:35 AMAt the start of the day, it looked like the final week of the Deep River Horseshoe League’s season would be postponed, but the skies brightened, however, the threat of a thunderstorm lingered. Just as players started their practice, a light rain began to fall, and it became heavier and steadier. Players scurried for cover under a tree, their cars, or umbrellas. The shower lasted for about 15 minutes, and with the thunder and lightning going off in the distance, the decision was made to continue play.
The Braves and Mets met in the match to decide who would be the league champion. It didn't start well for the Mets, as open boxes and inability to toss ringers made it easy for the Braves to win game one. In game two, Braves’ Mike Zanelli Jr.'s back-to-back doubles in the 10th and 11th boxes gave them their second win. Although the Mets managed to win game three, they fell victim to the same game one issues in game four.
With the Braves up 3-1, the Mets needed to win the next two games. If they both won three games, the champion would be decided by which team scored the most points in the match. The Mets won game five, and they had scored 484 points to the Braves’ 496. In game six, the Mets failed to score in the first three boxes, and Braves’ Matt Valentin's season best game of 36 points gave his team the win and the league championship, as the Braves won 4-2.
What a way to end a season having two brothers face each other in Diamondbacks’ Chip Goodrich vs. Reds’ Pudge Goodrich. The Diamondbacks were fighting for a playoff spot, while the Reds were playing for pride. The Reds won three of the first four games, and two were thanks to their handicap. The teams split the last two games. In their head-to-head match, Pudge edged Chip 101-100. The Reds won 4-2, but the Diamondbacks hung on to make the last playoff spot.
The Yankees were another team with a shot at the playoffs, as they faced the Marlins. Each team had a substitute for their "A" players. The Yankees had the No.1 sub in Frank Rausch, and Rausch, along with Damin Roberts, carried the Yankees to a 4-2 win. Roberts's 120 point series was the high score for "B" players, while Marlins’ Mark Goodale's 107 point series was the third leading "B" scorer.
The Yankees and Diamondbacks finished with identical records of 53-49. When they faced each other two weeks ago, they split, so the tiebreaker is the total points. The Diamondbacks had 600, and the Yankees had 586, so the Diamondbacks are in the playoffs as the eighth seed.
The Tigers were also hoping to make the playoffs, when they took on the last place Rangers. They gave it a valiant try, as both Sheryl Serviss and Anthony Conkling topped the century mark. Conkling’s 104 points was his second best series of the season. Rangers’ Joe Heery was the second high scorer for the "A" players with a 137 point series. With the Rangers up 3-2, it was Heery's 41 point game that dashed the Tigers’ playoff chances, as the Rangers earned a 4-2 win.
The last team looking at a possible berth in the playoffs was the Cardinals, as they took on the Cubs. Cardinals’ Kris Toohey scored 138 points and was the top scorer for the night. It was expected that the Cubs’ duo of Cody Layton and Jeremy Davis would give the Cardinals all they could handle, but who would have thought the big difference maker would be Cubs’ Tanner Steeves, the team’s "C" player. He ended the night with an 87 point series - 40 points above his average, and he was the top "C" scorer. Layton and Davis added 105 and 117 points to give the Cubs a total of 309 points for the match. Davis was the second leading "B" scorer, as the Cubs won 5-1.
When the White Sox played the Dodgers, they were both pretty much assured of a playoff spot. They would be playing to improve their seeding. The White Sox, who have been the hottest team in the league over the last three weeks, were unable to match their high scoring of the previous weeks. Scoring also seemed to be a problem for the Dodgers. Somehow, the White Sox won 4-2. Since the two teams finished with identical records (55.5-46.5), the higher seeding goes to the White Sox based on their Week 17 win.
The Orioles vs. the Pirates was another match in which the outcome decided where each team would be seeded in the playoffs. Orioles’ John Durinick's 123 point series was the third highest "A" score. Over the past few weeks, scoring has been an issue for the Pirates. Substitute Leif Selander was their leading scorer with a season best 88 point series. The Orioles won 4-2 and are the No. 3 seed, while the Pirates slipped down to the seventh seed.
The Angels were already in the playoffs when they played the Giants. The teams managed to split the match, and this was the Giants’ sixth match in a row where they have gone 3-3. Giants’ Gary Haney ended the night with his season best 67 point series. Finally, the Rockies and Red Sox, both playing for pride, split their match.
Rounds One and Two of the playoffs are best of five matches, and the championship match is best of seven. The Round One matchups are below:
– No. 1 Braves vs. No. 8 Diamondbacks
– No. 2 Mets vs. No. 7 Pirates
– No. 3 Orioles vs. No. 6 Dodgers
– No. 4 Angels vs. No. 5 White Sox