Once the final out of the first annual Veto League Memorial Game was recorded, attention shifted to the start of the 2020 playoffs, which began on Saturday, August 8. With each of the six captains having managed 18 regular season games, it was down to just four: Johnny Readus’s Racketeers and Mason Overmire’s Heavy Hitters representing the Saukie division and Josh Paul’s Goonies and Alex Miller’s Cannons on the Blackhawk side of things. Despite Readus and Paul have the home field advantage in their respective divisions, it was Overmire and Miller stealing the show over the weekend.
In game 1 of the Saukie divisional round, the Hitters did just that: hit, scoring four runs in the first. With an additional two runs in each of the final two frames, and holding the Racketeers scoreless in the last three innings, the road team Hitters escaped with an 11-7 win. Kyle Kent led the way with four hits, while Kent and Overmire each scored three runs. In game 2, this time with the home field advantage, the Hitters did not let up, scoring four in the second, five in the third, and six in the fourth, en route to a 15-3 thrashing over the favorited Racketeers. Dave Helvey finished 5-5 with two runs and three RBIs. Overmire helped his own team with four RBIs of his own. Despite finishing the regular season 13-5, Readus’s Racketeers open the playoffs in the hole, down 0-2, as they look to regroup before game 3.
The Blackhawk division saw the underdog prevail as well. The Cannons were carried to a 7-3 victory thanks to Ryan Barton’s 4-4 day, including a double and three RBIs. Solid defense all around, the Cannons held the Goonies to just one run through the first five innings before they scored two in the last inning. A flyout to LaVanti Wright ended any hopes for the Goonies in game 1. Game 2 was drastically different. Although the Goonies managed 13 runs in five innings, including 5 runs in the second and fifth innings, it was not nearly enough, as the home team Cannons knocked in 24 runs, all spread across the first three innings, as they took a 2-0 lead in the series. It’s the fourth time this season the Cannons have scored at least 20 runs in a game. Rick Hoxie and Kyle Kent both went 4-4, with Hoxie recording 2 doubles and a triple. Every player on the Cannons recorded at least one RBI, including Elijah Woods, making his Veto League debut, who went 1-2.
The 2020 Playoffs continue at 11am on Saturday, August 15 at Ridgewood Elementary!