Riccardo Schiroli in Taichung
The Canberra Cavalry did shock the Asia Series. The Champions of the Australian Baseball League beat (9-5 in ten inning) the Korean Champions Samsung Lions and earned the right to play the Championship Game on Wednesday 11/19.
The hero of the day is aussie catcher Murphy. With a runner on and 1 out, he worked a full count against reliever Kim Yun Woo and the jumped on a fastball, sending it in the right field bleechers.
Canberra played the perfect game. Their line up got 14 hits and put poressure on starter Y.S. Bae from the very beginning. We wrote that Murphy proved to be the hero, but it must be noted that third baseman Barnes had a 4 hit night and provided some great defense. Second baseman Berti had 3 hits and collected 3 stolen bases, challenging the Korean side on their preferred field of play.
Canberra starter Grening left in the fifth, with the team leading 5-3. The Lions manufactured a couple of runs on a soft ground ball by third baseman Park, when Canberra could not come up with the inning ending double play. For many, that play looked like the game. Relievers Brendan Wise and Jeff Lyman (both have played in the USA as high as Triple A) thought otherwise. They combined 4.2innings, allowing 4 hits but no run. Lyman in the seventh even struck out The Lion King Lee with 2 runners on.
Red hot Barnes got on in the top of the tenth with his fourth hit of his night off An Ji Man, the pitcher who had sealed the win for the Lionsthe night before. With one out, Lions manager Ryu decided to go again to the bull pen and gave the call to Kim Yun Woo. Kim went quickly ahead of the count on Murphy, but the aussie catcher could work it to full count. Then he homered on a 3-2 fastball.
Crouse kept the at bat alive with a base hit, but the next guy (pinch hitter Perkins) sent a grounder to shortstop Jung. It looked like an inning ending double play chance, but Jung misplayed the grounder and gave one more chance to Canberra. First baseman Sloan took full advantage of it, hitting an off the wall double and making it a 9-5 game.
Hard throwing right hander Toler worked 3 quick outs in the bottom of the frame to seal Cavalry’s historical win.
“It was probably my first really good swing in the tournament” commented Jack Murphy in his MVP of the game interview, directly on the field “I went down in the count and at that point I was only trying to get on base and turn it to the next guy. But I managed to work it to 3-2 and then I got a pitch I was looking for”
BOX SCORE
The second semifinal (Rakuten Golden Eagles–Uni President Lions is scheduled for Tuesday 11/19 at 6.30 pm local (CET is – 7 hours, US East is – 13 hours).
The Championship Game is scheduled for Wednesday 11/20 at 6 pm local
