Keio beats Millbrook on a miracle comeback
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- June
- 11
Two straight days I’ve watched a clutch comeback by a local team in the bottom of the seventh. The first one, in Somers’s 7-6 loss to Cornwall, came up one base short. The second, Keio’s 7-6 defeat of Millbrook, went all the way.
Keio turned around a 6-2 deficit at the start of the seventh inning. And it did so in stunningly quick fashion. No Unicorn batter made an out as nine straight reached base. The only out of the inning was Kenta Miyoshi getting thrown out at home trying to score the winning run from second on a single. Shun Oritachi had his back. Oritachi came home as the winning run when Takaho Chubachi blasted the longest single in history over the head of Millbrook’s outfield.
Chubachi, who’d grounded out in a big spot the previous inning, sent the winning hit to the base of Rye Neck’s right field fence. The outfielders turned and starterd to run after it but realized the futility even if they made a miracle catch. With less than two outs, Oritachi would have easily scored even on a sac fly. Which, Chubachi, said later, was all he was looking for. He must like this field. Two years ago he had a monster day in upsetting host Rye Neck for the Class C championship.
That inning came out of nowhere. Keio had hit the ball OK all game but hadn’t strung together baserunners. At one point the Unicorns were outhitting Millbrook 7-0 but losing on the scoreboard, 1-0. (Technically two catcher’s interferences against Chubachi go down as hits for Millbrook, but in my mind Keio pitcher Yuki Toriyama had a no-hitter through 5.1 innings.) Millbrook led 4-0 after six and 6-2 after seven. It could have been worse if not for a third catcher’s interference that wasn’t called. The batter went on to hit into an unusual double play, where one runner was forced out at home and the other was caught in a rundown between third and home.
Keio will play the Long Island champ, but not until Thursday. Long Island started play today but halted in the middle because of the heat. They’ll resume tomorrow. The Thursday game will be away at a LI site to be determined.
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on Wednesday, June 11th, 2008 at 1:07 am by Jake Thomases.
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Josh Thomson has done some of everything since joining The Journal News in
March 2003. He began working for the Gannett weeklies during the winter of
2002 as a freelance writer. He joined the daily staff soon after and has
since covered various high school and pro sports. Away from sportswriting,
Josh lives in Westchester and spends his free time either with his
fiancee, Sarah, or expertly managing his various championship-winning
fantasy sports teams. He's visited 21 major-league baseball stadiums and
insists that Fenway Park and Wrigley Field are the best by far. Josh
graduated from Carmel High School in 1998, then went to Boston University,
where, in 2002, he received a degree in communications with a minor in
history. 
Jake Thomases has covered baseball, hockey, girls basketball, and girls soccer for the Journal News since arriving in 2003. He previously interned at The Poughkeepsie Journal while attending Vassar College. He is socking money away under his mattress to buy the Knicks, at which time he will trade Jerome James to Cleveland for a ham sandwich.
actually – the Long Island game started last Sunday. Port Jefferson and Friends Academy played 3 innings and were tied 2-2. Then the lighning came and it was postponed.
They then had to wait to resume for two days due to heat.
They hope to finish today at 5 pm. Top 4th 2-2.
sounds like Millbrook walked a few batters, or hit a few batters to get the last inning 9 batters on base. Is that the case? How many walks/HBP in that inning?
Let me first start the post by congratulating Keio on their comeback from 4 runs down. They did what they needed to do and had a number of key hits that last inning. They are a quality team and the following is not meant to demean their effort and the heart they showed. Let me also state that I know umpiring is a very difficult job and normally I have the utmost respect for the men in blue.
That being said, the umpires for this game need to be reviewed. The third interference call was not made and the umpire said to the Millbrook coach "you are not getting that call this time". The catcher's interference could clearly be heard more than 90 ft away from home plate. Perhaps the ump felt bad for Keio but you have to make the call regardless. After the Millbrook coach vociferously objected to the non-call, the next Keio at bat the strike zone seemed to become incredibly small. The ball pretty much had to be grooved and Keio did what they needed to do and hit the ball.
After the game, one of the parents said to the ump "That was a really bad call. You cost us the game." Another ump (not the home base one who made the bad non call) then proceeded to tell that parent to "go back upstate and get on your tractor". Nice class from that ump. Perhaps this indicates a bias this ump has against non-Westhchester people and should be looked into.
