Cubs on the short end in Bolton

July 25, 2013 · 0 Comments

A two run lead going into the final frame of Wednesday night’s game in Bolton evaporated for the Mansfield Cubs when the Bolton Dodgers drove in three runs on a single in their last at-bat to leave the park with a 3–2 win.

It was a disappointing loss for the Cubs who needed the win to get into contention for a spot in the playoffs.

Only the top eight teams in the 14 team senior division of the North Dufferin Baseball League make the playoffs.

“It was a one inning game,” said Cubs coach George Linger. “There wasn’t a lot of big hits. It kept the game reachable,” he said of how close the Mansfield club came to winning. “There was a lot of base hits and a lot dropping into the gloves.”

The game turned into a pitchers duel in the early going with a few singles but not much else happening.

The Cubs opened the scoring in the top of the third inning when Brad Pendleton hit a double to drive in Logan Wallace to score.

A sacrifice bunt in the sixth inning by Pendleton advanced a runner to second base.

Tyler Linger crossed the plate for the second Cubs run on a single with two men out to give Mansfield a two run lead going into the final inning.

The game fell apart for the Cubs when the Bolton squad came out for their last at-bat in the bottom of the seventh inning.

After getting runners on first and second base, an infield hit and a slight delay on the decision cost the Cubs the game when the Dodgers loaded the bases with one out.

The next Bolton player hit a drive to deep left field and with nothing to lose, all Dodgers base runners made the play for home.

The game was over when the third Bolton player crossed the plate to make it a 3–2 game.

“Our fielders were good,” Linger said. “They covered a lot of ground tonight, they took some hits away from them. Our infield played tight, there was good pitching, it was a good solid game. A few more hits would have been nice, but it was a good defensive game from both teams. It just took a few lucky breaks to break it open, and they got them.”

The loss means it will be difficult for the Cubs to land a spot in the playoffs.

Mansfield, Barrie, Bolton Dodgers, and Midland are all hovering around the eighth position in league but with the loss, the Bolton squad will move up two points in the standings meaning the Cubs will have to win their final five regular seasons games to have a realistic chance of finding a playoff berth.

That would mean winning over the two top teams in the league including a scheduled double header against the Bolton Brewers.

It’s not an impossible task, but would certainly take some serious concentration to get the job done.

The Cubs final home game of the regular season is slated for this Sunday, July 28, at the Mansfield Community Park diamond.

The first pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m.

By Brian Lockhart