Strong pitching, clutch hits lead Unknowns to 3-1 victory in Game One

TOM CARON got the win for the Unknowns in Game One of the Twi League semifinals, going 5.1 innings and scattering 8 hits while allowing just one run. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

By DAN PAWLOWSKI

WAKEFIELD — Game One of the 2024 Wakefield Twi League playoffs is in the books. 

The Unknowns, behind terrific pitching performances from Tom Caron (5.1IP, 8H, 1BB, 2K, 1R) and Brett Maloney (1.2IP, 0H, 2BB, 3K, 0R) beat the High Life 3-1 at Moulton Park to take a 1-0 series lead. The Question Marks can advance to the Twi Finals with a win in Game two, tomorrow night at Moulton, 5:45 p.m.

After the Life tied the game at 1-1 in the top of the 6^th, finally knocking out Caron, Maloney came in, got his team out of trouble and sent the momentum crashing back to the Orange for the bottom of the 6^th. Unknowns legend, Geoff Eriksen, had the game-winning hit in that 6^th, bringing home two runs on a triple to the fence in right. The Life threatened again in the 7^th, eventually having runners at 2^nd and 3^rd with two outs when Maloney got a strikeout to end it — on a questionable called third strike high in the zone that the High Life certainly disagreed with. 

In the end, it was the Unknowns who combined steadier pitching with timely hits to earn the win and set themselves up well to advance. 

GEOFF ERIKSEN stands at third base after his 2-RBI triple in the 6th gave the Unknowns the lead for good at Moulton last night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Part of that reasoning to favor the Unknowns in Game two is because the High Life had their ace, Caleb Birchem, on the hill last night. Like Caron, Birchem (6IP, 5H, 3BB, 6K, 3R) pitched well, with the Eriksen triple the only real backbreaker. 

The Life actually out-hit the Unknowns 8-5 in this one with Birchem (2-for-3, RBI) and Eric DiTonno (2-for-3) leading the way. Caron wasn’t overpowering, but he pounded the zone and made plenty of big pitches in tight situations while the Orange defense stepped up with multiple highlight-reel plays, the best belonging to Bryan Butt at first base in the 4^th inning. With the Unknowns clinging to a 1-0 lead and runners at first and second with one out, Butt fielded a grounder, sprinted to first for one and rifled a perfect throw to second where a tag was put on the runner for a double play. 

CALEB BIRCHEM had a strong game on the mound (6IP, 5H, 3ER, 6K) and at the plate (2-for-3, RBI) for the High Life last night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

That came just moments after the Question Marks made their first great defensive play of the game when Anthony Caracciolo ripped a gapper to right-center and went for third base after a bobble. The Unknowns put together a perfect relay with a dart from Maloney at second to third base to get Caracciolo for the first out of the 4^th.

The Unknowns’ first RBI hit came from catcher Kevin Murray in the 2^nd. After Eriksen walked with one out and took second on a wild pitch, Murray came through with a base hit down the left field line to open the scoring. 

Caron and Birchem kept both bats quiet throughout the next few innings as the game embraced a tense, playoff feel. 

It stayed 1-0 until the 6^th when Birchem evened the game on a ground-rule double to left, scoring Drew Barrett who led off the inning with an infield single and advanced to second on a bunt by Derek Dettorre. 

The Birchem hit spelled the end for “TC” but Maloney was ready, getting a fly out and strikeout to get the Orange out of it with the game tied. 

BRETT MALONEY throws out a runner after a bunt in the 7th inning. Maloney got a 5-out save to help the Unknowns hold off the High Life 3-1 in Game One of the Twi League semifinals last night. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

“Wub” Power (3-for-3, 1R), the leadoff hitter who had two singles to this point, not surprisingly turned out to be the perfect guy to lead off the 6^th for the Orange, his double getting the bench going. Birchem responded with a strikeout and pop-up but he hit Scott Elwell to bring up Eriksen. The lefty Twi veteran — in his 30^th season —proved why he is one of the league’s all-time greats with a rocket to right field, a shot that appeared long enough to leave the yard but just stayed in, reaching the fence on a bounce and essentially winning the game as the Unknowns regained the lead for good.

In the end, it was a perfect playoff game, full of intense moments and clutch plays. 

Game one in the other semifinal series will be tonight, 5:45 p.m. at Moulton as the top-seeded and undefeated Brewers take on the 4^th-seeded, upstart Expos.