Lyrical Baseball Tournament, Round of Frishberg, Game 1: Pitchers continue to rake

One game in and interesting baseball continues to be sim-played.

For this round, I’ll label the game(s) I manage for each article. I won’t be able to alternate precisely due to scheduling, but I’ll get as close as possible.

Mungo League Semifinal

Paternal Fungoes 3
Filial Fungoes 4
FFS leads 1-0

Despite falling behind early thanks to a pitcher-on-pitcher blast, Filial tied the score in the middle innings before walking off Paternal 4-3.

The mostly luckless Johnny Vander Meer (1-10 during the regular season) gave Paternal an early boost, cracking a three-run homer off Thornton Lee to open the scoring in the top of the second.

But Filial cut into their lead with a two-out rally in the third. After Lou Boudreau walked and Augie Galan singled, Bobby Estalella doubled to bring them both in. Boudreau tied the score two frames later with a solo shot.

Lee and Vander Meer both left the game in the seventh, and both Fungoes’ bullpens kept their opponents scoreless through the eighth. But after Johnny Kucks pitched a 1-2-3 ninth, Sig Jakucki entered for Paternal to try and send the game to extras.

Six pitches later, the game was over.

George McQuinn fell in an 0-2 hole, fouled off a pitch, then took a ball before roping a double of his own. Stan Hack came to the plate and sent Jakucki’s first pitch into the outfield for another double, bringing home McQuinn and giving Filial an early series lead.

Cashman League Semifinal (mgd.)

Paternal Cashmen 4
Filial Cashmen 1
PCM leads 1-0

Bob Feller pitched seven two-hit innings and Steve Garvey socked a key two-run home run as Paternal topped Filial to take the lead in the second semifinal.

Filial’s first hit also opened the scoring, as two walks set up George Brett, who singled in Jackie Robinson to give the home team a 1-0 lead. But Feller would not allow another base knock until Duke Snider’s pinch-hit double in the seventh.

Meanwhile, Paternal’s offense started to smolder against Mel Parnell, as Garvey doubled home Rod Carew in the top of the second. Yogi Berra’s RBI single, bringing home Mickey Mantle, gave Paternal the lead an inning later.

The top of the fourth, though, saw Paternal cap off the scoring with their largest offensive output. Carew opened the frame with his second single of the game, and after Mike Schmidt grounded out, Garvey launched a pitch over the left field wall.

Their Fibonacci sequence of runs ended thereafter, as Parnell and two relievers kept Paternal from scoring again. But Feller’s arsenal silenced Filial bats, and Jocko Thompson and Blix Donnelly pitched a perfect inning apiece, Donnelly striking out pinch hitter Grover Cleveland Alexander to finish the game.

Season (fourth quarter) | Round of Frishberg, Game 1 | Round of Frishberg, Game 2