Pburg Falls Just Short To Watchung, 5-4

Phillipsburg had opportunities early and often in a game that featured roughly a million baserunners and a few hundred scoring opportunities right from the leadoff batter. The Marty Party opened the game with a walk and a stolen base. Staggy Bear had a walk and a stolen base but a caught stealing and a line shot to right that was snagged by the right fielder to end the threat. In the bottom of the first Pretty Boy Matty G toed the rubber for his first career start. Alarcon, the 2018 All Conference Outfielder greeted Matty G with a pretty shot to left center for a leadoff double on the first pitch. Garatty recovered nicely and retired the next three batters on just five pitches although Watchung would take the lead on a sacrifice fly. The Liners would waste no time with their next threat as Buff Daddy stroked a first pitch single into right center. Da Dipp came on as a courtesy runner and stole second before Nice Guy Nick Helman walked. The Motts would then lay down a nice sacrifice bunt. I Dipp U Dipp We Dipp would put Pburg on the board after the Watchung pitcher balked. The threat would end after Bryce-145 ripped a shot right at the shortstop for the third out. Matty G would hold Watchung in the bottom of the second to keep the score 1-1. Pburg would scratch out a run in the third as Stagalicious scored on a Watchung error. After a Buffalo single off of third base, Nice Guy Nick put a charge into the ball that brought the tens of Liner fans off their seats but the ball would land in the left fielders glove deep in left field. The Liners haven't seen a blast at Watchung like that since Alex Lahey's legendary foul ball in 2017. The see saw battle was on as Watchung would score two runs of their own in the bottom of the third to take a 3-2 lead. In the next half inning the action wouldn't stop as Sunshine and Bryce 145 had back to back singles to set up Pburg's next threat. A Watchung error would score Sunshine and the game was all knotted up....again. Watchung would take the lead for good in the bottom of the fourth with a two out two RBI double on a very nice piece of hitting. Pburg still wouldn't go away in the top of the 5th as Stags got Mom'd, stole his second base of the day advanced to third on a fly out by Big Mike and score on a hard ground ball by Buffalo. With Watchung up 5-4, Fish sticks threw up a zero in the fifth to keep the Liners in the game. It was Fishy's Varsity debut. Flame Throwing Fish has been known to be challenged to velocity duels in bullpens. Stags would pitch the 7th and put his outfielders to work en route to a ten pitch sixth inning that was the only 1-2-3 inning of the game. Two Pburg runners would reach base in the seventh but their bid to knock off Watchung would come up just short. The Liners had runners on base every inning and stranded runners in every inning other than the 5th. On this day, it wasn't meant to be. The Liners next action is Saturday at the PAC vs the Voorhees Vikings.