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Wednesday, August 1

Going into the 2007 League Championship Series the #6 Maryland Redbirds knew they'd need to rely on starting pitching if they had a chance of upsetting the higher seeds and advancing. And so far, through two games, their starters have done it all---literally.

After Nate Curd (Towson) went the distance last night to eliminate the #3 Silver Spring-Takoma Thunderbolts, Zach Anderson (Buffalo) followed suit this afternoon, striking out ten batters in a complete-game gem to stun the top-seeded Rockville Express at Knights Field in Rockville.

Anderson scattered four hits and three walks and was not touched for a run until the eighth inning when Bruce Alter (Auburn-Montgomery) led off with a single, advanced to second on a sacrifice, third on a ground out, and home on an RBI single by Steve Domecus (UC-Santa Barbara). Before the Alter single, Anderson had retired nine Express batters in a row, and had not allowed a hit since Pete Fatse (Connecticut) and Travis Babin (Sonoma State) reached him for a single apiece in the third inning.

The Express run in the bottom of the eighth tied the game, 1-1, and may have deflated the Redbirds upset bid had Gavin Swanson (George Washington) not responded in the very next inning with a double to deep rightfield. After a ground out moved him to third base, Nick Wojnowski (Rider) delivered with an RBI single to right-center to put the Redbirds back on top, 2-1.

Anderson then calmly walked back out to the mound for the ninth time that day and set the Express down in order in the bottom of the ninth to seal the upset victory for the Redbirds.

A bit lost in the upset was a solid outing by Express starter Dan Francis (Buffalo), who matched his collegiate teammate on the hill for six innings, allowing a lone run on four hits and four walks while striking out seven.

The Redbirds advance to the semifinals of the 2007 LCS where they will face the #2 Bethesda Big Train, tonight at 7:30 pm, to determine the winner of the winner's bracket and the first entry in tomorrow night's Championship Game. The Express will fight to stay alive against the #4 Herndon Braves at Blair Stadium at 7 pm.