Tom’s Walk-Off Three-Run Homer Lifts Shady Characters to Surprising Game One Victory Over Guacamol-yay

2 Aug

Guacamol-yay was the better team for six and a half innings in game one of their best-of-five first round series, but Shady Characters hung around, stranded Guacamol-yay runners, and in the bottom of the seventh, walked off with a win when Tom hit a three-run bomb to end it. Despite getting out-hit eight to three heading into the bottom of the seventh, Shady Characters escaped game one with a win and took an early lead in the first round series.

Tom took the mound for Shady Characters, and he got out of trouble early and often. After allowing a leadoff double to Kyle, Jude hit a sacrifice fly, moving Kyle to third with one out. Tom stranded him, however, retiring Josh K to end the inning.

Josh K started for Guacamol-yay and he was in command. He retired Dylan and Mike in order in the bottom of the first.

Sean led off the top of the second with a single, but Tom retired the next two batters, Jan and Kyle, stranding him and ending the inning.

Josh K rolled through the bottom of the second, retiring Tom and Jason in order.

Guacamol-yay took the lead in the top of the third. Jude led off with a double, and Josh K drove him in with an RBI double, putting Guacamol-yay in front 1-0. The next batter, Sean, hit a single, putting runners on first and second with no outs. Tom got Jan to fly out for the first out of the inning, and when Kyle followed with a single, Josh K was pegged out at home, ending the inning, as Guacamol-yay managed to strand three runners in the inning.

Josh K once again cruised in the bottom of the third, sending Lucas and Dylan down consecutively.

Jude led off the top of the fourth with a single, but Tom stranded his sixth runner of the game so far, retiring Josh K and Sean to end the inning, and the score remained 1-0.

Josh K retired Mike and Tom in order, and he had retired the first eight batters of the game without allowing a baserunner.

Kyle singled with one out in the top of the fifth, but Guacamol-yay couldn’t add an insurance run. Tom retired Jude to strand Kyle at first, ending the inning.

Shady Characters broke up the no-hitter and tied the game in the bottom of the fifth. Lucas hit a one-out single, ending Josh K’s no-hit bit, which had made it nine hitters into the game. Dylan followed with an RBI triple, scoring Lucas, and the game was tied at 1-1. Josh K retired Mike to end the inning, stranding Dylan at third, and the game was even heading into the sixth.

After allowing at least one hit in each of the first five innings, Tom retired the side in order in the top of the sixth, sending Josh K and Sean down consecutively.

Jason doubled with one out in the bottom of the sixth, putting the winning run in scoring position. Josh K escaped, however, retiring Lucas to strand the runner, sending the game to extra-innings.

Tom continued to pitch effectively into the extra-innings, retiring Jan and Kyle in order in the top of the seventh.

Josh K remained on the mound for Guacamol-yay in the extra innings as well. He allowed a leadoff double to the first batter he faced, Dylan, putting the winning run in scoring position. Despite holding him hitless in his first three at-bats, MVP candidate Mike was intentionally walked, putting runners on first and second with outs. Tom came to the plate, and he launched a three-run homer to deep right-center field, and his walkoff shot ended the game, giving Shady Characters the 4-1 victory.

The win put Shady Characters ahead 1-0 in the best-of-five first round series with Guacamol-yay.

W: Tom (1-0)
L: Josh K (0-1)

Box Score

Game Notes:
– Tom earned the win for Shady Characters, pitching the complete game while allowing one run on eight hits.
– Josh K took the loss in a complete game effort, allowing four runs on five hits in six innings.
– Tom became the first player since 2018 and the twelfth player of all-time to hit a walk-off home run in the playoffs. It was his only hit in the game.
– Dylan led Shady Characters on offense, going 2-for-4 with a double, a triple, a run scored, and an RBI.
– Kyle led Guacamol-yay in the loss, going 3-for-5 with two singles and a double.

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