Ducks Down To One
by: Brian Bohl | Senior Writer - NY Sports Day | Saturday, September 15, 2007
CENTRAL ISLIP, NY - Kevin Haverbusch did something the rest of the Ducks’ offense couldn’t muster last night: drive in runs.
The Massapequa native drilled Jason Olson’s 0-1 offering over the leftfield wall with one out in the 11th, blasting the game-winning solo home run to snap his team’s four-game losing streak with a 3-2 extra-inning win over York.
Haverbusch reduced the Ducks’ magic number to clinch the North Division down to one, driving in all three runs against the expansion Revolution. His teammates jumped on top of him when he reached home plate while most of the rain-drenched crowd that remained from the original 6,326 cheered while standing under the stadium’s second deck.
“Back to the ‘everybody contributing’ scenario,’” manager Dave LaPoint said about Haverbusch, who left the clubhouse before it was open to the media.
The homer was able to erase the memory of a three-game sweep at the hands of the first-half champion Newark Bears. It also provides the Ducks a chance to build momentum entering the final two regular season games before the two-round Atlantic League playoffs commence. One more win—or Bears’ loss— would clinch the second-half division title.
Despite Newark’s late surge, the Ducks already qualified for the postseasons thanks to an edge in the potential wild card race should they fail to lock up the second-half title. It’s already determined that the Ducks and Bears will play each other in the best-of-three first round series, starting Tuesday night in New Jersey.
For the past three nights, the Ducks have trotted out their top three pitchers for their final regular season starts. Outside of Bill Pulsipher’s rough outing Thursday, manager Dave LaPoint has taken consolation in the strong showings from his top two pitchers.
Ed Yarnall, set to start Game 1, limited the Bears to three runs in seven innings in his late tune-up. Randy Leek followed with an even stronger performance against the Revolution last night, surrendering two runs in eight innings.
Leek’s only mistake came in seventh when he walked Justin Singleton with one out before surrendering Sandy Aracena’s game-tying two-run homer to left. In his first start since returning to Long Island, Leek struck out six and allowed just five hits. He is scheduled to start Game 2 on his normal four days rest, which could come in a potential elimination contest at Citibank Park.
“I felt pretty good,” Leek said. “I walked a guy after getting 0-2 and then not a great pitch that went for a homer.
“We’re excited. Hopefully we put the Newark series behind us and get a couple of wins here going into the playoffs on a good note.”
Leek, the ace of the staff, came back to the Ducks after being signed by the Blue Jays’ Triple-A club in August. He maintained his 2.23 ERA, a figure which would top the Atlantic League if he pitched enough innings to qualify. The Levittown native will now look to help his hometown team capture its first championship since 2004, though he nearly was tagged with the loss when the expansion Revolution threatened in the eighth.
Keoni De Renne lined a leadoff double, advancing to third via a sacrifice bunt. Leek induced a shallow fly out and struck out Kelly Hunt on a 3-2 fastball to curtail the threat, ending his outing in the process.
The Ducks could use a similar performance next week, when Yarnall and Leek will be facing the league’s best-hitting team. Newark carried a .301 team batting average before defeating Bridgeport earlier in the evening. Lance Davis will pitch the do-or-die Game 3 if the teams split the first two contests.
“Randy threw well with one bad pitch,” LaPoint said. “It would have been nice if he got a win out of it. He would have felt a lot better. But he threw 101 pitches and that’s about what I wanted him to. Everything went according to schedule.”
York benefitted from Bryan Edwards’ stellar outing. The right allowed two runs in eight innings. Haverbusch provided the only offense plating Bryant Nelson with a RBI ground out in the third and tripling home Norm Hutchins in the fourth to build a 2-0 lead.
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