WORLD SERIES GAME 3

Yuma and St. Francis entered the first of three games in Kansas all knotted at one win apiece. Game 3 provided one of the wildest games in BARB playoff history. Which team would take the upper hand?

Fans of the Kansans were, of course, hoping it would be their side…as was Scott Hatfield. Through three different franchises, including two expansion teams, his squad had vanquished Yuma only once in five tries – and that as the Delta V’s in BARB’s inaugural season, 2003, in a first-round set. Since then, Chris Melkonian beat Darwin in the division series in 2005 and World Series in 2007, and St. Francis in 2011 and 2014 in the divisional round.

This time would be different, right?

Not if Ervin Santana laid an egg. Which he did in the top half of the first.

The veteran righty, signed by the Kansans after going undrafted at the beginning of the season, had turned in a decent campaign (15-8, 4.70). In this start, he quickly got ahead of Dexter Fowler and induced a pop-up for the first out, but Joey Votto and Corey Seager squared up singles. A Mookie Betts double scored Seager, and after a sharp lineout by Anthony Rendon, Wilson Ramos allowed a passed ball to plate Votto. Finally, Brandon Crawford grounded through the left side to make it 3-0.

BARB’s best team at hitting home runs in 2017 came right back in the second, when Marcell Ozuna clubbed one to left center. An inning later, Carlos Carrasco gave up a single to his counterpart on the first pitch. A double and wild pitch brought the hosts within one, and Justin Turner tied the game with a sacrifice fly.

The teams traded a quiet fourth, and the Firebirds appeared to be going in order in the fifth before Seager drew a full-count, two-out walk. Betts again victimized Santana, but this time had more loft. His drive ended up clearing the left-field wall at The Monastery, giving the visitors a sudden 5-3 lead!

Sensing Santana was out of bullets, St. Francis management plugged in Logan Morrison to lead off the home half of the fifth…BOOM! Once again, the Kansans trailed by one. A Jose Altuve single knocked Carrasco from the game, and Steve Cishek walked his first batter to bring up J.D. Martinez. The slugger worked the count in his favor and smashed a get-it-in fastball. A NO DOUBT three-run bomb threw the crowd into a frenzy as St. Francis surged ahead for the first time, 7-5!

But…not for long. Lucas Giolito was the choice to replace Santana, and he allowed two singles before Josh Hader was handed the ball. The young southpaw retired the next two without a run scoring, but the dangerous Votto, despite being at a platoon disadvantage, pulled a back-up slider JUST inside the right-field foul pole. Unbelievable – ANOTHER lead change! And Yuma added to it on an Ian Kinsler single in the seventh. Just a few innings to go, and a 9-7 lead for the Firebirds!

Thanks to the Kansans’ power, said lead didn’t survive. Zack Cozart pinch-hit to open the bottom of the seventh and clocked it. 9-8. In the home half of the eighth, Kike Hernandez (!?!) grabbed a bat and launched the first pitch HE saw. 9-9!

St. Francis ended up putting a pair on with one out in the bottom of the ninth, but a double play ended the threat and the game went to extra innings.

The first Yuma batter was Brandon Crawford. He singled, but strayed too far from the bag on a pitch to Kinsler; Ramos threw behind to nail him diving back in. That was all Yuma could do; they needed Johnny Cueto to toss a scoreless bottom half to have a chance.

Cueto, after his ninth-inning troubles (including a walk), went to a full count on Adam Duvall before disposing of the slugger with a solid breaking ball. However, Hernandez didn’t see a strike before trotting down the line. Ramos came up and saw three pitches outside the strike zone. He got the green light from the third base coach… and it was the perfect decision. A fastball piped down the middle, but The Buffalo blasted it high and deep to left…JUST disappearing over the fence! The Kansans mobbed Ramos at the plate as The Monastery rocked and roared! A game-ending blast from the late-season acquisition had put St. Francis ahead in the series, 2-1, with two games remaining at their place. Would this be the year of the Kansans?

FINAL: ST. FRANCIS 11, YUMA 9 (10)