Games of September 21

We win one and we lose one.  D. J. Baxendale and Jason Wheeler lead the Lookouts to the Southern League title.  The Kernels can't overcome a three-run West Michigan fifth and fall short.

CHATTANOOGA 4, BILOXI 0 IN CHATTANOOGA--FINALS, GAME FIVE

Batting stars:  Max Kepler was 1-for-2 with a home run (his third) and two walks.  Stuart Turner was 1-for-2 with a double and a walk, scoring once and driving in one.  Stephen Wickens was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  D. J. Baxendale pitched five shutout innings, giving up four hits and three walks with three strikeouts.  Jason Wheeler pitched four shutout innings, giving up a hit and a walk with three strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Jorge Ortega struck out three in 3.2 innings of relief, allowing one run on two hits and two walks.  Brett Phillips was 2-for-4 with a double.  Damien Magnifico retired all four batters he faced, striking out one.

The game:  The Shuckers loaded the bases with none out in the second but did not score.  The Lookouts made them pay for it, scoring two in the bottom of the second when Heiker Meneses tripled, Turner doubled, and Shannon Wilkerson singled.  Kepler homered in the third to make it 3-0 and the Lookouts got one more in the seventh on Wickens' RBI double.  Biloxi put two on in the third and again in the fifth.  After a leadoff single in the sixth, however, the Shuckers went hitless the remainder of the game.

Of note:  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4.  Travis Harrison was 1-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II was 0-for-3 with a walk.

WEST MICHIGAN 3, CEDAR RAPIDS 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS--FINALS, GAME FIVE

Batting stars:  Edgar Corcino was 1-for-3 with a triple and a walk, scoring once.  Austin Diemer was 1-for-4 with a home run.  Max Murphy was 1-for-3 with a walk.

Pitching stars:  Yorman Landa struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up a walk.  Nick Anderson struck out four in two shutout innings, giving up two hits.

Opposition stars:  Ross Seaton struck out seven in 6.2 innings, allowing two runs on four hits and one walk.  Joe Jimenez struck out three in a scoreless inning, allowing one hit.  Joey Pankake was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.

The game:  Diemer homered in the third and Corcino tripled and scored in the fourth to give the Kernels a 2-0 lead.  In the fifth, however, the Whitecaps loaded the bases with one out on a walk, a single, and a walk.  An infield out scored one, a David Gonzalez singled tied it up, and two wild pitches brought home the go-ahead run.  The Kernels got two on in the seventh and again in the eighth, but could not tie the score.

Of note:  Rafael P. Valera was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4.  T. J. White was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Randy LeBlanc, who was a reliever most of the season, pitched four shutout innings before tiring in the fifth.  His line was 4.2 innings, three runs, three hits, two walks, and one strikeout.

Games of September 20

David Hurlbut and a four-run rally keep the Lookouts alive.  The Kernels miss a chance to put the series away.

CHATTANOOGA 4, BILOXI 2 IN CHATTANOOGA--FINALS, GAME FOUR

Batting stars:  Levi Michael was 2-for-4 with a run and two RBIs.  Jorge Polanco was 3-for-4 with a run.  Stuart Turner was 1-for-2 with a walk and an RBI.

Pitching stars:  David Hurlbut pitched six innings, giving up two runs on five hits and one walk with three strikeouts.  Nick Burdi pitched 1.2 scoreless innings despite four walks.  He struck out one.  J. T. Chargois struck out three in 1.1 scoreless innings, giving up a hit and a walk.

Opposition stars:  Josh Hader struck out ten in 5.1 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks.  Yadiel Rivera was 3-for-5 with a run.  Brett Phillips was 1-for-4 with a home run, his second.

The game:  Orlando Arcia singled in a run in the third and Phillips homered in the fourth to give the Shuckers a 2-0 lead in what was a must-win game for the Lookouts.  Chattanooga came back in the fourth.  A single and two walks loaded the bases with one out.  Michael singled in two to tie the score, Turner hit a sacrifice fly to put the Lookouts ahead, and Shannon Wilkerson singled home an insurance run.  Biloxi loaded the bases with two out in the eighth and had men on first and third with two out in the ninth, but could not score again.

