Lincoln Tavern 0 - Clock Tavern 1

It's not often in baseball or softball that you see a game where the losing pitcher throws a one-hitter, doesn't give up an earned run but still loses the game. That's what we saw here tonight in game one of this best of three final. Nick French, tossed a one-hitter but Clock Tavern turned that one hit into a victory.

This was as good of a pitching performance as one can recall - you just couldn't get any better than what was on display here tonight. Clock Tavern countered French with Chris Pope and he was at his very best. After giving up a lead off single to Dave Corcoran in the top of the first, Pope didn't allow another base runner until the fifth inning. It was that way on both scoresheets - three up and three down, inning after inning.

By the fifth inning, it was apparent that a run or two was all that would be needed to win this pitcher's duel. With two outs in the top of the fifth, Lincoln finally broke through with back-to-back hits by Justin Lynch and Max Vigliotti. However, Pope shrugged it off and struck out the next batter to retire the side and keep the score 0-0.

In the other dugout, French had a no-hitter through five innings of play - the tall lefty had walked three batters and had two strike outs up until this point. In the bottom of the sixth, Clock sent up pinch hitter, Dan Fratus, who grounded sharply to short. However, the ball was hit so hard and had plenty of spin on it that a play couldn't be made - E6. Lefty Matt Savage was up next and he came through in the clutch with a single to right that sent Fratus scrambling to third. Suddenly, we had a legitimate scoring opportunity - the first in the game. Tadd Gold was next and he knew exactly what was expected of him - get a ball in the air deep enough to plate Fratus. ON the third pitch he saw, Gold lifted a ball to center that was caught but Fratus scored on the play, 1-0 Clock Tavern! French then retired the next two batters and it was now last call for Lincoln.

Lincoln had the heart of their order due up in the seventh and it felt like the game was far from decided. Conor Gleason reached base when he hit a hard ground ball to first that was misplayed (E3). A fly ball to deep center by Taylor Ferguson gave Pope and Clock Tavern a brief scare but was caught for the first out. Drew Blake, another lefty, then hit a sharp grounder to first that was bobbled (E3) to extend the inning. Two untimely errors was about to cost Clock Tavern and Chris Pope an otherwise brilliant performance. However, on great teams there are great players who rise to the challenge and pick others up. That's what Robb Scott did here - Scott handled a hard ground ball hit up the middle, ran over to get the out at second and then fired a missle to first to complete the game-ending double play. Wow!

Clock nearly gave it away but hangs on for a well deserved game one victory behind a masterful pitching performance by Chris Pope. The burly righty didn't allow a run, gave up just three hits, walked one, and struck out four. Lincoln Tavern were left wondering how they lost a game where they allowed just one hit. Clock Tavern was now just a win away from capturing their third straight championship.

Chris Pope	Nick French	Tad Gold

Clock Tavern Sluggers 3 - Lincoln Tavern 15

Playoff series that play out on consecutive nights can often see the momentum swing from one side to the other in dramatic fashion - that's what we saw here tonight in game two. Clock Tavern was just a game from another championship and fully expected tonight would be the night they would get it done. Nearly every player on the roster was at the field and available to Tom Kazanowski which would ultimately play a key role in this series.

There was some speculation prior to the game that Lincoln would be without their ace pitcher, Nick French, who had flown back to New Jersey earlier in the day. French is a softball coach at Rutgers and had to be at the field for a noon time practice. About an hour before the first pitch here at M Street, the tall lefty strode into the park ending all the talk from the doubters.

The league was on hand to bring the folks at home their first true "live" broadcast over the FaceBook airwaves. They have brought live games in the past but nothing like this one which featured an intro, game graphics, player photos, multiple cameras - from all accounts it was a professional presentation.

The game begins with Clock Tavern taking advantage of a traveled French by putting a couple of runners on base but squander the opportunity. On the other hand, Lincoln doesn't waste any time and gets to work in the bottom of the inning. With two outs and two runners on base, Ryan O'Rourke smashes a ball deep to left and over the fence for a quick 3-0 lead. Last night we didn't see a run until the sixth inning, tonight here we already see three runs. Momentum swings.

French gets stronger in the second and ends the inning with two strike outs. At this point, the game is still up for grabs but one could already tell that the Clock Tavern side was getting a little uncomfortable with the way things were going. Lincoln responds with five more runs in the bottom of the second to blow this one wide open. More importantly, pitcher Chris Pope is injured on a come backer to the mound. The ball glances off his shoulder which he recovers to throw the runner out at first but everthing about the throw looked wrong. He doesn't want to throw any practice pitches and continues on but he is CLEARLY not the same pitcher as he was last night.

