Sticking Points 2048.6: Behind Bing-de Zhao, Rockville Storms Into Cartwright Cup

[aaronweiner]

Bing-de Zhao has had a tough year. The fan favorite was out for the first two months of the regular season, then came back for June only to be knocked back out until the end of July. Rockville managed without him: the Pikemen finished first in offense by almost 100 runs over second place. But as good as Colin Lee was this year in Zhao's absence, there's no question that the Taiwanese slugger gives them a little something extra. And that's precisely what Zhao brought to the Pikemen's Doubleday Series win against the Jacksonville Hurricanes, winning series MVP honors and reminding everyone why Rockville is a better team with him.

"My body has been letting me down, but I wasn't going to let down the fans and my teammates," said Zhao, who hit .450 in Rockville's five-game victory over Jacksonville. "They mean everything to me."

Rockville was also helped by a surprise start from Guy Shroyer, a player who lost his rotation spot this year, regained it, and then was the surprise Game 4 starter for Rockville. Shroyer walked five batters in six innings but gave up only five hits and just one unearned run.

"Chalk one up for the Blue Chips," said Shroyer, referring to the ironic name the Pikemen starters gave themselves last year. "I suppose it helped we won 10-1, but we got out of jams really well."

The Pikemen will go on to face Las Vegas for the second year in a row in the playoffs. Last year the series went the distance in the Doubleday, and this time Rockville will go in as the better-rested team, as the Hustlers were forced to seven games by the Atlantic City Gamblers.

"We're very excited to be here," said second baseman Daniel Pepper, a possible JL Sawyer Silk Award winner this season. "We came close to winning a title back in 2043 and we all want another shot at it."