Crystal Lake Sandgnats vs. Aurora Borealis – A recap of the postseason Alliance Tournament games.  Aurora was victorius in five games as Crystal Lake bows out of the postseason early and painfully.

Postseason Play: This is a first-time meeting in postseason play for our home town Crystal Lake Sandgnats and the Aurora Borealis and we would just as soon not have made this acquaintance.  With high optimism, the Sandgnats took the field confident that their team would bring home the Cup this time.  They were confident that, in spite of not having home field advantage for the first time ever in postseason play and a miserable 5-10 record against Aurora during the regular season, this team would overcome the prior postseason disappointments and bring home the gold.

Crystal Lake was buzzing.  Everyone was talking about the team.  Parties were planned and victory celebrations organized to celebrate their lovable “bugs”, as they are called (“Let’s go see the bugs play!”).

Aurora would be a difficult but not an insurmountable foe.  They would be just another obstacle, another hurdle on the way to a destined championship that Crystal Lake had imagined awaited their beloved team.  “We knocked off the Codgers; let Aurora bring it.  We will send them packing.”  It would not come to pass however.  “Wait until next year” would continue to be the offseason mantra.

The truth is that the 2009 Gnats did not match up well against Aurora.  That was obvious by the lopsided in-season record.  We didn’t beat them during the season; how will we beat them now?  “With pitching, my man!”  But Aurora was ranked #1 in pitching to our #2.  “Yea, but we got López and his 50 homeruns.”  But Aurora was ranked #1 in hitting to our #2.  The finish would be as it ended in season: Aurora #1 and Crystal Lake #2.  Instead of warm Disney World, it would another cold winter in the war room mapping out changes for 2010.  2009 was over but not forgotten.  “Wait till next year.  We will be better than ever.  You’ll see!”

I don’t think anything illustrated the pain and anguish this series evoked on the locals more than the first game 3-2 loss.  Mark Frazier‘s two-run homer in the 6^th erased the Aurora run scored in the first on an error and Jim White‘s run-scoring double.  Except for the first, José Cruz had been flawless, scattering three hits in eight innings of work.  Maybe pitching would lead the way!  With Ángel Chacón fully rested and prepared to close the ninth, it should have been over.

It wasn’t!  That is when the dream went awry.  White again doubled, this time to lead off the ninth.  One out later. John Knight doubled him home to tie the game.  Scott Brown grounded out and it looked like Chacón would escape further damage.  But he then walked Naoaki Kichida and quickly fell behind Aaron Turner, who worked a 3-1 count before lacing a run-scoring single to win the game.

The Gnats would lose game two by the same score, and eventually lose the series four games to one for their worst-ever postseason showing.  The one highlight would be their lone victory.  Down in the series 3-0 and losing game four by a score of 9-5 in the 9^th, the Gnats put on a show for the home crowd in the last victory at Gnat Field for 2009.  After scoring a run on a series of singles, Eric Morse’s 365 foot drive with the bases loaded would finally give the fans something to cheer about.  The walk-off grand slam would win the game 10-5.  The finale was stalled for one more day.  The Borealis would come back to batter Cruz in game 5 to win the series.

After cheering all summer and a quick series victory over rival Palm Springs, the season had ended short of the Cup.  But the dream lives on!  “Wait till next year.  We will be better than ever.  You’ll see!”

Game Summary

Crystal Lake Sandgnats vs. Aurora Borealis