Feeling the game slipping away, Clock's offense responds in the top of the third inning to get back into the game. Kyle Desjardins connects for a three-run homerun that temporarily lifts the spirits of his teammates, 8-3. They couldn't generate anything more as French gets the last out on another strike out, his fourth.

Miraculously, Pope took the mound for the bottom half and pitched a clean inning. French did the same and the game went scoreless for the next two frames.

Although he was doing his best to keep his team in the game, it was very clear and evident that Pope was injured. In the fifth inning, trailing 8-3 to French one would think the Clock Tavern brass would start looking to game three and get Pope out of there. However, with Eric Mercedes also out injured, they had limited options. The decision maker was doing his best to get everyone in the game - there's only so much one person can take on.

After hitting the snooze button for a couple of innings, Lincoln's offense sprung to life again in the bottom of the fifth when they strung together six straight hits that led to three more runs, 11-3. Still no sign of relief help for a struggling Chris Pope.

French retired the side in order in the sixth and we moved to the home half where Lincoln was looking to end this game and save French some bullets. After giving up back-to-back singles, Pope was finally lifted. Tom Kazanowski came in and walked the first batter on four pitches. Two singles and a bases loaded walk brought a quick end to this game as Clock was mercy ruled here in game two.

The status of Pope was going to be the story for game three, which was scheduled to start in just about 24 hours. How bad was he injured? For Lincoln, they had tied the series and were feeling very good about their chances heading into the deciding game.

Nick French	Ryan O'Rourke	Kyle Desjardins

Lincoln Tavern 10 - Clock Tavern 2

It took two hundred and fourty three games to get here and we were now down to the very last game of the 2026 season - it was game three between the Lincoln Tavern and the Clock Tavern. After Tuesday's 1-0 victory, Clock had all the momentum and it was almost a sure thing that they would be repeating as champions. However, a quick start by Lincoln in game two and then a key injury to Chris Pope, totally flipped the series.

Hours before the game, the league got a few calls and texts asking to move the start time from 730 to 630 due to the weather forecast. Preparations were made and field tarps were laid over the most vulnerable flooding areas. However, this all seemed to be posturing by one of the teams as they knew pitcher Nick French was on a plane back from New Jersey so the early start would keep him off the mound for the first few innings. I don't know folks...I want to win too but I want to beat my opponent when they are at their very best. I'm not looking for an easy path or a loop hole that would keep a star player out of the lineup - maybe that's just me.

The league once again had the "live" broadcast going with play-by-play announcers yours truly and Jack Greene. There were early audio issues and the scoreboard wasn't working but that was all resolved by the third inning. Ok, on to the game.

At game time, the weather was perfect and both teams had plenty of players to roll out there to try and win a championship. In the top of the first, it was quickly obvious that whatever was ailing pitcher Chris Pope, was still giving him a lot of trouble. We could see his pitching hand come way outside of his body and then he would griamce at release. A leadoff single to Dave Corcoran followed by a four pitch walk to Conor Gleason didn't help matters. No mound visit and no talk to see if he was OK - I guess the Clock players already knew the answer, he wasn't OK. Pope managed to get the next out on a fly ball to center but then lefty Drew Blake followed with an RBI single to bring home the game's first run. Ryan O'Rourke followed with a gap shot double to score another run and for a moment, it was looking as if Lincoln was about to run away with this in the very first inning. However, despite Pope hitting Cam DiSarcina to load the bases, he and Clock got out of it without any further damage.

In the bottom of the first, Clock knows that can't go down by a bunch of runs and need to pick up their pitcher. Tad Gold send a fly ball to center that wasn't caught and Gold scampers into third with two outs. Phil Sciretta singles Gold home to cut the lead in half and then Kyle Desjardins ties it with a line drive double, 2-2. For a brief moment, Clock thought it was possible that the travel and pitching three nights in a row was finally catching up to pitcher, Nick French.

Pope walked a couple of hitters in the second but got out of the inning unscathed and the score remained 2-2. French rebounded in the bottom of the second with a strong performance that ended all doubts about whether he had "the stuff" or not.

In the top of the third, more problems for Pope and Clock. Taylor Ferguson led off with a single and was followed by Drew Blake getting plunked and Ryan O'Rourke working a walk. It was bases loaded and nobody out - not the position you want to be in if you're playing the field. Again, no mound visit to check on Pope and nobody was warming up to possibly enter the game in relief. It was ride or die with their injured pitcher just like in game two.

