Peter J. Foley Championship Games!
By Kevin Cummings
The Peter J. Foley Major League Championship Games were played Sunday and
Monday nights, June 24th, and 25th before large and enthusiastic crowds. The
games sided the Cardinals, who dominated the regular season against the
powerful Giants, who were making their second straight try at the
Championship title. Both games showed why these two teams made it to the
Championship series, because both teams played like champions until the very
last out.
In game one of the series Sunday night, the starting pitchers were Andy Payne for the Home team Cardinals and Tyler Erickson for the Visiting Giants.
The Giants started this battle early in the first inning as Marc D’Agnone ripped a line drive double down the left field line. D’Agnone proceeded to
steal third base and then scored on a hard hit ball off of pitcher Andy Paynes hand, and up the middle by Tyler Erickson. Kevin Harris followed with
a double to right field, which scored Erickson. The Giants took the field at the top half of the inning with a 2-0 lead.
Adam Katrenya reached base on a walk from Tyler Erickson. Andrew Katrenya comes up to bat and hits a bullet towards shortstop, Kevin harris manages to
get his glove on it and keep it in the infield. A throwing error put the Katrenya brothers on second and third. Andrew Payne brings in Adam Katrena
on a sacrifice fly to right field, moving Andrew to third. With two out and a man on third the Cardinals scored the tying run due to a mental error when
a ground ball in the infield was thrown home, instead of first base for the final out of the inning.
Mike Gallo starts things off in the second with a base hit up the middle. Sean Lyons hits a hard ground ball in the infield and reaches first on a
throwing error. Matt D’Agnone lays down a perfect bunt on the first base line and reaches safely, loading the bases for Anton Hanley. A check
swing bunt moves Anton to first, but Gallo is forced out at home. The Cardinals get out of the inning without any more damage on a nicely turned
double play. Tyler Erickson struck out two, and had a ground out for a perfect second inning for the Giants.
Wesley Ketrenya comes in for relief and pitches a perfect third inning, thanks to a great sliding catch by Shawn Smith in left field, and a great
catch by Anthony Mariano of a hard hit line drive off the bat of Mike Edwards. In bottom of the third Andrew Katrenya hits an almost caught deep fly ball to
right field resulting in a triple. The Cardinals take the lead when Andrew Katrenya steals home.
The fourth starts off with a solid base hit to center field. Sean Anderson follows with another hard hit to right field, moving Erickson to third.
Erickson scores and Anderson moves to third on a dropped fly ball hit by Gary Belanger. The giants earned two more runs on another hard hit double to
right field with Anderson and Belanger scoring. Wesley Katrenya rebounded and struck out the next two batters to end the inning.
Except for a rocket shot off the bat of Andy Payne right back at him, it was an uneventful perfect inning for the Giants defense.
In the top of the fifth the Cardinals defense is perfect with a great running catch in right field by Matt DelMastro, and a snare Andrew Katrenya of a hard
hit line drive to shortstop. The bottom of the fifth brings the same from the Giants defense, another perfect inning for Tyler Erickson on the mound.
The sixth inning brings more great defense and another perfect inning for Wesley Katrenya. Marc D’Agnones attempt to get on base is thwarted when
Patrick Fleck catches his hard hit ball to center field. The Giants counter with another perfect inning of defense, not allowing the Cardinals to get on base and make a run at them.
In game two of the series Monday night the starting pitchers were Mike Edwards for the Home team Giants and Andrew Katrenya for the Visiting
Cardinals. In the top of the first Andrew Katrenya threatens with a hot shot past Marc D’Agnone to reach first. After stealing second he is stranded there to end
the inning after a great catch in right center field off the bat of Pat Fleck. Andrew Katrenya gives up a leadoff walk to Marc D’Agnone, but then proceeds
to strike out the next two batters. Sean Anderson follows with a high pop fly caught by Adam Katrenya at first base to end the inning.
After hitting a single to right field, Anthony Mariano scores on a hit to center by Wesley Katrenya to give the Cardinals the lead. Kevin Harris reaches first after being hit by a pitch, but is stranded there after Andrew Katrenya retires the next three hitters with two strike outs and a sensational diving catch of a foul ball next to the Visitors dugout “on deck” area.
Except for a strong double by Andrew Katrenya it was a good defensive third inning by Mike Edwards and the Giants. Andrew Katrenya strikes out two of three batters he faces for a perfect third inning.
Anthony Mariano leads off with a walk, steals second, reaches third on ground out to the pitcher, and then scores on a pass ball. Wesley Katrenya also has
a long shot to the warning track for a double. Mike Edwards gets on base with a two out fly ball to right field, but is left on base at the end of the third.
Adam Katrenya leads off with a walk . Andy Payne reaches first on an error by the shortstop. Andrew Katrenya loads the bases with a walk. Patrick Fleck
clears the bases with a hard hit triple to the right center field gap. Anthony Mariano drives Fleck in with a sacrifice fly. After a walk to Kyle
Boulerice, Marc D’Agnone came in as a relief pitcher and held the Cardinals to end the inning. Andrew Katrenya continues to dominate on the mound, striking out the side for a perfect fifth inning.
Marc D’Agnone pitches a perfect sixth inning, striking out two while making a great play on a hit right back to him. Andrew Katrenya is true to form, striking out the side and securing the Cardinals win, and Championship Title.
Both of these teams never lost their spirit to win in
either game, showing what true Champions both teams really are. Unfortunately the title can only go to one
team even though they both showed their right to be the Champions!