The PEBA 2009 All-Star Game: live blog from Aurora

[John]

Well, I don't know if he settled down exactly... went to a full count of Riley, but he did punch him out to end the inning. The SL bats and looks to tie this thing back up.

[John]

So we've got a bit of a threat happening here in the bottom of the 2nd. Two outs, but Aurora's Kuemon Kiyomizu walked and hustled his butt to 3rd on a single by Palm Springs's John Gustafson. Gregory Arnold's throw from rightalmost nailed Kiyomizu at third. #8 hitter Jim White has a chance to be an early hero in front of his hometown fans...

[John]

No such luck for White. A lazy fly ball to right ends the threat and the inning. Time for some 3rd inning "Fireworks"! Tempe's Markus Hancock is coming on to relieve Kojima.

[John]

Two knee-buckling strikeouts (both looking) to start the inning for Hancock, but then Gloucester's Gregory Arnold knocks a ball to the warning track in right field. It lands for a double, and now Florida's Tsumemasa Morimoto has a chance to break things open early. This dude has serious power... 26 big flys leads all of the PEBA so far this year.

[John]

"Fireworks" strikes out the side! Arnold is stranded on second and we move to the bottom of the 3rd. Charleston's Dean O'Monohan is coming on to pitch.

[John]

Nothing doing for the SL. O'Monohan breezes through on 10 pitches and we head to the 4th. Fargo's Javier Encarnacion is the new pitcher for the SL.

[John]

Some more 2-out trouble for the SL. #9 hitter Michael Kelly draws a seemingly innocent walk, but that's immediately followed by a base hit by Orlando German. Once again George Riley comes to bat with a chance to do some real damage.

[John]

You just don't give George Riley two opportunities to hurt you! Of course he comes through this time... a hard liner down the left field line falls in fair territory and gets all the way to the wall. Kelly and German score easily and Riley stops at second. IL is up 4-0! Canton's Deron Peterson is relieving Encarnacion.

[John]

New Orleans's Jeff Cline sends a hard bounce right back up the middle. Peterson can't get a glove on it. Crystal Lake 2B Powell Clark can get a glove on it, but just the tip. The ball dribbles into the outfield, giving Riley time to come all the way around from second. SL leads 5-0.

[Tyler]

You just don't give George Kelly two opportunities to hurt you! Of course he comes through this time... a hard liner down the left field line falls in fair territory and gets all the way to the wall. Kelly and German score easily and Riley stops at second. IL is up 4-0! Canton's Deron Peterson is relieving Encarnacion.

Woo-hoo! Typo, btw, Commish.

Former Coal Sox coming in to pitch.

[John]

Finally the pain is over for the SL. Reuben Cruz fouls out to right and we move to the bottom of the fourth. The SL is in deep water here!

[John]

Well folks, I'd like to hear Arlington SP Victor Matos's "Alibi" for this! He comes into the game, promptly walks the leadoff hitter Ramon Flores, and then after striking out Pat Lilly he gives up a 2-run HR to Aurora's Kuemon Kiyomizu. The ball just cleared the wall in right field, traveling 363'. The crowd is going crazy, cheering like mad as one of their own trots around the bases. Better yet, the SL is right back in this thing at 5-2!

[Tyler]

Better yet, the SL is right back in this thing at 5-2!

Won't last.

[John]

Palm Springs's John Gustafson gets a 2-out base hit and the crowd goes into a frenzy, hoping for another hometown hero to step up. But Jim White can't deliver and we're headed to the 5th inning. Kalamazoo's Er Hang will be coming on to pitch but will be on a short leash since he threw just a few days ago.

[John]

Yeah, I guess that was kind of a recipe for disaster. An obviously gassed Hang hangs a breaking ball to Morimoto, and you know what happens next. The PEBA's HR leader deposits the ball 370' into the right field seats. The fans in boats on Cherry Creek right behind the back right field wall of Northern Lights Park were hoping he could muscle it a bit farther and give them a wet souvenir.

Looks like SL Manager Juan Toro is going to the pen... here comes Crystal Lake's Merlin Peterson. We have our first offensive sub of the game too: New Jersey's Cal Edwards is going to hit for Jeff Wilson.