BC YANKEES WIN GAME ONE
(team web site)
Eric Verbyrke ripped an RBI double with one out in the eighth inning to snap a 2-2 tie and send the Battle Creek Yankees past the Fort Wayne Wizards 3-2 Wednesday night at C.O. Brown Stadium in the opener of the first round of the Midwest League Eastern Division playoffs. The two teams will continue the best-of-three playoff series Thursday night, and Friday night if necessary, at Fort Wayne.

Battle Creek finished the regular season on a 17-3 tear that included a 5-2 mark against Fort Wayne in the final seven games. The Yankees will take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three playoff series to Fort Wayne.

The Wizards jumped to a 1-0 lead in the first inning on an RBI double by Peter Stonard. The ball zipped down the third-base line — and resulted in a controversial fair call by the home plate umpire.

The Yankees took a 2-1 lead with single runs in the fifth and sixth innings. Matt Carson reached on an error to start the fifth and scored on a double by Gabe Lopez to tie the game at 1-1. Bronson Sardinha and Sandy Madera led off the sixth with singles and advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Verbryke. Sardinha scored on a sacrifice fly by Carson to put the Yankees ahead 2-1.

Luis Cruz led off the seventh with a homer to tie the game for Fort Wayne.

Sardinha walked to lead off the eighth for Battle Creek. He stole second and took third on a ground ball to the right side by Madera. Verbyrke then crushed a double for the 3-2 margin.

Battle Creek starter Matt DeSalvo scattered six hits and struck out four in seven innings. Ben Julianel pitched a 1-2-3 eighth for the win. Matt Brumit did the same in the ninth for the save.