Kevin Powers stepped into the batter's box and promptly singled putting Lincoln back on top, 3-2. Cam DiSarcino (3 hits, 3 RBI), who was making his playoff debut, then ripped a single to right center that scored two more runs, 5-2. Still nobody warming. Another single by Frankie Reyes made it 6-2 and that's where we stood heading into the bottom of the third.

F7 - F7 - F4 - an easy inning for French and Lincoln which brought everything quickly into focus - they were not going to lose this game. In the top of the fourth, Zim Zeng led off with a double and scored three batters later when Taylor Ferguson singled him home, 7-2. No mound visit and nobody warming. My eyes were telling me I was watching a man who was about ten percent of the pitcher he was in game one. Pope was still out there battling and giving them everything he had but it was not enough tonight.

Jack Hocking singled in the home half of the inning but that was it - French got three easy ground ball outs and we moved to the fifth.

Cam DiSarcino gave everyone a glimpse of Lincoln's next wave of players as the lefty sent a ball deep to right center that sailed over the outfielder's head for an inside the park home run, 8-2.

French sent Clock Tavern down in order in the fifth and now it was just a matter of time - this one was over.

Tim Zeng led off the sixth with a single and then scored when Clock committed back-to-back errors - 10-2. This is a fundamentally sound team that was coming apart at the worst time.

French gave up a single in the sixth and another in the seventh and that was it - Lincoln Tavern had completed the comeback by winning games two and three to capture their fourth M Street Softball Championship.

Nick French and Ryan O'Rourke were named co playoff MVP's. For French, he is the first and only player to have won the award five times. This version of French isn't the ten strikeout guy we saw a few years ago. This one pitches to contact but moves the ball all over the place and doesn't get hit hard. He finished with a 6-1 record and a 1.46 ERA in the playoffs alone. O'Rourke's nomination was for both his play in the outfield and his performance at the plate.

In a season where it looked like the Lincoln team wouldn't get out of the starting gate, they find their momentum and run the course to another Moran Cup championship. French was the key but he couldn't do it alone and got great contributions from Brett Belcastro (3B), Kevin Powers (SS), Frankie Reyes (C), Taylor Ferguson (DH), Dave Corcoran (OF), Drew Blake (1B), Sean Gorman (player manager), and others.

For Clock Tavern, they had the roster to repeat as champions and were on course to do so until pitcher Eric Mercedes went down with an elbow injury in late July. Suddenly, a team that had great depth on the mound with three talented arms, were down to the very real possibility of having to use their shortstop to pitch in the playoffs. Another thing to note is Clock was very vocal about not wanting to shorten the finals to a best of three. We didn't have a choice as the league's permit was up and another group (Volo) was taking the field. Anyway, a longer series wouldn't have made any difference - the way the last two games went, a 4th or 5th game would have been more of the same.

Nick French	Cam DiSarcino	Ryan O'Rourke	Tom Kazanowski

Sam Adams 5 - Clock Tavern 11

Clock Tavern came out swinging, built an early cushion and never surrendered the lead, opening it's best-of-five series with an 11-5 victory over Sam Adams.

The home team jumped on Sam Adams starter Jose Veliz immediately, plating four runs in the bottom of the first inning. Walks, and two errors put added pressure on the defense which eventually gave way when Kyle Desjardins (3 hits, 2 RBI) ripped a two run double to left-center, making it 4-0.

Sam Adams cut the lead in half in the second when Chris Cacciatore (2 hits, HR, 3 RBI) hit a two-run home run. However, Clock immediatley countered with Tadd Gold doubling and Phil Sciretta reaching on another walk. This set the table for Desjardins again who delivered with another RBI hit. Clock would tack on a couple of more runs and lead 7-2 after two innings of play.

After a scoreless third inning, Clock was back on the sticks and putting more pressure on the defense in the bottom of the fourth. Gold drew a walk, Desjardins collected his third hit, Jack Hocking singled, Robb Scott reached on another Sam Adams error - their third of the game. By the end of the inning, Clock had increased their lead to 11-2.

Meanwhile their pitcher, Chris Pope, was cruising through the innings - allowing a hit here and there but nothing more. After five strong innings Clock decided to lift him in favor of Tom Kazanowski. For the sixth inning, the results were the same - shutdown pitching for Clock Tavern.

