MILKMEN FALL JUST SHORT IN 10 INNING DUEL AT FARGO.

By Chife Jaeger

FARGO, N.D. - The Milwaukee Milkmen fell one run short in what turned out to be an epic close-out game five duel with the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks.

Bryan Torres began the game hot with a single in the top of the first inning and was driven in to score by Keon Barum to take an early 1-0 lead. Torres then scored another in the third off of a sacrifice-fly from Miguel Gomez.

Milwaukee’s ace A.J. Schugel then gave up two runs in the second and another in the fourth that gave Fargo-Moorhead a 3-2 lead. Schugel had only given up one run in the postseason up until that point.

In the sixth inning Milwaukee then began one of the most interesting rally’s of the season. Barnum hit a single before advancing to second and then attempted to steal third base. The pickoff attempt from Fargo-Moorhead’s pitcher went wayward and it allowed Barnum to trot home and tie the game. All the momentum then completely shifted to Milwaukee when Hector Sanchez followed up with a solo home run to take the lead. The Milkmen used that momentum to score Carl Chester, Aaron Hill, Logan Trowbridge and Bryan Torres in the inning and take a 8-3 lead.

With all of the energy on the Milkmen’s side, it looked like they had the game won. But just as odd as Milwaukee’s rally started, Fargo-Moorhead responded with an even more crazy run.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, an error from shortstop Jeremiah Burks allowed Fargo-Moorhead to load the bases and they then drew a walk to put the game at 8-4. With only one out to go in the inning, an error from Sanchez and yet another from Burks allowed four more runs to score and tied the game at eight. Milwaukee was then forced to put their closer Rodrigo Benoit in to end the seventh inning and keep the game tied.

RedHawks star closer Alex DuBord was then put in at the top of the eighth inning as he and Benoit duled through the rest of regulation to send the game to extras. DuBord then pitched the top of the tenth and kept the Milkmen from scoring once again before Frankie Bartow had to come in to relieve Benoit in the bottom of the inning. Bartow gave his best but the wall finally collapsed for Milwaukee as Fargo-Moorhead drove in the game winning run from second base to seal the championship 9-8.

“At the end of the day we came up one goal short,” Milkmen manager Anthony Barone said of Milwaukee’s season. “But we had a good season and now we just look onto building up for next year.”

Milwaukee finished the regular season third in the East Division standings with a 53-47 record.

The Milkmen then defeated the division champion Chicago Dogs in round one of the playoffs before sweeping the Cleburne Railroaders in the East Division Championship series.

Milwaukee then won game one of the championship series in Milwaukee before dropping the next two games and then winning game four to force game five.

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