Around the ABL: League Championship Series

Tom Becker and the mighty Montreal Bandits look to repeat as ABL Champions, but standing in their way is Steve Frend and the Seattle Sasquatch. In a rematch of last year's divisional series, the two best offenses in baseball square off. It's the Roberto Clemente League Championship Series!

In the Munson League, the Maple Marauders have power and pitching: they ran away with their division and swept the Boston Cardinals in the divisional series. The Eureka Hornets, who finished in last place in 2012, clinched a playoff berth this season on the last game of the season. The Hornets offense, led by phenom Mike Bergeron, can pile up the runs. Who will emerge victorious in the Thurmon Munson League Championship Series?

Artie Carlson

October 11: Seattle 5, Montreal 3. In the 11th inning, backup infielder Artie Carlson hits a two-run home run. But the question on everyone's mind is why, with Homer Turner and Joe Lowry available in the bullpen, did Montreal manager Dave Harris leave Allen Marshall in to pitch a fourth inning? Seattle leads the series, 1-0.

Royce
Butterfield

October 11: Eureka 5, Maple 1. In the first, Frank Powers reaches base on Tonito Almonte's error, then scores on Anthony Lewis's single. That unearned run is the only run allowed by Royce Butterfield in 8 1/3 innings: Eureka's ace strikes out four, walks none, and allows only five hits. Orlando Carranzo goes 3-for-4 with a home run and three runs batted in. Eureka leads the series, 1-0.

Austin Brown

October 12: Seattle 0, Montreal 9. Austin Brown shuts out the Sasquatch. The 24-year-old Brown is a southpaw with impeccable control, and led the Clemente League this season with 22 wins. Tonight he allows six hits—all singles—and one walk while striking out three. In the fifth, the Bandits lineup strings together four walks and five singles and piles up six runs. Series tied, 1-1.

Vic Jennings

October 12: Eureka 5, Maple 7. Maple's power asserts itself in the fifth: Doug Smith hits a three-run homer, and Vic Jennings hits a two-run homer. Roberto Martínez doesn't pitch his best, allowing four runs in seven innings, but its enough to get the win. Series tied, 1-1.

Eric Ware

October 14: Montreal 7, Seattle 5. Bob Rudyard pitches against his former team: he gives up early home runs to Dane Moore and Edgar Johnson but gets the win. In the sixth inning, Eric Ware ties the game, 4-4, with a two-run home run. In the seventh, Tom Becker singles in Wilton Collins for the go-ahead run. Montreal leads the series, 2-1.

Anthony Lewis

October 14: Maple 5, Eureka 3. Eduardo Gómez, Vic Jennings, and Anthony Lewis each hit their third home run of the post-season—all three are two-run homers. Keith Thompson doesn't strike out a single batter, but he scatters five hits and four walks over seven innings and allows only three runs. Maple leads the series, 2-1.

Emílio Guerrero

October 15: Montreal 10, Seattle 9. The Bandits squander a seven-run lead but win it in extra innings. Montreal racks up a big lead, 9-2, behind home runs from Tom Becker, Eric Ware (his fourth of the post-season), and Jordan Borlase. The Sasquatch slug their way back—Edgar Johnson and Salvador Salgado hit two-run homers—but Leon Oditón scores the tying run on a Martín Torres balk. In the 10th, Emílio Guerrero wins the game with a solo home run. Montreal leads the series, 3-1.

Mike Miller

October 15: Maple 1, Eureka 9. Mike Miller gives up an early home run to Frank Powers and single to Vic Jennings, but those are the only two hits allowed over 8 2/3 innings. Ronnie Wells and Eduardo Gómez each hit a two-run homer, and the Hornets run away with it. Series tied, 2-2.

Tom Becker

October 16: Montreal 10, Seattle 5. The Bandits waste no time. In the top of the first, Tom Becker and Stanislav Izyurov hit two-run homers. Through the first two rounds of the playoffs, Becker has batted .333 with four home runs and 14 RBI. Steve Frend tries to get the Sasquatch back into the game, hitting a pair of solo home runs, but it's not enough. The Montreal Bandits win back-to-back Clemente League pennants! Montreal wins the series, 4-1.

Jesús González

October 16: Maple 2, Eureka 5. In the bottom of he seventh, with the game tied at two runs apiece, Hornets Michael Brown and Jesús González homer. González, a center-fielder who plays outstanding defense, had came into the game having gone 1-for-35 over 10 post-season games. Eureka leads the series, 3-2.

Frank Powers

October 18: Eureka 2, Maple 4. With the game tied, 2-2, in the bottom of the ninth, Frank Powers hits a two-run home run, tying the series and forcing a deciding game seven! Series tied, 3-3.

Mike Bergeron

October 19: Eureka 7, Maple 4. It's winner-takes-all, and the game goes to extra innings! Mike Bergeron stakes the Hornets to an early lead by hitting a pair of monster home runs—his home run in the third flies out of Legends Park and travels an estimated 480 feet! The Marauders, trailing 4-0, come back. In the sixth, Anthony Lewis drives in two by singling with the bases loaded, but everyone knows that it's the longball that powers Maple's offense. Eric McSwan hits a solo home run in the seventh, and Derek Beimer ties the game with a solo home run in the eighth.

Joe Sharpe

In the 10th inning, Maple reliever Jake Hennessey can't find the strike zone: he walks the bases loaded, then walks Michael Brown to give Eureka the lead. That finally drives him from the game. Brandon Wilson comes in, and promptly allows a two-run single to Joe Sharpe. Brad Austin retires the side in the bottom of the 10th. One year after finishing last in the Sparky Anderson Division, the Eureka Hornets win the Thurmon Munson League pennant! Eureka wins the series, 4-3.