Finally in the top of the seventh, Sam Adams found some life. Kobel Lugo and Zach Barnhart singled between a fly out to right field. The hot hitting Cacciatore then drove home Lugo with his third hit of the game, 11-3. After another fly out, Ryan Tettemeyer walked to load the bases. Timmy Benson delivered a sharp two-RBI single making it 11-5. Another walk followed before Kazanowski got the final out on a pop up to short.

Veliz deserved better in this game as he was tagged with eleven runs but only four of them were earned. Sam Adams committed five errors tonight which is a losing formula when playing a team that doesn't beat themselves. The defense will have to play much better for them to have any chance of winning this series.

Prior to the game, we learned that Clock's MVP (2024) pitcher Erik Mercedes is injured (elbow) and is going to miss some time. Erik is an excellent softball citizen in the M Street Softball League and we'll miss him during our playoffs where he usually shines bright. We wish Erik the best care in surgery and hope to see him back on the mound in 2027.

Chris Pope	Kyle Desjardins	Chris Cacciatore

Clock Tavern Sluggers 10 - Sam Adams 2

Clock Tavern came into game 2 of it's semifinal series knowing a victory would put it firmly in command. By the time the final out was recorded, the visiting club had done exactly that. The scorebook tells the story of a game that began with no runs and tightly played defense but it gradually tilted - and then broke wide open.

The first three innings were a defensive battle as pitcher's Chris Pope (Clock Tavern) and Jose Veliz (Sam Adams) were matching each other out-for-out. The game's first run came in the bottom of the third inning when Chris Coppola singled home Bryan Tambeau, 1-0 Sam Adams.

That lead didn't last long though as Clock Tavern's offense ignited for three runs in the top of the fourth. Singles by Robb Scott (3 hits, 2 runs), Jack Hocking (3 hits), Jimmy Jankowski, and Tom Kazanowski all played a role in the rally, 3-1 Clock Tavern.

However, Sam Adams wasn't about to go away - at least not yet. A leadoff triple by Joe Uccello followed by a sacrifice fly got Sam Adams within a run, 3-2. Although they had the momentum on their side, from this point forward it would be all Clock Tavern.

In the fifth, Clock Tavern put together another productive inning. We didn't see the big home run but they instead relied on stringing together hits and using productive outs to advance the baserunners. Hocking and Scott would score in the inning making it 5-2, Clock Tavern.

In the sixth, with the game starting to slip our of reach, Sam Adams defense began to feel the pressure and began to crack again - just as they did in game one. Two walks and another fielding error led to Clock Tavern scoring a pair of runs, making it 7-2.

While Clock was putting runs on the scoreboard, Pope wasn't giving Sam Adams an inch - in fact he finished the game with five scoreless innings pitched including shutout ball over the last three innings.

In the seventh, it was more of the same - baserunners led to pressure on the defense, which then in turn, committed untimely errors. Kazanowski and Matt Savage (2 doubles) had the key hits in this inning as Clock Tavern tacked on three more runs to lead 10-2. What was once a competitive game turned into a runaway victory for the visitors.

Sam Adams will need to play their best game (no errors/no walks) of the season when the series resumes on Wednesday, September 2nd @ 8pm.

Chris Pope	Robb Scott	Matt Savage

Sam Adams 1 - Clock Tavern 7

Clock Tavern saved its biggest statement for the finale. With Chris Pope on the mound, the Tavern jumped on Sam Adams early, controlled the middle frames and then slammed the door to finish a three-game sweep. The series win put the Clock Tavern in the finals for the fourth straight season where they are 2-1.

Matt Savage put the pressure on the Sam Adams defense right from the start when he led off with a double in the bottom of the first inning. Another single and an error led to two runs and an early hole for Sam Adams, 2-0.

Shane Knowles reached and scored in the second on another Sam Adams error. Giving good teams extra outs isn't a winning recipe and that's what we saw all through this series. Clock Tavern scored their fourth run on Tadd Gold's (2 hits, 3 runs) second hit of the game. It was 4-0 but it felt more like 10-0 as Sam Adams wasn't generating any offense - in fact, Pope had allowed just two hits through four innings of play.

Sam Adams finally broke through in the top of the fifth when Joe Uccello (3 hits) reached and scored on a ground out by Timmy Benson, 4-1. However, just when they thought they were scratching their way back into the game, Clock Tavern's offense was aided by another Sam Adams implosion. This time two walks, a hit batter, an error, and a single led to three more Clock Tavern runs and put this game out of reach for good.

Clock Tavern will look to make it three straight championship seasons when they take on the winner of the Lincoln/Fat Baby series.

