Pinto Indians Sweep Braves

The Indians faced a daunting task heading into the Pinto Division World Series, having to win back-to-back games against a Braves squad that had gone undefeated through the playoffs. After a 5-0 shutout in the opener, the Indians rode a wave of confidence into last Thursday’s decisive game two and won, 2-1, on Jack McGeagh’s one-out triple that scored Daniel Riva with the winning run in the top of the sixth inning. Each tribe scored in the first inning. Riva reached on an error to lead off the top of the inning, McGeagh hit into a fielder’s choice, brother Matt McGeagh singled and Jack Halpert followed with an RBI single to give the Indians (14-9) a 1-0 lead. The Braves (12-9) responded when Kerry Calendar led off with a double, advanced to third on a fielder’s choice and scored on an overthrow at first base to tie the game. But the Braves struggled at the plate, striking out 11 times in the first gamje and 10 in the second. The Indians’ sweep was surprising because they had lost to the Braves, 4-2, in the first round of the playoffs. Trying to duplicate the feat of their Pinto namesake, the Mustang Indians entered Thursday’s first game of the World Series with an upset in mind. Consecutive singles by Kyle Warner, Jack Closson and Joe Rosenbaum gave the Indians a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. The heavily-favored Dodgers, however, also showed up ready to play. Hagen Smith doubled to open the bottom of the frame and Chris Murch quickly singled him to third. Brett Elder followed with a two-RBI single and Galen Lansbury’s bases-loaded groundout scored Elder to give the Dodgers a 3-1 lead. Then, in the fourth inning, Lansbury doubled, stole third and scored on a fielder’s choice by Jamie Smith. The Indians (6-16) pulled to within 4-2 in the fifth inning when Rosenbaum tripled and scored on a single by Jack Wyman, but the Dodgers got the run back in the bottom of the inning when Smith reached on an error and scored on a triple by Murch. Brett Elder pitched the first, second, fourth and fifth innings, recording seven strikeouts, while Paul Kirkpatrick threw the third and sixth innings for the Dodgers (15-4-1), who clinched the 5-2 victory when Elder, playing shortstop, flipped to second baseman Charlie Watts for a force out. Chase Williams got his first hit of the season in his final at-bat for the Indians, who had battled to four playoff victories despite finishing last in the regular season standings. There were no losers in the Bronco Division championship game. The Dodgers beat the Braves, 5-4, on a bases-loaded walk to Tommy Sanford that forced home teammate Scott McRoskey in the bottom of the eighth inning, but both teams could be proud of their effort. Kyle Lutz scored on bases-loaded walk and Hunter Varnum added a two-run single in the first inning to give the Dodgers (15-5) a 3-0 lead and Harrison Wollman added a run in the second inning. But the Braves scored one run in the second, third and fourth innings, then tied the game in the top of the fifth when Casey Jordan was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. “It was nip and tuck the whole way,” Dodgers Coach Bob Lutz said. “The Braves gave us a great game. We did just enough to win it.”