Lobsters Championship Round recap

[Alleghenies]

Round 2 for the Lobsters looked a lot more favorable as their opponents were the Bowling Green Rebels. The Rebels are a good team, but during the regular season they lost 11 times to the Lobsters and only won once. While that all might make it look like it was going to be an easy series, the one thing that Ian Quinn teaches his players, one game at a time.
Game 1 had Juan Guerrero going against Robinson Hernandez who if he finds better control will be a pretty good pitching prospect. Unfortunately for Robinson and the Rebels, the first inning didn’t go as planned. Hernandez only went .2 innings and allowed five runners across the plate on 3 home runs. The next inning Armando Gutiérrez hit a lead-off home, but that was the last run that Guerrero would let up. When Guerrero came out in the 7th inning for Tommy Taylor, it was still 5-1 and in the bottom of the 7th the Lobsters added another run to make it 6-1. In the top of the 9th the Rebels scored a useless run and the game ended 6-2, Lobsters win.
Game 2 Jose Tojeira was going against another good prospect Michael Doyle. Going into the bottom of the 3rd inning with the score tied, Francisco Lucador hit a 2-run shot off Doyle to give the Lobsters the early lead. In the following inning in the bottom of the inning Pedro Sandoval decided to do exactly what Francisco did and gave the Lobsters a 4-0 lead. That was more than plenty for Tojeira. He went 9 innings and gave up 1 hit, 0 walks, 11 k’s and just 2 base runners (due to Wolfe’s error). It also might have just written his ticket to PEBA next season. 4-0, Lobsters win.
Game 3 had Orlando Rúbio vs Scott Chalmers in a make or break game for the Rebels. If they lose based on the season record verse the Lobsters, it would be all she wrote. This game started off well for the Lobsters as they were able to score a run in the top of the first inning, but the Rebels weren’t fazed. In the bottom half of the inning Everton Cross hit a solo homer with 2 out to tie the game right back up. Right after the home run Rúbio motioned to the dugout that he was having slight arm issues and the team decided to not only take him out (and shut down for season for precaution) and replaced with Ryan Coyfe. In the top of the third inning Francisco Lucador hit his second 2-run homer of the series to give the Lobsters a 3-1 lead. In the top of the 4th the Lobsters got another run across to make it 4-1 and that would be enough runs to win the game. Unfortunately for the Rebels, their pen couldn’t hold the Lobsters and the final score was 9-3., Lobsters win.
Game 4 had Ricardo López vs Ramon Alfaro with the Rebels knowing a loss would mean off-season would be starting early. As is the theme of the series, the Lobsters scored first in the top of the 3rd inning giving them a 1-0 lead. The Rebels would not give up scoring right away in the bottom of the third tying the game and then Andy Heathershaw hitting a solo shot in the 6th to give the Rebels their first lead of the series. That lead would hold up until the top of the 9th when Ken O’Connor was trying to get the save, but gave up hits to Aldridge, Wolfe and then a game tying single to Manuel Salazar. The Rebels would throw in Josh Maldonado and he would get them out of the inning and keep pitching until the 13th inning when he gave up a 2 out home run to Forrest Aldridge. Going into the bottom of the 13th Brandon Vale got the 1st out and was taken out (4.1 IP) for Subaru Hujita who easily got the next 2 guys out. 3-2, Lobsters win.
While the Lobsters sweep might be what was expected because of the verse record during the season, it was anything but easy. The Rebels played tough and pitched well throughout the series. If that 1st inning in game 1 doesn’t happen, the series may have unfolded differently. Now it’s time for the Lobsters to advance to Great Northern Cup vs Toyohira Fubuki.