Chris Pope	Tadd Gold	Joe Uccello

Lincoln Tavern 4 - Fat Baby 2

Every once in awhile a game comes along that's a "must watch" - tonight game one of this series was a must watch due to the fact that we had two of the very best pitchers squaring off in a playoff game. Jimmy Pinkston and Nick French were on the mound which meant there would be plenty of strikeouts and runs would be tough to come by. But who would prevail? Let's get to the scoresheets and break it down.

Lincoln Tavern drew first blood in the top of the first when lefty Conor Gleason launched one deep into the night, 1-0. If there was a fence in right field, then this ball would have cleared it by 40 feet. Aside from that one big hit, French and Pinkston were doing their thing and shutting down the attack. Gleason's solo home run would be the only run scored until the top of the fourth.

Lincoln's offense manufactured a pair of runs on Drew Blake's RBI single to right field, 3-0. That lead seemed huge as French was being very stingy - allowing just four hits at this point of the game. The tall lefty threw another two innings of shutout ball and we headed to the bottom of the sixth inning with Lincoln still ahead 3-0.

In the bottom of the sixth, Lincoln's defense committed multiple errors which led to an unearned run, 3-1. Brendan Busa then singled home another run and suddenly Fat Baby had life, 3-2. With runners on first and second, Cam O'Brien stepped into the batter's box. The powerful righty fouled off pitches and worked the count to full. French then threw and off speed breaking ball that was called a third strike. O'Brien disagreed but the ump said it caught the inside corner. French himself admitted it was a 50/50 ball - sometimes you get that call and sometimes you don't.

We moved to the top of the seventh with Lincoln clinging to a one run lead. Taylor Ferguson looked to help matters when he doubled to left center. Two batter's later, Ryan O'Rourke drove him home with a single to right, making it 4-2. It was a huge run considering that Fat Baby had the lower half of the lineup due up in the bottom of the seventh.

French quickly retired the first two batters on groundball outs. Andrew Stover drew a walk which gave Fat Baby some hope but it was brief. Two pitches later, French produced the third out and the game one victory went to French and the Lincoln Tavern.

Nick French	Conor Gleason	Jimmy Pinkston

Fat Baby 5 - Lincoln Tavern 3

Behind a steady pitching performance from Jimmy Pinkston and a timely offensive attack that kept finding answers, Fat Baby walked away with a victory in game two, leveling the best of five series at one game apiece.

Fat Baby's lineup immediately put the ball in play against Jose Bonilla, who started for Lincoln Tavern. After surrendering two hits in the first inning but not allowing a run, Bonilla was tagged for a run in the top of the second when Greg Bosse doubled and later scored the game's first run, 1-0 Fat Baby. They added another run in the third on a pair of singles coupled with an infield error, 2-0 Fat Baby.

Lincoln got on the scoreboard in the bottom of the third when Dave Corcoran (3 hits, 2 RBI) doubled and scored on Conor Gleason's single, 2-1. In the bottom half of the inning, Brian Dunphy and Andrew Stover hit one out singles. Kyle Cheever followed with a sacrifice fly to right and Fat Baby built a 3-1 lead. Neil Corcoran followed with an RBI single which brought home Stover, making it 4-1 Fat Baby.

Pinkston retired the side in the home half of the fourth and Fat Baby was in control and looking to pad their lead. They did just that in the fifth when Sammy McDonald (3 hits) led off with a double and scored on Jordan Gorham's single, 5-1 Fat Baby.

Pinkston and Fat Baby were greeted with three straight Lincoln singles to start the bottom of the fifth inning. If Lincoln was going to get back into this game, then this was their moment. The very underated Dave Corcoran came through with another clutch hit (his 3rd) and drove home a pair of runs in the process, 5-3. Pinkston beared down and retired the next batter on a productive groundout to first base as both baserunners moved up into scoring position. With the third and fourth hitters due up, Lincoln had to feel good about their chances. However, Pinkston got a pop out to third base and then a fly out to center field - opportunity wasted.

Now with Lincoln back in the game, Nick French took over the pitching duties and threw two straight scoreless innings. However, he was matched batter-for-batter by Pinkston as he did not allow a baserunner after the fifth inning, retiring nine in a row to nail down the game two victory. Game three should be a beauty!

Jimmy Pinkston	Sam McDonald	Dave Corcoran

Lincoln Tavern 3 - Fat Baby 8

After splitting the first two games, Fat Baby jumped on Lincoln Tavern early, got two-three-run homers, and rode a brilliant pitching performance from Jimmy Pinkston to victory here in game three. The win puts Fat Baby in the driver's seat while also putting Lincoln just a loss away from elimination.

