What started out to be a close back and forth game turned into a run away 14-2 win for the Diamond Devils. The Devil’s starting pitcher Pat McPherson got stronger and the Devil hitters got hotter as the game progressed with the big hit coming from Brad Mazer.

The Devils scored the first run of the game. Matt Goodwald led off the game with a base hit to right field. KC Johnson sac bunted Matt to second base. Matt scored easily on a double to the left center gap by Brad Mazer.

Not to be outdone, the Bulldogs countered with a run in the bottom of the first. Lead off hitter Brandon Veches doubled to left on a belt high pitch. Two outs later, Nate Hill doubled on the first pitch he saw to score Brandon.

The Devils regained the lead in the second inning. Adam Gregg started off the inning with a single and then stole second base. Adam scored on a strange play in Andrew Pratt’s at bat. Andrew hit a ball hard up the middle that was snagged by the pitcher. Adam was caught off the base and the pitcher could have easily had him in a rundown but elected to get the runner at first. On the throw, Adam took off for third. After the out at first, the first baseman tried to get Adam at third but the throw skipped into foul territory allowing the run to score.

Buffalo battled back to tie the score in the bottom half of the inning. With two outs the Bulldog’s John Compton singled and then stole second base on a close play. John came around to score on a Derek Bauer base hit.

The Devils regained the lead in the fifth scoring three runs. KC Johnson singled on the first pitch in his first at bat. On the next pitch, Brad Mazer unloaded a two run game winning broken bat homerun to left field. Andrew Engebretson walked in his time at the plate and then stole second base. Brandon Schliinz's plate appearance was on the unusual side as he started out facing Nate Hill and ended up facing Randy Bethke after Nate pulled himself from the mound on a 0-2 pitch that went wide of the plate. On the first pitch from Randy, Brandon singled to center.   Andrew tried to score on the single and was called out at the plate as Brandon moved up to second. Manager John Timpe “sprinted” down the third base line to express his displeasure. As the picture indicates, Andrew had crossed the plate when the catcher applied the tag in the back. After the dust had settled and John was back in the coaches’ box, Adam Gregg just missed a homerun when the ball hit off of the top of the fence in left field. As Adam trotted into second, Brandon scored the final run of the inning.

The beginning of the end for Buffalo came in the sixth inning. The Bulldogs had runners at the corners when the runner at first took off for second. The runner at third ran too far down the line and the Devil’s catcher Brad Mazer gunned a throw to third to pick off the runner. As the next batter struck out looking, everyone could sense the wind coming out the Bulldog’s sails.

In the top of the seventh, the Devils scored four more runs. Andrew Engebretson singled in the Devils first plate appearance of the inning and then stole second. Brandon Schliinz doubled in Andrew. Adam Gregg followed with a double to score Brandon. Andrew Pratt singled and then stole second. The Bulldogs changed pitchers and Mike Hokanson hit a sac fly to right to score Adam from third. A ground out later, Matt Goodwald singled to score Andrew Pratt for the last run of the inning.

The Devils scored five more runs in the eighth to put the game on ice. With one out and Andrew Engebretson on first the pitcher balked. Brandon singled to put runners at the corners. Adam walked to load the bases. Andrew Pratt grounded out to short to score Enge. On the play, the Devils kept the bases loaded when the shortstop’s throw was wide of the mark at first. Mike Hokanson singled in Brandon and then was lifted for a pinch runner Craig Hawkinson. During Ryan Dwyer’s at bat, a passed ball scored Adam and moved the runners up a base. A ground out to second by Ryan scored Andrew Pratt but kept Craig at second. Matt Duenwald pinch hitting for KC, singled to put runners at the corners. KC Johnson grounded to third but an errant throw to first allowed Craig to the fourteenth and final run of the game.

After the first two innings, Pat McPherson settled down and over the next five innings faced just sixteen batters to gain the victory. Paul Kunz came in to finish off the game in a non save situation.