By: Noah Martinez

Tuesday night at Breslin Field was not your typical low-scoring playoff duel, as the two teams' offenses exploded in the first inning for a combined nine runs. The scoring started for the Monsoons in the top of the first as Tyler Ruban was hit by a pitch and CJ Tomalavage ripped a single to put two men on base for the red-hot Christopher Giacalone. He delivered once again, as he roped a deep double that one-hopped the 400 foot fence in center and scored Ruban and Tomalavage. This would not be the end of the scoring in the first for the Monsoons, as Jeffrey Policarpio would work a walk. With two men on again, Will Fritch came up to the plate and laced another two RBI double into the right-center field gap, scoring Giacalone and Policarpio.

However, CPBA would counter right back with an offensive explosion of their own. After Primerano drew a walk and Chris Flynn doubled, Spencer Berson got CPBA on the board on a hard hit ground ball that the second basemen could not fully knock down and he was able to beat the throw to first. Jake Leonard would also log an RBI groundout to reduce CPBA's deficit to two. Matthew Myers would then rip an RBI single that scored Berson and made it a one-run ballgame. After Rypkema singled and Brazofsky drew a walk to load the bases, Myers read a ball in the dirt extremely well and was able to steal home to tie up the game. In the same at-bat, Andrew DeSautels grounded out to second, but logged another RBI to give CPBA the lead.

The offensive outburst would continue for CGI in the second, as great baserunning on a double steal by Greg Verano and Tyler Ruban led to an error and Verano being able to score to tie the game. Christopher Giacalone’s incredible hot streak at the plate would continue, as he would hit another RBI double to score Ruban and give the Monsoons the lead. Tyler McCullough

would follow Giacalone and rip another two RBI double to extend the lead. Then, Will Fritch would come up to the plate again, and would lace another double down the left field line to score Tyler McCullough and make it 9-5 CGI. Fritch and Giacalone were incredible in the first two innings of this game, as they combined to go 4-4 with four doubles and three RBIs each.

CPBA’s offense would cool down after the first inning, as pitcher Matt Lemieux began to settle in. Following the first, Lemieux would go on to throw three shutout innings to keep CPBA out of striking distance. After their hot start, CPBA would only be able to muster one more run in the top of the eighth. After Lemeiux’s four innings of work, Justin Peterson would come in and throw a shutout fifth inning. However, after surrendering a walk to start the sixth, Patrick Tullo was brought in and was dominant once again, throwing two shutout innings to bring his ERA this season down to 1.93.

The Monsoons would slowly tack on a couple more runs to their lead as this game went on. In the fourth inning, Tyler McCullough would log another RBI on a Sac Fly to center which scored CJ Tomalavage and made it 10-5. They would add another in the sixth inning as Greg Verano roped an RBI double. Then, in the eighth, they would add one more to seal the victory, as Sean McCullough hit a Sac Fly to left which scored Andy Seretti.

After Zach Wernick’s tough start on the mound in which he allowed 9 earned runs and was only able to record 4 outs, Justin Kahn pitched well in a long-relief role. Without many other options to turn to, Kahn pitched six innings allowing three runs and seven hits. Unfortunately, CPBA used both of their all-star pitchers (Max Oliver and Ryan Spies) in the quarterfinals and it ended up backfiring. After Kahn’s performance in relief, fans could be questioning why Kahn did not start for CPBA in this game, as he had been very solid this season with a 3.37 ERA.

CPBA would show a bit of fight in the eighth inning, as Ryan Ducey ripped a double that scored Brendan Bussiere. However, in the ninth, the Monsoons' lockdown closer Tommy DelVecchio would come in and shutdown CPBA’s offense, as he struck out two of three batters he faced. This would be the end of the road for CPBA, who were the number one seed in the North Division this season behind excellent pitching and defense. They will look to bounce back next year, but this was clearly a tough pill to swallow for them as they felt they were one of the league’s best.

The Monsoons advance to the championship series this weekend where they will face the Garden State Junebugs. This series will have it all, as two offensive juggernauts who do not lack pitching will duke it out for the championship. I do not know who will win the series, but if I had to make an educated guess, we will see an electrifying Game 3 to decide the winner. I cannot wait!