Pinkston was the difference-maker on the mound. The big righty worked six scoreless innings, surrendered just five hits and struck out five, repeatedly shutting down Lincoln whenever the visitors threatened. The only batter to give him trouble tonight was Drew Blake who doubled and smashed a two-run home run.

Brendan Busa got the scoring started in the bottom of the first when he blasted a three-run homerun onto East First Street, 3-0 Fat Baby. Lincoln didn't have an answer nor a run through the first three innings - Pinkston by this point had four strikeouts, including three in a row!

In the bottom of the third, it was more trouble for Lincoln by way of the long ball. After a leadoff walk followed by a Sam McDonald single, seldom seen Cam O'Brien launched a three-run dinger that put Fat Baby in front 6-0. They would add two more runs on a Mark Preziosi single and were now comfortably ahead, 8-0.

As expected, the veteran Lincoln squad didn't go quietly. A leadoff walk followed by a double by Conor Gleason put runners in scoring position for Taylor Ferguson. The free swinging slugger tried to get Lincoln back into it with one swing but came up a little short. However, Ferguson's fly ball was deep enough to score a run and Lincoln was finally on the scoreboard. Drew Blake then stepped in and sent another softball flying over the fence in left-center, 8-3. Suddenly Lincoln was on the attack and right back into the game.

However, it was short lived as Pinkston and the Fat Baby defense played flawless softball after Blake's home run. Through the final three-plus frames, Pinkston only allowed two hits and no runs. Fat Baby wins this one and will look for a series clinching win in game four.

Jimmy Pinkston	Brendan Busa	Cam O'Brien	Drew Blake

Fat Baby 6 - Lincoln Tavern 14

After winning games two and three, Fat Baby had the series momentum on their side. However, a rainout on Thursday and then the long Labor Day weekend gave the series pause and when the games resumed, the Fat Baby squad didn't return with the same fire and/or personel and paid the price here in game four.

Fat Baby were missing two key players (Neil Corcoran and Brian Dunphy) and were forced to go with a different looking batting order. Lincoln's pitcher, Nick French, had no trouble retiring the side in order and we moved to the bottom of the first.

In the bottom of the first, Taylor Ferguson (3 hits, 2 HR) hit his first of two homeruns on the night which gave Lincoln a 1-0 lead. Fat Baby quickly answered when Cam O'Brien led off the top of the second with a solo blast to left, 1-1.

The Lincoln attack were back on the offense in the bottom of the inning when Justin Lynch (3 hits) singled home a run to put Lincoln back on top, 2-1. Fat Baby would then commit an infield error and another run would cross the plate, 3-1.

French retired the side in order in the top of the third and we moved to the home half of the inning where the game and perhaps the series got away from Fat Baby.

Dave Corcoran reached base on another infield miscue - again, Fat Baby is missing two starters and have players filling in and playing different positions. Pitcher Jimmy Pinkston retires the next two batters and should have been out of the inning. Instead, Fat Baby commits another error which extends the inning (5 outs). Ryan O'Rourke (4 hits, 4 runs) then singles home Corcoran to make it 4-1. Kevin Powers (2 hits, 5 RBI) follows with a crushing three-run blow onto East First Street and just like that it's 7-1. Lincoln would score two more runs (six unearned runs) in the inning and carry a 9-1 lead into the fourth.

The two clubs would evenly swap runs back and forth for the next three innings with each side scoring five runs. In the end, Lincoln takes advantage of some mistakes and ties the series. Josh Rivera (3 hits, 2 RBI) was the lone star for Fat Baby in this one.

Something to watch for in game five is the fact that pitcher Jimmy Pinkston didn't record a strikeout in this game. Previously, he had pitched eighteen straight games where he had at least three or more strikeouts. Fat Baby doesn't stand a chance in this series if he isn't in top form. That's the risk you take when you hitch your wagon to one arm.

Ryan O'Rourke	Nick French	Kevin Powers	Josh Rivera

Lincoln Tavern 25 - Fat Baby 2

Sometimes in sports, the game is over before the two teams step foot on the playing surface - and that's what we had here tonight. When you play all through the spring and summer months and the succes or failure of your season comes down to one game, every player on your roster should be fired up and ready to play. Instead, we had a team reach out to the league with several different excuses about why they couldn't play the game as scheduled. Then they play a lifeless game and get absolutely rocked - I have some ideas as to how this happens and will share my thoughts as we break this lopsided game down.

