So @cheekimonk mentioned this idea on Discord. While I don't think this is exactly what he had in mind, it did give me the idea that it would make a good team news article. And as I optimistically pursue the chase for 100 yet again, I figured I needed all the ideas I could get right now. So let's look at what I felt was the Lumberjacks best game of the month.
So when decided what was the best game, there are plenty of criteria to look at. Are we basing this off pure domination? That would likely make this 7-0 shellacking of San Fernando your winner. A game in which Portland out hit the Bears 11-5 and had 3 homeruns. Do you base it off of rivalry importance? Then you'd have to go with this 4-1 over Vancouver as your winner where Alaric Wullenweber shut down the Mounties en route to a series saving win. Or you could go with just games that were clean and intriguing. That would make this 1-0 win over San Fernando as your winner where Portland scored a run in the bottom of the 1st then both teams' pitchers went on lockdown mode, allowing just 3 hits apiece.
All worthy candidates. But I think for this one, we gotta go with the marathon thriller from April 6 in Long Beach.
- A roller coaster of a game
Short lived because Eng-hee Kin couldn't get outs and failed to get through the bottom half of the inning. The Surfers plated 5 runs in the bottom half of the 4th on just 3 hits (Kin walked 4 in the game through just 3.2 innings) and just like that Long Beach was up 7-4. But perhaps it was this moment that changed the whole complexion of the month of April. Alvin Conley's 2 run homer in the 5th made it a 7-6 ball game. Ohayashi's RBI single in the 6th tied the game at 7 apiece and Daniel Frampton's homerun in the 7th (his 2nd of the game) gave Portland the lead at 8-7. That score held till the 8th when Byron Ratcliffe gave up an RBI double to Austin Nolan to tie the game at 8-8.
After that, it played out like this:
- Portland loaded the bases in the 9th and failed to score.
- Long Beach went down in order
- Portland left one on in the 10th
- Long Beach did the same
- Portland left one on in the 11th
- Long Beach got back to back 2 out singles but failed to score.
- Portland got the leadoff man aboard in the 12th but he never moved beyond first.
- Long Beach did the same, but he was erased on an inning ending double play.
- Portland got a 2-out single in the 13th and nothing more.
- Long Beach got a one out single but the inning ended in yet another double play.
- With one out in the 14th, Portland got 2 aboard via a HBP and an error. But squandered the opportunity.
- Long Beach went 3 up, 3 down.
That brings us to the 15th and final frame of the contest. Hughie Dunstone was pitching for the Surfers and promptly walked Ohayashi on 4 pitches. Sammy McNeill's ground ball to shortstop advanced the speedy Ohayashi to 2B but put an out on the board. The Surfers chose to intentionally walk Gaajlimitz setting up a double play opportunity and take the bat out of the rookie's hand. Smart move considering Gaajlimitz already had 3 hits on the evening. Alvin Conley then struck out swinging and it looked like Portland's rally was going to be squandered yet again. But Daniel Frampton singled, scoring Ohayashi to give Portland the lead. It was Frampton's third hit of the game and his 4th RBI.
Kent Grange was called on in the bottom of the 15th inning to get the save and did so in 3 up, 3 down fashion to give the Lumberjacks the 9-8 Win in 15 innings.
- The final boxscore
