PLATTSBURGH — The Lyon Mountain Miners are returning to the Champlain Valley Baseball League playoff finals for the fifth year in a row.
Their opponent will be the Airborne Speedway Padres, who will be making their second trip to the championship in team history.
The second-seeded Miners, after dropping an 8-3 decision to the third-seeded and defending playoff champion Fourth Ward Cardinals in the first game Sunday, posted a 5-2 win in the third and deciding game of the semifinal series at the Big Ball Diamond.
Meanwhile the fourth-seeded Padres made it a two-game sweep of the top-seeded Meron’s Expos with a 2-0 victory at Lefty Wilson Field.
The first game of the best-of-3 title series will be a nine-inning contest at noon Sunday at Wilson Field, with the Padres being the home team.
Cardinals 8, Miners 3
Miners 5, Cardinals 2
@Body Copy:
LYON MOUNTAIN — In the deciding game, the Miners scored three runs in the bottom of the third inning and held on.
Justin Besaw, who pitched shutout ball over the first five innings, worked into the sixth inning to get the win and Chris VanHouten finished for the save.
VanHouten took over in the sixth with the bases loaded and nobody out and allowed just one run in the inning.
Kyle Kowalowski paced the Miners offensively with two triples and two RBI, while David Waldron added a single and double, and Kris Chase two singles and two RBI.
Craig Bujold led the Cardinals with a single, double and RBI, and Tory Bouyea added two singles. The Fourth Ward had its chances, but stranded 14 runners over the seven innings.
In the first game of the day, Tom Curran rapped a three-run double in a five-run fifth to help give the Cardinals a 7-1 lead.
Steve Burris struck out 10 and walked one in going the distance for the pitching win.
Joe Tolosky, Curran and Jack Tolosky led the Fourth Ward with two hits each, with Joe Tolosky driving in two runs. Brian Latulipe also had a double.
Jerry Kowalowski rapped out three hits for Lyon Mountain, while Luke Weaver added a double and single, Tom Kowalowski two singles and Waldron a double.
The Miners survived the day despite having their pitchers walk a combined 19 in the two contests.
@SB agate:
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Cardinals 8, Miners 3
Cardinals 002 050 1 — 8 9 0
Miners 001 011 0 — 3 11 0
Burris and Bujold. Waldron, Besaw (5), Favreau (6) and J. Kowalowski. WP- Burris. LP- Waldron. 2B- Latulipe (C), Jo. Tolosky (C), Curran (C), Waldron (M), Weaver (M).
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Miners 5, Cardinals 2
Cardinals 000 001 0 — 2 8 1
Miners 003 110 x — 5 9 1
LaFountain, Burris (5) and Bujold. Besaw, VanHouten (6) and K. Kowalowski. WP- Besaw. LP- LaFountain. Sv- VanHouten. 2B- Bujold (C), Waldron (M). 3B- K. Kowalowski (M) 2.
Padres 2, Expos 0
PLATTSBURGH — Following a high-scoring game the previous week, Frank Brogna got the better of Billy Davis in a pitcher’s duel.
Brogna struck out seven and allowed three hits in going the distance for the win, while Davis fanned six and surrendered six hits in taking the loss.
Jeff Norton’s two-out, two-run double in the third inning accounted for the game’s only scoring.
Norton and Kevin Russell led the Padres with two hits each, while Eric Bell doubled and Matt Rivers singled.
Kris Cauchon doubled for Meron’s, while Chris Roenbeck and Davis chipped in with a single each. The Expos stranded 11 runners.
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Padres 2, Expos 0
Padres 002 000 0 — 2 6 2
Expos 000 000 0 — 0 3 2
Brogna and Weightman. Davis and Barton. WP- Brogna. LP- Davis. 2B- Norton (P), Bell (P), Cauchon (E).