Lincoln Tavern strikes first when they manufacture a run on a pair of hits and a sacrafice fly by Drew Blake, 1-0. Not much harm done but Fat Baby knows they're going against pitcher Nick French and can't afford to fall too far behind.

Fat Baby puts a runner on base in the home half of the inning but can't advance him. Everything changes in the top of the second when the squeaking wheels fall off this jalopy.

With nobody out, Lincoln loads the bases on a walk, single, and an infield error. Brett Belcastro singles home a run and Tim Zeng follows with an RBI single, 3-0. Dave Corcoran is then walked to force home another run, 4-0. At this point, it's clearly not the pitcher's night but Fat Baby doesn't have any answers or anyone to turn the ball over to. The brass never gave thought to the possibility of your starting pitcher not having his best stuff in a key elimination game. Instead, they rolled their guy out there for 96 of a 104 total innings this season. It was "all in" and this is where it finally caught up to them and they paid the price.

The onslaught in the top of the second was far from over - it was like a car wreck on the expressway - you didn't want to look. Another infield miscue led to another run - then a walk, a hit batter, a two-run single by Ryan O'Rourke and by the end of it, Lincoln put up ten runs and were leading 11-0 in a series deciding game. That shouldn't happen to any team. In a game of this magnitude, you need to have options.

The game limped along to the third inning where the skies opened up (rain) and we didn't see any runs scored on either side.

In the top of the fourth, Kevin Powers connected for another home run to left making it 12-0. Fat Baby's offense finally responds with a pair of runs in the bottom of the fourth, 12-2. Ho-hum.

The damn finally broke in the top of the fifth and the Fat Baby starter had enough. E4, single, E6 and that was the end of the night for their star pitcher - I don't blame him! Greg Bosse takes over on the mound and had a tough task in front of him with the heart of the Lincoln order due up. Something tells me the Lincoln hitters had read some of the social media comments as they didn't let up the attack. Walk, single, walk, single, a two-run double by Frankie Reyes and seven more runs were across the plate making it, 19-2. Lincoln wasn't done yet. Single, single, walk, single, home run leads to six more runs and a total demolishing of the Fat Baby softball team.

What happened? Injuries, attrition, personalities, and leadership - our playoff season is long and can take the toll on any team. Fat Baby didn't have the roster depth so when a key player went down or was missing in action, they didn't have the next man up to fill the void. They may have had the names on the roster but didn't have the commitment from those players. Secondly, the handling of the pitching - expecting one guy to throw every inning of your season is asking way too much. What happens if he gets hurt in the first game of the playoffs? Fat Baby left themselves open and Lincoln exploited the weakness. Lastly, Fat Baby argued about the schedule, argued about pitching, argued about playoff elgibility, told us how terrible the umpires are, and argued about an honest clerical mistake by a scorekeeper. Creating turmoil during the season will take its toll on a team - some players may enjoy it but others don't want any part of that kind of behavior. Playing in a league is supposed to be fun but the fun was lost along the way.

Lincoln Tavern will now move on to play the two-time defending champions, Clock Tavern Sluggers in a best of five series final for the M Street Cup.

Drew Blake	Nick French	Frankie Reyes

Park City 2 - Lincoln Tavern 7

Park City was trying to replicate their early season victory over Lincoln and pitcher Nick French and for three and a half innings, their game plan was following the script. However, it got away from them in the bottom of the fourth when Lincoln plated three runs to take a 4-2 lead on key hits by Taylor Ferguson and Drew Blake.

From that point forward, French was in control as the Park City's offense was limited to just two singles the rest of the way and never mounted any threat.

Kevin Powers put an exclamation point on the victory for Lincoln with a three-run blast in the bottom of the sixth, 7-2.

After a regular season of player commitment issues, Lincoln's lineup had some familiar faces that we're used to seeing here in the playoffs. With French on the mound, they could be cranking it up for another deep run.

Nick French	Kevin Powers	Scott Howard

Game 2: Monday, August 24 @ 7:30pm

Lincoln Tavern 18 - Park City 5

Facing elimination, Park City scraped together a lineup that came to challenge the Lincoln ten. However, after three innings were in the book it was obvious that they were cooked and this series was over.

