After falling to the Reds 12-0 on Wednesday night, the Bad News Bears finished the regular season with a 2-17-1 record. The loss of the final regular season game earned the Bears a rematch against the team who had just pounded them two nights prior. Things looked bleak for the Bears.

But the Bears came ready to play nonetheless and managed to pull off a miracle.

After the top three hitters went quietly in the top of the first, Bears hurler, Rob Bialkowski took to the mound knowing he would have to be near-perfect on the night. So he "beared" down and struck out the side in order in the bottom half of the first.

The top of the second inning proved to be the difference as the entirety of the Bears offensive output came in that frame. Bialkowski led off with a walk and Austin Blum followed with a four-pitch walk of his own. After both advanced on a double-steal, the next two Bears would pop up (once to left and once to first base) potentially stifling their opportunity. But Bret Sentiwany and James Morton each walked (Morton's bringing home the first run of the game) and it was 1-0 Bears. Darren Foote and Stu Howells each followed with RBI singles and the two-out rally was on. Capping off the scoring was a booming, bases-clearing double to deep right-center field by Curt Tucker and the Bears finished the inning up 6-0.

Bialkowski then went to work scattering five walks and a hit through the next four frames and the Bears entered the sixth inning with the 6-0 lead intact.

Reds ace Chris Mason came in to pitch in the third inning and himself scattered three hits and two walks, but ran into serious trouble in the top half of the sixth. James Morton led off the inning getting hit by the first pitch and Darren Foote worked a four-pitch walk. Stu Howells reached on an error and the bases were loaded with nobody out and the Bears 3-4-5 hitters scheduled to bat. But Mason earned his stripes by getting Curt Tucker to ground to third and the Reds chose to cut the run down at the plate for the first out. Mason would strikeout Rob Bialkowski for the second out and then caught a bit of a break on a deep fly ball to center by Austin Blum to escape the sixth unscathed.

The Reds would come storming back in the bottom half of the frame when the first five batters would reach on a hit, a FC, a hit, a walk and a hit. However, the big play was a booming double by Joe Glendenning and he advanced to third on a throwing error and the Reds were only down 6-3. After a strikeout the Reds would get one last run on an RBI single to cap off the scoring at 6-4 when the runner was caught stealing on a subsequent pitch during the next at-bat.

The Bears went quietly in the seventh (1-2-3) and it was up to Bialkowski to finish what he started - and finish strong he did earning two strikeouts and a pop-up to 3B to end the game and get the Bears their first-ever franchise playoff victory.

Offensive highlites for the Bears include Curt Tucker going 1-for-4 with a 2B and 3 RBI; Darren Foote going 2-for-3 with a BB, R, SB; Austin Blum went 1-for-3 with a BB, R and SB; Bret Sentiwany walked twice and scored a run and James Morton walked, was HBP, scored a R and had an RBI; Joe Montemarano walked, singled and stole two bags and Stu Howells was 2-for-4 with a run and an RBI.

But the player of the game for the Bears was Rob Bialkowski who had the Reds off balance all night long. Bialkowski's final line reads: 7 IP, 4 R, 2 ER, 4 H, 5 BB, 11 K (W).

Up next for the Bears is a three-game series with the Diamondbacks starting on Monday, August 17th at 8:45 at Blatnick Park.

Hats off to the Reds for a good season and good luck to manager Andy McCauley going forward. The Reds certainly seem like a team on the upswing.

-- Edited by The_Hurricane on Saturday 15th of August 2015 01:52:35 PM