2007 Playoffs Game 2

AP - Loyal Heights, Seattle

Fresh off their resounding first round playoff victory, the Fog set their sights on avenging their last loss. The Dubliners defeated The Fog with a huge 7th inning come back and in the process earned the #2 seed and first round bye. The Dubliners won the coin toss and elected to be the home team. The game also presented both teams with their first chance to play on the new field/sport turf at Loyal Heights. As addressed in Joe's keys to the game, the turf would play differently than natural grass.

The Fog jumped out to a three run lead via the long ball from Graeme's bat. Joe held The Dubliners at bay in the bottom of the first and he educed three routine fly balls around two singles. The Fog failed to score in the 2nd and The Dubliners pull back two as the Fog were a little loose with the ball in the infield. After two innings, Fog 3 Dubliners 2.

In the top of the third Rob and Graeme hit back to back home runs, to double the Fog score to 6, and in the bottom half of the inning, Joe again put down the Dubliners with three more fly balls will stranding two more runners. The Fog failed to score in the 4th and 5th innings, While, the Dubliners scored three times in the 5th and could have put more on the board had Joe not helped himself by retiring the last two runners 1-4. Leading 6 to 5 heading into the bottom of the 6th, the Fog saw their lead disappear as a fluke triple plated two. After six innings, Dubliners 8 Fog 6.

Danny lead off the 7th by flying out to right, Nolte then singled and advanced to second on Joe's single (first hit in 6 playoff at bats - it's all about what you have done lately). Ben approached the plate with the tying run on first and only one down. He sent a fly ball to right center that fell for a double and scored both Nolte and Joe. Tie game! Greg then strode to the plate like Atlas only he was carrying the Fog not the world and promptly singled, scoring Ben. Fog 9 Dubliners 8.

Heading into the bottom of the 7th, with the slimmest of leads, Joe proceeded to get to work. He educed the first batter to fly out to right center, got the next batter to hit a come backer to the pitcher. With two down, the next batter singled, but as clear as day, Joe was in a zone and got the next hitter to hit a grounder to Graeme at second, who flipped to Nolte at the bag for the third out. Game over, Fog 9 Dubliners 8. Unlike the movie Rudy, Greg was not carried off the field, but he was one of the heroes.

The Fog Championship drive continues this Wednesday at 7:15 at Maple Wood as they face the winner of the #4 and #1 seed game that followed ours last Friday.

2007 Fog Playoff Stats