SEDALIA DEMOCRAT
Home run-robbing catch ends Bombers season, Skipper’s batting title bid
By JOHN HANSEN
JULY 20, 2011
The Sedalia Bombers came up one run, one win and one home-run-robbing catch short of forcing a one-game playoff with Nevada for the MINK League South Division championship, falling 4-3 on Wednesday at Ozark.
In the eighth inning, Matt Skipper hit a deep fly ball to center field that looked like it was going to tie the game and end a long homerless drought for the big first baseman, who hit all five of his dingers early in the season. But Generals center fielder Jacob Harrison reached over the wall, made the grab and preserved Ozark’s lead.
The catch was doubly painful for the Bombers because it also cost Skipper the MINK League batting title. His .402 average finished second to Nevada’s Peter Barrows (.404). A hit would’ve put Skipper’s average at .409.
“The guy hits a home run, that not only gives us the tie, but he wins himself a batting title in one swing,” Bombers manager Jud Kindle said.
Kindle had no regrets despite losing to an Ozark team that had rolled over to Nevada 10-2 on Tuesday.
“We had no errors; it was a well-played game,” he said. “Both teams played well. They just played a little bit better than us.”
Ozark (14-28) plated one run in each of the first three innings off Bombers starter Derrick Hadley, who allowed five hits in five innings. Andrew Jurgesmeyer’s only home run of the season was the big blow in the second.
“That’s all you can ask for: Give us a chance to win,” Kindle said of Hadley. “He did a good job of that.”
Meanwhile, Ozark’s Trevor Fassero, who hadn’t pitched more than two innings in a game this season, held the Bombers scoreless through three innings. Sedalia chased Fassero with two runs in a fourth inning highlighted by a Skipper double, then scratched across another run off Steve Griep in the sixth.
But despite Skipper’s near-heroics in the eighth, the Bombers couldn’t muster a run against Franklin Bay (3-4), who allowed only one hit in the final 3 1-3 innings.
“They out-bullpenned us — slow lefties mixed with hard-throwing righties,” Kindle said.
Ozark scored what proved to be the winning run in the bottom half of the sixth. Chris Glynn was hit with a pitch to start the frame, John Alexander’s single moved Glynn to third, and Mickey Armstrong’s sacrifice fly drove in the run.
Sedalia reliever Landon Fall pitched two innings of no-hit ball to keep the Bombers within one run.
The loss was a microcosm of the season for the Bombers (24-18), who started 0-4 and eventually caught and briefly passed the Griffons, but never took control of the division as they did in 2009 and 2010. Kindle doesn’t think the Bombers dropped off much after winning the MINK League in dominant fashion last year.
“I think it’s a case of our league getting better, getting more competitive. Tip your hats to Nevada,” he said.
After two years of winning the division easily, Kindle enjoyed being in a wire-to-wire race with the Griffons.
“It was fun,” Kindle said. “It kept the guys playing hard and competitive the whole time. It’s the first time we’ve been in a race in three years, and it made the games worth more, rather than just having two weeks of going out to get reps in.”
Wednesday’s loss marks the end of the season for the Bombers, who will not pursue an alternate path to the National Baseball Congress World Series through a qualifying tournament.
“It’s over. We’re heading home,” Kindle said. “In my personal opinion, we could go to regionals, but if we’re not good enough to win our division, we don’t deserve to go to the World Series.”
Nevada (25-17), which finished the season with three straight wins, will host North Division champion St. Joseph in Game 1 of the MINK League Championship Series on Friday.