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18-Inning Heartbreaker Ends Cardinals Season

August 10, 2008

Harwich, Mass. – Words cannot describe what transpired at Whitehouse Field in Game Two of the Eastern Divisional Playoff series.  In what will arguably be considered the greatest Cape Cod Baseball League game ever played, the Harwich Mariners walked off with a 1-0 victory over the Orleans Cardinals in the 18^th inning to earn a berth in the Championship Series.

Momentum shifted back and forth, hurlers threw perfect pitches at the right time, the defense made difficult plays look routine and after 17 complete innings, there were still no runs on the scoreboard.

After many opportunities to win the game were thwarted by each team, the events of the 18^th inning will haunt Cardinals fans for quite a long time.  Harwich 2B Jason Stidham (Florida State) and SS Shaver Hansen (Baylor) both grounded out to begin the frame as it appeared that the contest would head to the 19^th inning.  Back-to-back singles by OF Brian Kemp (St. John’s) and OF Tommy Medica (Santa Clara) gave the Mariners a decent opportunity to win it. 

OF Brandon Belt (Texas) did just that and lifted a fly ball to shallow left-field.  Cardinals OF Angelo Songco (Loyola Marymount) appeared to find the ball in a foggy night sky as he called everybody off and sprinted in to make the grab.  The ball had different ideas as it bounced right out of his glove and dropped to the ground.  Kemp was moving on contact with two outs and slid into home to score the winning run.

It was the first error made by either team in 147 combined chances.

Both clubs had several opportunities to put themselves on the scoreboard but none greater than the Cardinals’ top of the seventh.

Songco drew a leadoff walk and stole second.  A wild pitch by RHP Billy Bullock (Florida) advanced him to third with just one down.  Cardinals SS Kyle Spraker (Loyola Marymount) hit a fly ball to left.  Medica did not have to move very far from his position at the time of the pitch and caught the ball with Songco tagging.  The left-fielder threw a strike home, one-hopping into C Mark Fleury (North Carolina)’s mitt as he blocked the plate.  Songco’s hook slide was unsuccessful and Fleury applied to the tag to end the inning.

Medica had played just eight games in the outfield this season after starting most of Harwich’s games behind the dish.  He is also the starting catcher at Santa Clara.

The best chance for the Mariners prior to the 18^th came in the 11^th when they loaded the bases against LHP Adam Wilk (Long Beach St.).  With two outs and the winning run 90 feet from the plate, he struck out Harwich DH Andrew Giobbi (Vanderbilt) with a 1-2 count.  Wilk does not typically show his emotions on the field but he fired an emphatic fist-pump after the strikeout as he headed into the dugout.

As expected, the pitching in the game was phenomenal.  RHP Matt Thomson (San Diego) started the game for Orleans and pitched one of several great performances this year.  He struck out eight and allowed just three hits in 7.1 innings of work.

Wilk relieved him and had his longest outing of the summer, going 3.2 scoreless frames.  He surrendered just two hits and struck out six, keeping the Cardinals in the game.

Following Wilk was OF/RHP Alex Hassan (Duke) who has been the Cardinals closer for the second half of the season.  Hassan threw perhaps the best game of his life as he went 6.2 innings while scattering just four hits.  He struck out five and walked just one but suffered the loss after allowing the unearned run.  It was the most innings Hassan has thrown since he pitched last summer in the New England Collegiate Baseball League.

On the Harwich side, Bullock threw nine innings of shutout ball in his fourth start against the Cards this year.  RHP Willie Kempf (Baylor) following with 1.1 scoreless frames and then handed the ball over to Harwich closer RHP Steve Kalush (Santa Clara).  Kalush was outstanding and allowed just one hit in 5.2 innings.  RHP Sean Black (Seton Hall) came on in the 17^th and pitched the final two innings to pick up the victory.

Harwich’s win ends the best-of-three series and advances the Mariners to the CCBL Championship for the first time since 1997.  The last time they won the league title was 1987, over 21 years ago.  The Mariners will take on the winner of the Western Divisional Series between the Falmouth Commodores and the Cotuit Kettleers.  The two teams will play a decisive Game Three tomorrow afternoon in Cotuit after the Commodores took Game Two in a 6-3 win tonight.

The loss for the Cardinals brings their impressive year to a close.  They went 25-17-2 during the regular season, winning the Eastern Division and clinching home field advantage throughout the playoffs with the league’s best overall record.  Orleans had five players in the All-Star Game with Thomson, OF Tim Wheeler (Sacramento St.) and 3B Rich Poythress (Georgia) all in the starting lineup.  Wheeler won the league’s stolen base crown (15) and for the third time in the past four years, the Cardinals’ pitching staff won the league’s ERA title (3.10).

The talented squad was assembled by Cardinals manager Kelly Nicholson and his staff of assistant coaches.  Nicholson was rewarded with his efforts by winning the Mike Curran Manager of the Year award, voted on by his fellow CCBL coaches.

(Unofficial Box Score)