Of note:  Stephen Wickens was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Max Kepler was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Travis Harrison was 0-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-3 with a walk and a run.  Wilkerson was 1-for-4 with an RBI.

WEST MICHIGAN 2, CEDAR RAPIDS 1 IN CEDAR RAPIDS--FINALS, GAME FOUR

Batting stars:  Nick Gordon was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  LaMonte Wade was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  Randy Rosario pitched six innings, giving up two runs on nine hits and a walk with two strikeouts.  Michael Theofanopoulos pitched two shutout innings, giving up two hits.  John Curtiss struck out two in a scoreless inning, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Mike Gerber was 3-for-4 with an RBI.  Jeff Thompson pitched five innings, allowing one run on six hits and one walk with three strikeouts.  Trey Teakell pitched three shutout innings, allowing one hit with one strikeout.

The game:  The Kernels, attempting to close out the series, scored first, getting a run in the third when Gordon doubled and T. J. White singled.  In the fifth, however, the Whitecaps put together a single, a walk, and two infield singles to take a 2-1 lead.  The Kernels nearly tied it in the fifth when Diemer tripled with one out, but he was thrown out trying to score on a ground ball to short.  The Kernels loaded the bases with two out in the ninth, but a strikeout ended the game.

Of note:  Rafael P. Valera was 0-for-3 with a walk.  Edgar Corcino was 1-for-3 with a walk.  White was 1-for-4 with an RBI.  Chris Paul was 0-for-3.

Games of September 19

A lack of clutch hitting sinks the Lookouts.  The Kernels come back in the ninth for a walkoff win.

BILXOI 2, CHATTANOOGA 0 IN CHATTANOOGA--FINALS, GAME THREE

Batting stars:  Travis Harrison was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk.  Shannon Wilkerson was 2-for-4.

Pitching stars:  D. J. Johnson struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up three walks.  Jake Reed struck out two in two shutout innings, giving up one hit.

Opposition stars:  Tyler Wagner struck out eight in 6.2 scoreless innings, allowing six hits and one walk.  Yadiel Rivera was 3-for-4 with a double and two runs.  Tyrone Taylor was 3-for-3 with a double and a walk.

The game:  The Shuckers scored one in the first on a sacrifice fly and one in the fifth on an infield out.  It was enough.  The Lookouts had men on in seven of the nine innings and loaded the bases in the seventh, but stranded ten men and were 0-for-8 with men in scoring position.

Of note:  Stephen Wickens was 0-for-4 with a walk.  Jorge Polanco was 0-for-4.  Max Kepler was 0-for-4.  D. J. Hicks was 1-for-4.  Adam Brett Walker II was 1-for-4.  Heiker Meneses was 0-for-4.  Greg Peavey pitched 4.1 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and three walks with one strikeout.

CEDAR RAPIDS 3, WEST MICHIGAN 2 IN CEDAR RAPIDS--FINALS, GAME THREE

Batting stars:  T. J. White was 2-for-4 with a double and a run.  Max Murphy was 1-for-3 with a triple, scoring once and driving in one.  Edgar Corcino was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.

Pitching star:  Keaton Steele pitched seven innings, giving up one run on four hits and one walk with five strikeouts.

Opposition stars:  Artie Lewicki pitched 7.1 innings, allowing one run on four hits and one walk with four strikeouts.  Christin Stewart was 2-for-4 with a double and an RBI.  A. J. Simcox was 1-for-4 with a double and a run.

The game:  It was 1-1 through eight.  In the top of the ninth, a walk, a bunt, and Stewart's RBI single put the Whitecaps ahead 2-1.  In the bottom of the ninth, Corcino and White led off with back-to-back doubles to put men on second and third.  A walk loaded the bases.  With one out, Murphy hit a sacrifice fly to tie it up and Brian Navaretto delivered a two-out single to win the game.

Of note:  Rafael P. Valera was 0-for-3 with an RBI.  Nick Gordon was 0-for-4.  Chris Paul was 1-for-4.