Went to Godwin yesterday for both games. Arrived top 2nd only to find that Deep Run was already up 9-1. Apparently just about everything that could go wrong for Freeman had already gone wrong, and it only got worse from there. When the 5th ended and Freeman took the field for the top of the 6th, I realized the slaughter rule was not in effect for the playoffs. I couldn't stand to watch the last two innings, so I took a dinner break!
Now, the second game was a different animal, as Atlee and Prince George engaged in a dogfight that wasn't decided until a walk-off RBI double in the bottom of the 7th as PG won, 6-5. The first game was afflicted by rain but it didn't bother this one, and the field played reasonably well, maybe 1-2 bad hops and 1-2 bad throws (wet balls).
Jonathan Walton has been out for weeks but he tried to come back for this one, at least to pitch (but not hit). He had an easy first inning, but then ran into tough sledding and had to leave after giving up 3 in the 2nd. From there on out, Forbes threw a really nice game for PG, allowing his team to stay tight until they finally got over the hump at the very end. For Atlee, Jewell came out firing gas but Tevin Tucker blooped a single over 1B, stole 2nd on the next pitch, made it to third when the catcher's throw got loose, then took home on a PB. PG continued to exploit problems Atlee's starting catcher had both holding on to the ball and throwing to bases, as they managed to get the score to 5-3 their favor on only 3 scored hits (one of which should've been a sac bunt with a throwing error).
Jon Kish took over for Jewell with no outs in the third, which I thought was really a bit of a panicky move as Jewell was throwing well but really getting hurt by his receiver. Kish threw very well into the 7th. He also benefited from Atlee's change of catchers in the 4th, as that calmed down PG's running game quite a bit. Key plays included PG wiggling out of a bases-loaded situation after tying it up when a squeeze bunt was popped up, creating an inning-ending double play in the top of the 4th. In the bottom of that same inning, an E4, a walk and an E9 (dropped routine fly ball) loaded the bases for PG with the 2-3-4 guys coming up with no outs, but Kish K'ed Tucker and Peterson, then got Starke to ground into a force out to end the threat without damage.
It stayed 5-5 until the bottom of the 7th. Kish had walked the 9 hitter and he reached 3rd with only 1 out in the 6th, but again got Tucker and Starke (walking Peterson in between) to escape again. The 7th was not as kind. After hitting Jacob Farrar to lead off the inning, Kish was replaced; I don't know the reliever's name, but he was a righty submariner. A WP put Farrar on 2nd, and the next batter, Kozen, drilled a double to the wall in left to walk it off. It as Kozen's second double on the night, and in fact he had the only 2 hard hits PG had in the entire game.