2017 BARB WORLD SERIES GAME 1

Finally, the 15^th iteration of the BARB World Series. Featuring the two division winners from the 2017 regular season, both with extensive playoff histories, this year’s Fall Classic shaped up to be a good one. It did not disappoint.

Thanks to their BARB-record 115 wins in the regular season, the Cactus division champion Yuma Firebirds held homefield advantage for the World Series over Grapefruit title-winning St. Francis. Of course, with 105 wins on their resume, the Kansans were no slouch.

With a long history in the background between the most dominant BARB team of recent vintage (Chris Melkonian’s charges were appearing in their fourth-straight Classic, with four titles all time) and a perennial bridesmaid (Scott Hatfield has taken his team to 11 playoff appearances in 15 years, with five consecutive postseason berths under his belt but nary a pennant), this year’s World Series got off to a scintillating start.

Stephen Strasburg, who struck out 13 in his start in the division series, got the call on full rest for the visiting Kansans…and he showed he was still on his game. The slender flamethrower struck out three in the first two innings before running into trouble in the third with a single and walk by Yuma, but he induced a Joey Votto ground out to get out of the jam before striking out the side in the fourth.

The St. Francis offense only rapped one hit in the first five frames against Firebirds lefty Sean Manaea, but it happened to be a leadoff blast in the third by Adam Duvall, 15 rows deep in left field.

Yuma chose more of a small-ball approach to tie the game in the fifth. Brandon Crawford doubled and then advanced on a fly out before scoring on a seeing-eye single off the bat of Ian Kinsler.

Zack Cozart replicated Duvall’s feat in the sixth to put the Kansans back on top, and their lead remained 2-1 into the eighth when Mookie Betts brought the game level again on a solo blast.

It appeared the game would at least go to the bottom of the ninth, or even extra innings, in a 2-2 tie. St. Francis put a man on in the top of the ninth, but Marcell Ozuna was lingering on first with sidewinding Steve Cishek mowing down Kansans hitters.

Until Duvall.

That’s right, the powerful outfielder HAMMERED a 1-1 offering again deep to left, clearing the fence with room to spare! Just like that, the visitors had a 4-2 lead!

That was all Kenley Jansen needed. Despite a Crawford leadoff hit, Jansen finished the home half of the ninth scoreless as St. Francis took Game 1 of the World Series on the road in Yuma!

FINAL: ST. FRANCIS 4, YUMA 2