Garden State beats Aiken Four Games to Two

GAME 1

AIKEN 12, GARDEN STATE 1

W - K. Millwood (1-0) L - T. Hudson (0-1) HR - J. Lane-2 (2), V. Guerrero-2 (2) This one was ugly from the beginning as the Eagles knocked Hudson out in the second inning. Aiken was already ahead 2-0 when Hudson booted a grounder with two outs. Four unearned runs later (3 on Lane's first homer) and the Eagles had a comfortable lead. Millwood was great, allowing only one run in five innings. Jason Lane had 5 RBI.

GAME 2

GARDEN STATE 9, AIKEN 8

W - H. Street (1-0) L - G. Geary (0-1) S - J. Isringhausen (1) HR - S. Casey (1), J. Gerut (1), A. LaRoche (1), J. Lane (3), T. Hafner (1), E. Chavez (1), V. Guerrero (3) The Goats' hitters were invited to this orgy of offense as the teams combined for 17 runs and 31 hits. Starting pitchers Sheets and Arroyo both struggled, allowing two runs each in both the first and second innings. The Eagles took a 6-4 lead in the 5th, chasing Arroyo in the process. The Goats then rallied for four runs in the 6th, aided by two costly Aiken errors. After that, the Goats held on for dear life against the Eagle bats. The Goat bullpen induced two huge double-play balls in the 7th and 8th to keep the Eagles' comeback attempt at bay.

GAME 3

GARDEN STATE 6, AIKEN 2

W - J. Weaver (1-0) L - L. Hernandez (0-1) HR - E. Chavez (2), S. Casey (2), J. Edmonds-2 (2) The teams moved to the less-friendly confines of Sinatra Field. Jeff Weaver tossed the only quality start for the Goats, going eight innings and allowing 2 runs on 3 hits. The Goats opened up a 3-0 lead on an Edmonds homer and RBI by Roberts and Casey. Aiken bounced back in the 6th on a two-run homer by Eric Chavez, making it 3-2 Goats. Garden responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning on back-to-back homers by Casey and Edmonds and a one-out sac fly by Mike Lowell. That was all Weaver and Isringhausen would need as the Goats took a 2-1 series lead.

GAME 4

AIKEN 5, GARDEN STATE 2

W- K. Ishii (1-0) L - D. Lowe (0-1) S - M. Timlin (1) HR - none Vlad Guerrero broke up a perfectly good pitchers' duel with a bases-loaded double in the 5th. An ensuing passed ball gave Aiken a 5-1 lead and all the runs they'd need to knot the series. Daniel Cabrera and four relievers managed to hold the Goat offense in check, particularly Ishii and Timlin who retired the final 11 Goat hitters in order.

GAME 5

GARDEN STATE 11, AIKEN 6

W - J. Vargas (1-0) L - G. Geary (0-2) HR - E. Chavez (3), J. Lane (4), J. Edmonds (3) Garden State wanted to make the Eagles feel at home with good ol' fashioned shootout. Aiken again battered Tim Hudson, this time for four runs on five hits in the first inning. But the Goats rallied back. After scoring a single run in the second, Garden State chased Millwood with a 5-run, 4-hit, 2-walk rally. Michael Barrett have the Goats a 6-4 lead with a two-run single to cap the scoring. Aiken wasn't done, though, as Chavez and Lane went back-to-back with two outs in the 5th to tie the game at 6-6. The Goats broke the tie in the 7th on a three-run homer by Edmonds. Aiken reliever Dave Williams came in and prompty walked the bases loaded, which led to 2 more Goat runs on a single by Lowell. The win brought the Goats within one win of advancing with the series moving back to Aiken.

GAME 6

GARDEN STATE 9, AIKEN 8

(11 innings) W - J. Isringhausen (1-0) L - D. Williams (0-1) HR - J. LaRue (1), T. Hafner (2), V. Guerrero (4), M. DeRosa (1) This game looked a lot like game 5. The Eagles jumped out to a 4-0 lead on Guerrero's grand slam in the first inning. After the Goats got one back in the 2nd, Aiken's Travis Hafner launched a 3-run shot to put the Eagles ahead, 7-1. I was forced to pull my starter (Arroyo) in the second inning. The Goats answered back in the third with a 5-run rally (RBI 2B's by Edmonds and Swisher and 2-run homer by LaRue). Eagle starter Kevin Millwood was chased with the Eagles ahead 7-6 and this would turn into a battle of usage-strained bullpens.

Mark DeRosa extended the Aiken lead to 8-6 with a solo homer in the 6th. Then, with two outs in the 7th, the Goats again bounced back. With two outs, Larue singled and Kotsay doubled putting two men on for pinch hitter Garret Anderson, who popped a two-run double off Timlin, tying the game at 8-8.

The bullpens did a good job of playing shutdown baseball until the 11th when the Goats broke the tie. Dan Johnson led off with a double. LaRue bunted him over to third. Kotsay was issued an intentional walk, putting runneres on the corners with one out. With the infield in, Pablo Ozuna grounded to second. Pinch-runner Jeff Weaver had to hold at third. Now with two outs, Brian Roberts delivered a clutch single to put the Goats ahead 9-8. Isringhausen, in his third inning of work, struck out the side in the 9th to advance Garden State to the semifinals.

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The heroes of the series had to be the Goats bullpen. While Garden State starters allowed 32 runs in 26.1 innings, the bullpen held Aiken to 9 runs in 28.2 innings.

TOP HITTERS: Sean Casey (GST): .375-2-7 Mike Lowell (GST): .389-0-6 Vlad Guerrero (AAE): .280-4-11 Jason Lane (AAE): .296-4-8