Baltimore BlueClaws 4
Arena Starz 5
The #1 seed Arena Starz needed an extra inning to claim the 2011 Spring League Championship 5-4 over the #2 seed Baltimore BlueClaws.
Andrew Yu scored the first run of the game in the top of the 4th giving the BlueClaws a brief lead. The Starz tied the game in the bottom of the inning when Joe Otto singled, stole second, and advanced to third on a throwing error. He later tagged up on a sac fly to center field.
After a quick top of the 5th the Arena Starz broke out in the bottom half scoring 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.
It appeared that would be all Starz starting pitcher Aaron Barclay would need; the BlueClaws however had other ideas.
After pitching six strong innings, Barclay ran into trouble with a 4-1 lead in the seventh. A leadoff HBP to Austin Hayden was followed by a Matt Lozinak single and another HBP to Nick Delp. With the bases loaded the Starz coaching staff decided to make a pitching change, going with Brandon Fraley.
Tristen Rickard drew a bases loaded walk to cut the lead to 2. Lozinak and Delp scored on a fielder’s choice and an error to knot the game up at 4-4.
The Starz scored the game winning run in the bottom of the eighth after Jeff Niewiecski singled with one out, stole second and was driven home on an RBI single by championship game MVP Kurt Rawlings.