Guthrie allowed only 3 hits in a dominant complete game win, as the Cookies & Cream offense provided more than enough run support to top the Ham Slams 5-1, giving Cookies a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series.
For the third consecutive game, the Ham Slams sent Charlie to the mound to start against Cookies & Cream. He retired Guthrie to start the game, but Cookies would rally with one out to pull ahead early. Blose hit a solo homer to put Cookies & Cream ahead 1-0, and Joey made it back-to-back jacks when he went deep, making the score 2-0. Charlie would then retire Dinger to end the inning, but the two early runs would be all Cookies would need.
Guthrie rolled through the bottom of the first, retiring Anthony and Steve in order.
Charlie got back on track in the top of the second, pitching a scoreless inning. Guthrie matched him in the bottom half of the inning, sending Charlie and Anthony down consecutively.
Charlie continued to pitch effectively in the top of the third, sending Joey and Dinger down in order.
The Ham Slams would cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the third. Steve led off the inning with a double, and Charlie followed with a pop fly in foul territory along the first base line. Guthrie raced over to catch it, but made a throwing error, and Steve tagged up, racing from second to home to score. Guthrie retired the next batter to end the inning with the score 2-1.
It didn’t take long for Cookies & Cream to make up the runs. Guthrie led off the inning with a solo homer, making the score 3-1. Blose then tripled, and Joey followed with a single, driving him in to extend the lead to 4-1. Joey moved from first to second on a Dinger groundout, and Guthrie got his second hit of the inning, and RBI single, scoring Joey to make the score 5-1. Charlie retired the next batter to end the inning, but the Ham Slams would trail by four runs.
Guthrie cruised through the bottom of the fourth, retiring the side without allowing a hit.
The Ham Slams removed Charlie from the mound in the top of the fifth, opting for Steve for a relief appearance, his third of the series. He gave up a single to Joey to start the inning, but stranded him by retiring the next two batters.
Guthrie gave up a one-out single to Steve in the bottom of the fifth, but the Slams couldn’t reduce Cookies’ 4-run lead, as Charlie struck out to end the inning.
Steve would give up a one-out double to Joey in the top of the sixth, but once again stranded the runner, retiring Dinger to end the inning.
Down 5-1, the Ham Slams needed a rally in the bottom of the sixth. Anthony flew out to the mound for the first out of the inning, and Steve followed with a one-out triple. But Guthrie buckled down, retiring Charlie to end the inning and the game, giving Cookies & Cream a 5-1 game 3 win.
The win put Cookies & Cream ahead 2-1 in the best-of-five series and put the defending champions on the verge of a repeat trip to the Wiffle Series.
W: Guthrie (1-0)
L: Charlie (0-2)
Game Notes:
– Guthrie pitched the complete game win for Cookies & Cream, going 6 innings while giving up 1 earned run on 3 hits and striking out one.
– Charlie took the loss for the Slams, allowing 5 earned runs on 6 hits in 4 innings pitched. Steve pitched 2 innings of scoreless relief, allowing 2 hits.
– Joey led Cookies & Cream at the plate, going 4-for-5 with 2 singles, a double, a homer, 2 runs scored, and 2 RBI.
– Blose also went 2-for-5 for Cookies with a triple, a home run, 2 runs scored, and an RBI.
– Steve had the only Ham Slams hits in the game, going 3-for-5 with a single, a double, a triple, and a run scored.
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