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

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

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