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Spirit advance to Northeast League Championship Series

September 12, 2004 - Canadian American League (Can-Am)
North Shore Spirit News Release


The Spirit needed clutch performances in Game 5 against a high-powered Quebec Capitales on Sunday night to have a chance to win the series and move on to the Northeast League Championship Series. With ace lefty Bryan Morse pitching on only three days rest, the club needed him to go out and be strong. And with All-Stars Marcos Agramonte and Vic Davilla injured, manager John Kennedy needed his revamped lineup to score enough runs and the defense to play strong.

The Spirit got what they needed! Thanks to superb pitching by both Morse and reliever Edison Reynoso, a creative offensive attack, and a three-run home run by Nelson Teilon, the Spirit beat Quebec 7-2 and won the North Division series 3 games to 2.

The win gives the Spirit its second pennant in as many years. They will now face South Division champ New Jersey in a best-of-five series that starts on Tuesday night at Yogi Berra Stadium in Little Falls, NJ. New Jersey earned their spot in the championship series by defeating the wild card Bangor Lumberjacks 3 games to 1 with a 15-3 blowout on Saturday in Bangor. New Jersey has won 3 Northeast League championships in the past six years, including back-to-back titles in 2001 and 2002. The Spirit made it to the championship series in their inaugural campaign last season, before losing to the Brockton Rox.

The Game 5 pitching matchup was the same as Game 1 of the series, Keith Dunn (0-2) for Quebec facing off against Bryan Morse (2-0). The Capitales jumped out to an early lead by scoring 2 runs in the first off of Morse with three straight hits to start the game. Benoit Emond singled and scored on a Geof Tomlinson triple that just went under the glove of centerfielder Rob Fischer and to the wall. Tomlinson then came home on a groundball off the bat of Juan Melo that went over the head of Morse and past the dive of second baseman Erick Mejias into centerfield. Morse was outstanding the rest of the way, shutting down the dangerous Quebec lineup after the 1st inning rally. In total, Morse pitched 7 1/3 innings and was helped out by two double plays that stranded runners at third in the fourth and sixth innings. Edison Reynoso came on and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings to close the book on the Capitales campaign.

The Spirit offense struggled early against Keith Dunn. Through 5 innings, they had only scored once while striking out 7 times. That run was scored in the third on a Joe Hastings' double play with the bases loaded. Dunn had given up a leadoff single to Yuri Sanchez, and walked Mejias and Teilon to load the bases with nobody out. He coaxed Hastings into the double play ball and then got Oglesby out, effectively getting out of a huge jam only giving up a lone tally.

But the Spirit bats came alive late in the game, scoring three times in the 7th inning and three more in the 8th. Brian Macchi led off with a walk. DH Mike Granger then laid down a sacrifice bunt, but was safe at first on an error by Dunn. Dunn retired Sanchez on a groundout and Mejias on a foul popup. Then Nelson Teilon blasted a Dunn fastball to left center field and over the wall for a three-run home run, his second of the series and, undoubtedly, the most important home run in Spirit history. The Teilon homer gave Morse and the Spirit a commanding 4-2 lead at the time.

In the 8th, the Spirit played small ball to score three runs. Rob Fischer scored on a squeeze bunt by Macchi to expand the lead to 5-2. Quebec reliever Alex Santos walked Sanchez with the bases loaded and one out to force home the 6th Spirit run and Mejias looped a single into left to score Macchi, making it a 7-2 Spirit lead.

The series victory by the Spirit over Quebec is the second in two years. Last year, the Spirit swept Quebec 3-0.

The Spirit will open the 2004 Northeast League Championship Series on the road in New Jersey on Tuesday. Games 1 and 2 will be in New Jersey before the series moves to Fraser Field for game 3 on Thursday at 7:05 PM. Game 3 tickets will go on-sale on Monday morning, September 13, at 10 AM at the Spirit Box Office at 365 Western Avenue. Tickets will also be available on-line at www.northshorespirit.com or by calling 781-592-0007. Field Box seat tickets will be $9, Premium seat tickets will be $7, and Reserved Bleacher seat tickets will be $5. The Spirit will also host Games 4 and 5 of the series, if necessary, at Fraser Field, on Friday and Saturday.

All Spirit playoff games are broadcast live on WESX 1230 AM and on the Spirit website, www.northshorespirit.com. Tuesday's pre-game show begins at 6:30 PM, first pitch from Little Falls will be at 7 PM.

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