Comeback Kids win the Title behind Arm and Bat of Yukniewicz

ROSELLE, NJ - It was only fitting that on Thursday August 26, the Whitehouse Reds (10-0 regular season, and 4-1 playoffs) won the championship. The Best team in the league won the title. The Reds did not give up from the start, and beat the Orioles with their bats and arms and not their mouths.

In a game where the Reds capitalized on several Orioles mistakes, the Reds came out on top 6-5 in the ninth inning after trailing 5-1. It was an emotional game from the start as the Reds took a 1-0 lead on Marc Tainow's SAC Fly RBI in the 1st inning. The Orioles came right back and got a run in the 3rd to tie, and a run in the 4th to take the lead as Chris Salge scored on a passed ball. In the fifth inning things got heated between both teams as words were exchanged between both teams and Reds EH Tom Kress was ejected from the game for arguing a call by the umpire.

The ejection of Kress and the togetherness of the Reds after all the yelling apeared to be the spark plug the Reds needed. After the fifth inning, the Reds scored 3 runs in the sixth highlighted by a Logan Yukniewicz 2-run double. They added one more in the seventh as Steve Farsiou walked to lead off the inning, and after the pitcher Lockhart was occupied with the batter Matt Sommo trying to sacrifice Farsiou over, Farsiou stole 2nd and 3rd base. Todd Allenovitch came up big with an RBI groundout to first base that would knot up the score at 5 all.

In the ninth inning with one out, Logan Yukniewicz belted a hard hit ball to left field that the Orioles LF bobbled and allowed Yukniewicz to stroll into second with the potential winning run. Steve Farsiou then came up to the plate and hit a chopper to the thrid baseman that he threw away at first base that allowed Yukniewicz to score from second, end this exciting game, and bring home the first ever championship in the first ever summer for the Whitehouse Reds baseball club.

Matt Anderson started the game and pitched in and out of trouble the whole game. He pitched seven innings and allowed five runs, fourhits and he struck out 11 Orioles, his same total from game 1. Perhaps his biggest inning was the 6th with the Orioles ahead 5-1, after the shouting match between the two teams, Anderson came out and struck out the side 1-2-3. Logan Yukniewicz won his third game of the playoffs as he got the win ptiching a scoreless 8th and 9th innings.

The Orioles ninth didn't come without a scare though, as Stella led of with a led off walk, but was then picked off at first base by Yukniewicz when he got to big of a lead. Following a strike out, there were two straight hits that put runners on 1st and 2nd, and after a passed ball runners at 2nd and 3rd. But once again the Reds didn't buckle under pressure, and Yukniewicz struck out Chris Salge looking. It was a fine pitching performance by Anderson and Yukniewicz. They carried the Reds on their backs all season with their outstanding pitching.

I would like to thank, my right hand man F.X. "Coach of the year" Brown for a fine job in assisting me in the season. I would also like to thank our fans for all their support throughout the season. We could have done it without you.

I would also like to thank Mitch and Bruce for all the hard work they do in making the league what it is today.

I would also like to congratulate the Orioles and the rest of the league on a fun and competitive season.

Finally, thanks again to all my players: Tainow, Steve aka "the Godfather", "Pokey" Beck, Derek Rafanello (Roadblock your fired), Todd "Zeile", Jon Leon, Dave, The Centanni Brothers (Dom and Chris), Tom Kress (Your ejected go stand in the woods), Logan Yukniewicz aka "Shrek", and Matt Anderson.

For info about the rest of the season, CLICK HERE