13 August 2004

THIS WEEK IN THE CAPE LEAGUE
Championship Week

Cape League Intern TJ Lasita

     Ryan Rohlinger hit his first home run of the season to break a 3-3 tie in the eighth inning, propelling Yarmouth-Dennis to a 4-3 win against Falmouth in game one of the Cape Cod Baseball League championship series on Friday at Red Wilson Field.

     Rohlinger (Oklahoma) hit Falmouth reliever Mike Phelps’ 2-1 offering over the fence in left-center field to give his team all the cushion it would need to secure the game one victory.

     “He’s been consistent all year, he’s been a dude all year,” said Red Sox manager Scott Pickler. “If I had to pick an MVP, he’d be my MVP. It’s fitting that he was the guy that got it done tonight.”

     Rohlinger wasn’t the only Yarmouth-Dennis player that got it done, though. 
Starting pitcher Justin Meier (Louisiana State), predominately used out of the bullpen during the regular season, kept the powerful Commodore offense at bay for 4.2 innings. Meier only pitched 14 innings in the entire regular season.

     “He did a great job,” Pickler said. “He got to the 85-pitch mark and we had stretched him pretty far. He hadn’t gone that far before.”

     The righthander struck out nine hitters, allowing three runs.

     The first of those three runs came in the second inning, as Brian Bogusevic hit his first home run of the season, a solo shot to the gap in left-center.

     Bogusevic’s long ball tied up the game, as the Red Sox struck early to take a quick advantage. Rohlinger drove in Joe Anthonsen (Campbell) with a two-out double in the first inning, putting the first number on the scoreboard.

     With the game knotted at one, Rohlinger walked to lead off the fourth inning, and eventually came around to score the go-ahead run on an errant throw.

     Falmouth rallied back, though. In the fifth, Meier allowed to runners to reach base, before being removed for Justin Blaine, a southpaw from San Diego. The first hitter Blaine faced, center fielder Danny Perales, knocked a two-run double off the wall in right, putting the Commodores on top, 3-2.

     After that blemish, Blaine settled in and was flawless, not allowing another run to cross the plate on his way to earning the victory.

     “After the first hitter, I thought he was very effective,” Pickler said. “He made some big pitches in key situations when he had to.”

     Falmouth didn’t hold on to its lead for long, as the Red Sox battled back again –this time using a fielder’s choice to plate a run. The first three Yarmouth-Dennis hitters reached safely to open up the sixth inning, loading the bases for Nick Moresi (Fresno State). The left fielder grounded sharply to Commodore shortstop Chris Lewis who began a 6-4-3 double play, but the tying run scored from third in the process.

     With the game tied at three and two outs in the eighth inning, Rohlinger took his heroic swing.

     Pickler turned to closer Josh Faiola (Dartmouth) to shut the door in the ninth, and the righty didn’t disappoint. Faiola’s first hitter reached on an error, then two outs later, he hit third hitter Danny Perales (Southern California) with a pitch to put the game in the hands of Cape League MVP Daniel Carte.

     Carte, the league’s leading home-run hitter, flied out to right field, however, ending the threat and the ballgame.

     With the Red Sox up 1-0, the best-of-three series now shifts to Falmouth. Yarmouth-Dennis will send righthander Justin Keadle (Wake Forest) to the hill, while the Commodore starter is still to be determined.

     The two teams will lock up at 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Guv Fuller Field. - By T.J. Lasita, CCBL Intern, TJLasita@capecodbaseball.org

John Garner, Jr.
CCBL Director of Public Relations & Broadcasting
(508) 790-0394 johnwgarner@earthlink.net 
Bruce hack, League Historian