Kevin Powers got the scoring started in the top of the first when he singled home Connor Gleason, who had walked. Lincoln added another run on a Park City miscue, making it 2-0. That score stood until the top of the third inning when Powers and company blew the game open. With two runners on base, Powers sent a softball flying over the fence in left to make it 5-0. A few batters later, Lincoln loaded the bases for Dave Corcoran who singled home a pair of runs, 7-0. Taylor Ferguson (triple, HR, 4 runs, 4 RBI) followed and put the game out of reach with a three-run home run to deep center, 10-0.

Lincoln's hurler, Jose Bonilla had more than enough support as he worked his way through the Park City nine. Eventually, they got to him for five runs in the fifth inning but by then, the outcome was already decided. Lincoln wins this one easily and moves on to face Fat Baby in the semi-finals.

Taylor Ferguson	Kevin Powers	Jose Bonilla

Publico 10 - Sam Adams 11

Trailing 10-8 in the bottom of the seventh inning, Sam Adams rallies for three runs to steal game one here tonight. John Rumney singled home Timmy Benson (2 hits, 2 RBI) to end a see-saw game that was up for grabs to the very end.

Pitcher Jose Veliz was dominate early as he threw four straight scoreless innings while striking out four batters. Sam Adam's offense gave him some run support to work with too as they led 3-0 through four innings of play. However, everything turned against Veliz and Sam Adams in the top of the fifth when Publico batted around the order while scoring seven runs, 7-3. Sam Adams committed two costly errors in the inning and Jake Vesling made them pay with a three-run homerun that cleared the fence in deep left.

In the bottom of the fifth, Sam Adams loaded the bases without the aid of a hit. A fielder's choice scored one run and then another walk forced the second run home and they were back in it, 7-5. Publico escaped further damage on a strike out and a fly out.

Publico made it 8-5 on a sacrifice fly and the suddenly tight game moved to the bottom of the sixth. With two outs and a runner on first and second, Chris Coppola drew a walk to load the bases. Kobel Lugo and Hildago Villar then followed with RBI singles and just like that we had a tie game, 8-8.

In the top of the seventh, Publico had runners on first and second with one out when Reed Kuivila grounded out to first which moved both runner up into scoring position. Veliz and Sam Adams elected to pitch to Paul Iasiello with first base open. The move back fired when Iasiello singled home both runs, 10-8 Publico.

With defeat staring at them, Sam Adams managed to load the bases again without a hit (walk, hit batter, walk). Timmy Benson then reached on a fielder's choice (out at second) and knocked in the ninth Sam Adams' run, 10-9. Adam Horelick then reached on an infield single and the bases were loaded again with one out. With the pressure turned way up on Publico's defense, Zach Barnhart tied the game when he reached on an E6, 10-10. One batter later, Rumney ends it with an RBI single to complete the comeback for Sam Adams as they take game one.

John Rumney	Timmy Benson	Paul Iasiello

Game 2: Monday, August 24 @ 9:00pm

Sam Adams 4 - Publico 1

Sam Adams slammed the door on Publico tonight to complete the quarter final series sweep. Pitcher Jose Veliz gave his squad seven superb innings, that effort combined with timely hits was enough to get the job done here in game two.

Sam Adams struck immediately in the top of the first when Hildago Villar scored on a Kobel Lugo single. Chris Coppola made it 2-0 when he scored on a fielder's choice. Publico tried to cut Coppola down at the plate but the catcher thought it was a force play and didn't apply the tag. It was a classic example of playoff softball: get runners on base, pressure the defense and capitalize. The score would stay that way as Veliz and 30-year veteran hurler, Mark Senna, were locked in a tight pitcher's duel.

Publico finally broke through in the bottom of the fourth - with two runners on base (via BB's) and two outs, Jake Vesling singled home Erik Ramirez from second. Publico was looking to tie it but Veliz retired the next batter and the opportunity went by the wayside. Sam Adams escaped with the lead intact, and Senna was forced to keep battling knowing there was little room for error.

Both pitchers threw scoreless fifth and sixth innings and the game moved to the seventh where Sam Adams struck the decisive blow. Coppola led off with a single and then Kobel Lugo hit a high drive to deep center that fell for a two-run homerun giving Sam Adams a 4-1 lead. Senna allowed another hit in the inning before retiring the side.

Veliz and the stingy Sam Adams defense went to work in the home half of the seventh and quickly recorded two outs on ground balls to shortstop, John Rumney. Alberto Vasquez gave his team some hope when he singled sharply to right center. However, that woul dbe it as Veliz recorded the final out on a comebacker and that was it - Sam Adams completes the sweep and moves on to face the Clock Tavern Sluggers.

Jose Veliz	Kobel Lugo	Mark Senna