THE PROSPECT LEAGUE PROSPECT(US)

For the Love of the Game since 1963

The Championship Series

GAME DAY – Thursday,  August 8,  2019

by Ray Mileur, raymileur@prospectleague.com

CHILLICOTHE, 3  DANVILLE, 1 – EAST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

The Paints got on board first with their leadoff man, All-Star center-fielder Cody Orr, from Rossford, OH, a sophomore at Tiffin University and a candidate for the Prospect League Player of the Year and the Pro Prospect of the Year honors, helped the Paints get on the board first, by getting on base via a walk. He then advanced to second on a passed ball and steals third and came around to score on an error by the catcher.

The Dans responded with their own leadoff man, All-Star left-fielder, Max Jung Goldberg, from Palo Alto, CA, a freshman at the University and a candidate for the Prospect League Pro Prospect of the Year honors, hit a home run on the third pitch he saw to tie the game in the bottom of the first.

The Paints would add an unanswered run on the board in the third and ninth to win the East Division Championship at Danville, in front of over 2000 fans.

The Paints leadoff man Cody Orr, got on base three times, going 1-for-3 at the plate and reaching base twice on a walk and scoring the first run of the game. All-Star second baseman Gavin Homer, from Battle Creek, MI, a junior at Penn State, went 1-for-3 with a triple, a walk and a run scored. Shortstop Parker Murdie, from Novi, MI. a junior at Grand Valley St. University, was hit by a pitch and hit a double and scored a run.

On the mound for Chillicothe, starter Austin Calopietro, (6-1, 2.47 ERA, 2 SVs), from Maumee, OH, a junior at the University of Toledo, who led the league during the regular season with 73 strikeouts, may be remembered more for not making the All-Star team this year than anything else. Calopietro picked up the win, pitching 5.1 innings, giving up one run on three hits and a walk, while striking out eight of the 19 batters he faced, in the must-win for the Paints, who may be able to turn to Calopietro to start again next Tuesday, if necessary.

Out of the bullpen for Chillicothe, reliever Jack Raines, from Akron, OH, a senior at Baldwin Wallace University, pitched 2.2 innings, giving up just one hit, while striking out five of the nine batters he faced. All-Star closer, Nate Haugh, from Waterville, OH, a junior at the University of Toledo and very likely the Prospect League Fireman of the Year, picked up a save, with a scoreless frame in the ninth, striking out the side.

Danville starter Kaleb Hill, (L, 0-1, 2.07 ERA), from Pine Bluff, AR, a freshman at Ole Miss, got tagged with the loss, despite pitching well, giving up two runs, one of them earned on three hits and four walks while striking out four of the 19 batters he faced in his 4.1 IP. Hill wasn’t as sharp as he was in his final start of the regular season, when he pitched 5.2 no-hit, scoreless frames, striking out 11 of the 17 batters he faced. Thursday night with a little run support, Hill pitched good enough to win on a lot of nights, just not last night. All-Star reliever Ryan Patel, from Mundelein, IL, a freshman at St. Louis University, was on his game Thursday night, pitching 4.2 innings, giving up just one unearned run on walk and no hits, while striking out six of the 18 batters he faced, keeping Danville in the game until the end.

Chillicothe Paints, East Division Champions,

Danville Dans, East Division Regular Season Champions – Eliminated

DUPAGE, 2  CAPE, 5 – WEST DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

Good pitching, Gold Glove-caliber defense, stolen bases and a couple of long balls, in the big game, something for everyone in Cape.

The Cape Catfish turned to All-Star Bryan McNeely, from Scott City, MO, a freshman at Southeast Missouri State University, who had been named the Prospect(us) Pitcher of the Year, to take the ball in the all or nothing game in front of over 900 fans at Capaha Field. McNeely gave Cape everything he had, pitching seven complete scoreless frames, scattering four hits and no walks, striking out four of the 24 batters he faced, making the Prospect(us) selection committee, looking pretty good.

Reliever Braden Cox, from Scott City, MO, a sophomore at Three Rivers College actually pitched better than the box score and other stats would suggest. He made some quality pitches that were called balls and all balls are not bad pitches. He looked sharp on the mound, despite giving up the two runs on two hits that just managed to find a spot on the field, no one could get to and a walk in his one inning on the mound, striking out two of the six batters he faced. Cox is one of those unsung heroes, the middle reliever who can often be overlooked by the casual fans, but to the baseman man, he’s put together a great season, appearing in 17 games, including one start, posting a 4-1 record with a 2.72 ERA, striking out 28 hitters in 33 innings pitched and he walked only four batters during the regular season, making him the go to guy in the middle of tough games. Following Cox to the mound, reliever Collin Taylor, from Florence, AL, a sophomore at the University of Arkansas, earned the save, with a scoreless frame in the ninth, walking one batter, while striking out two of the four he faced to close out the game.

The Catfish scored five runs on six hits, with shortstop Curtis Washington, Jr., from West Memphis, AR, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, going 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and a run scored. All-Star Ellison Hanna II, a candidate for the Prospect League MVP Award and the Pro Prospect Award, also went deep, going 2-for-4 at the plate, with a solo home run that turned the quiet crowd on. Hanna, normally a DH, also made a couple of nice plays in left last night.

DuPage gave the ball to Matt O’Sullivan, (L, 0-1, 3.85 ERA), from Sugar Grove, IL, sophomore at UW Whitewater, who gave the Pistol Shrimp 4.2 decent innings, giving up three runs, two of them earned, on four hits and three walks while striking out three of the 21 batters he faced.

Offensively, the game seemed closer than the 5-2 score would suggest, with DuPage going head to head with the Catfish with six hits each, but the Pistol Shrimp couldn't get the timely hit and were unable to move them over and in, leaving five runners stranded on the basepaths. Leadoff man and center-fielder Dane Toppel, from South Elgin, IL, a junior at Eastern Illinois University, had a 2-for-4 night in the losing cause, and All-Star outfielder Andrew Dyke, from Alsip, IL, a sophomore from the University of Illinois, drove in two runs on his only base hit and he stole a base.

DuPage Pistol Shrimp, - 2nd place, West Division, eliminated

Cape Catfish, West Division Regular Season Champions & the Western Division Champions

PLAYER OF THE DAY – The Cape Catfish shortstop Curtis Washington, Jr., from West Memphis, AR, a freshman at the University of Arkansas, who went 2-for-4 with a double, a home run, two RBI and a run scored, in the sudden death, 5-2 win over the DuPage Pistol Shrimp.

PITCHER OF THE DAY – The Cape Catfish, All-Star starter, Bryan McNeely, the 2019 Prospect(us) Pitcher of the Year, with the season on the line, pitched seven complete scoreless innings, giving up just four hits and no walks while striking out four of the 21 batters he faced for the 5-2 win over DuPage.

PLAYOFF PICTURE

The Prospect League Championship Series is a best-of-three series between the winners of the divisional round and begins Saturday, August 10. Game one will be hosted by the team with the lesser regular-season record, the Chillicothe Paints. After an off day, game two and, if necessary, game three will be hosted by the team with the better regular-season record, the Cape Catfish on Monday, August 12 and Tuesday, August 13.

NEWS TIP – Do you have a news tip, story or photo you would like to share with the Prospect League? Please contact, Historian & Media Representative, Ray Mileur at raymileur@prospectleague.com .