Yes, I am a parent of one of the seniors on Millbrook. Yes, we should have closed the deal with a 4 run lead. And yes, we are severely disappointed in not going further in the playoffs. However, when something like this happens you feel tremedously bad for the kids involved since it was clearly unfair. Here I was worrying about the field being an issue (which it wasn't) yet the umpires became one and did have a tremendous impact on the game.
Blind Broooooooooool
sorry to hear about the umps Millbrook Dad-
So I take it fter his zone changed, they started to get some walks the last inning?
Sounds like they are not power hitters but slap hitters?
Port Jeff 3-2cin the bottom of the 7th with a 2 out, bases loaded base hit to center field- no miracles needed- just solid team fundamentals and execution.
Looking forward to playing Keio tomorrow.
Hey Millbrook Dad- We will take care of the Keio guys tomorrow!-
This fairy tale needs an ending!!
Final Score today – Port Jeff 3 and Friends Academy 2
No rest till we are in Binghampton
It's Binghamton not "Binghampton." Before you talk trash make sure you know how to spell.
well excuse me there Peter!
not talking trash- just being positive.
See trash would have been "This fairy tale is gonna end"!!
Now- go to your room and squeeze a dictionary!
lighten up Holmes!!
Peace1
Bubba, I wish nothing but the best for Keio. The umpiring was not their fault. They are a class, respectful team and Rocky is a funny guy as their coach. It's the umpires I have a real problem with and the ones that wronged Millbrook. Keio did nothing but respond when given the chance.
I hope someone really looks into the situation and the umpiring crew so these people don't ump a critical game in the future. The home plate umpire for not making the call even though he knew it was interference, the first base umpire for not correcting the call when given the opportunity, and the other jerk who decided to run his mouth about the tractor stuff to parents who he had to know were bitterly disappointed. (And the jerk drives a Kia. I know some tractors up here that cost way more than his car.)
Hi, Just another fan of baseball and happen to be at the Rye Neck game. The umpire behind the plate had a consistently good strike zone all game. The other umpires looked as though they had good games as well. The play that you say was catcher interference was on a foul tip that went straight back to the fence. The umpire did call two before that so why would he not see that one that you talk of. I refereed a long time ago when the kids were small. You cannot call something that you didn't see. I love this game and will keep going to games to watch this tournament. Please enough about blaming the umpiring when they appeared to do their job. Keio won the game from a non-bias person fair and squeare. As far as Milbrook and Keio, both teams were very good. Great game to watch. It looks as though Keio knocked off the Port Jeff team 7-1.
Sorry baseballfan, you are wrong. Even the article in the paper talks about the third interference not being called. And if you really ump'ed games, you would know you normally go by the sound for catcher's interference. There's no way you could have not heard it, especially if you were behind the fence as you say. Yes, for the first 6 innings they did a good job. However, he was wrong in not calling the interference. And he did not say "I didn't see it". He said, "you're not getting the call this time."
SO what about the two that the plate umpire did call. The person next to me did not hear or see anything and thought that it was just a foul ball to the fence on the third so-called catchers interference. This was nothing close to the other interference calls that were called. The boys played the game and that is the game of baseball. I have always taught my kids that we never can blame an umpire for losing, what are you teaching to yours, seriously. One non-call (which the person in the estimation of many made a good non-call)cost you that game. Uncover the stats and the pitch selection that is what most likely cost you the game. If you remember the play at first base when the first baseman missed the ball and the runner moved to second because the ball went out of play. I couldn't see the whole play from where I was sitting, but that advanced a crucial runner. The bottomline the hitter (where you say the call wasn't made) had an opportunity to hit again with an 0-1 count and I believe grounded out into a double play. As far as the words exchanged by any of the umpires and your fans I did not hear any of it. No exchange should be made either way. BTW, Who is Mammaroneck playing? Can we travel from Long Island to it?
Baseballfan, you're evidently either a friend of or family member of the umpires. And if you couldn't hear the third interference, then you need to get your hearing checked as it was the loudest of the three. I teach my kids to play fair. And many times I've told my kids, when they get called on a 3rd strike they thought was a ball, that you need to go by the ump's strike zone. Once again, you ignore the fact the ump said "you're not getting the call this time" meaning he knew it was interference. No sense talking to you anymore as you don't have a clue.
absolutely no relationship at all to anyone except a fan of the game and heading to Binghamton with family to watch games. You are the parent of a player, get over it and stop living through your son's years. Let's watch baseball and stop complaining.