This year is the year of the Thunder and if the world is going to end we might as well go down in fashion with a NWIBL Championship. WWFT in 2012

The Three River Circles’ Stephen George doubled and scored twice and pitched a complete game in the Circles’ 4-3 victory over the Bridgetown Thunder on Monday night at Walker Stadium. The loss eliminates Bridgetown (18-5) from the double-elimination Northwest Independent Baseball League playoffs. The team went 17-3 in the regular season and captured a share of the competitive Columbia Division championship. But, for the second time in three years, the team was unable to win more than a single game prior to being eliminated from the playoffs.

Mark Triolo (6-2) started on the mound for Bridgetown, and he retired the first nine Circles he faced. The Thunder broke through with two runs off George in the bottom of the third. Robbie Schaefer reached on a two-out infield single and advanced to second on an error by Circles shortstop Mitch Moses. Kyle Henderson followed with another infield single to load the bases, and Matt Guilfoyle’s line drive up the middle scored two runs to give Bridgetown the early advantage.

But that lead wouldn’t last long, as Three River (14-9) immediately responded in the fourth. Mitch Moses reached on a swinging bunt, and George laced his first double of the day into the right-centerfield gap, putting runners on second and third with none out. But Triolo responded by striking out Kevin Davey and Jesse Calm, and it looked like he would get out of the jam. But Sam Hargrave grounded a single up the middle to score two and tie the score and advanced to second on a wild throw to the plate by centerfielder Jared Sanders. Next, Bryce Mooney singled to put runners on the corners. Then, with two strikes, Mooney left early from first while Triolo was in the set position, and the Thunder got Hargrave, attempting to steal home on the double steal, in a rundown between third and home. However, the throw from third baseman Mike Padgett glanced off the glove of catcher Patrick Jones, allowing Hargrave to score an important run.

The Circles loaded the bases in the sixth inning with none out against Triolo. Thunder closer Sanders relieved and struck out Hargrave before Mooney grounded into a fielder’s choice, plating a run and giving Three River a 4-2 lead. However, Sanders got Craig Mooney to fly out to avoid further damage.

Down to its last six outs, Bridgetown didn’t go down without a fight. Guilfoyle picked up his second hit of the game with one out in the bottom of the sixth and advanced to third on a single by Sanders. Triolo’s fielder’s choice closed the gap to 4-3. But the Thunder would do no more damage that inning.

In the seventh, Jones picked up a one-out single, and Robbie Schaefer followed with a hit of his own to put the winning run on first. But Sam Pogue flied out to center for the second out. And Kyle Henderson’s line drive was caught by Bryce Mooney at third base to end the game and Bridgetown’s season.

“I don’t think this is the way anyone would’ve scripted our playoff run this year,” Thunder player/manager Todd Hall said afterwards. Second-seeded Bridgetown lost its opening game to the seventh-seeded Westmoreland Red Sox on Saturday night before beating the Vancouver Twins on Sunday afternoon. The Thunder had won 10 games in a row entering the playoffs. “I’m not sure if it was the 11-day break or what, but we just didn’t play well in this tournament. Our defense let us down in some big situations, and we couldn’t get much going offensively. But I know, once the disappointment subsides, this team will be proud of everything it accomplished this year. The guys here are a tremendous group of players who are even better people. We’ll come back ready to take care of business next year.”

Bridgetown Thunder AB R H RBI BB SO AVG S. Pogue 4 1 0 0 0 1 0.000 K. Henderson 4 0 1 0 0 0 0.250 M. Guilfoyle 3 1 2 2 0 0 0.667 J. Sanders 3 0 1 0 0 1 0.333 M. Triolo 3 0 0 1 0 0 0.000 T. Hall 3 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 M. Padgett 3 0 0 0 0 1 0.000 P. Jones 3 0 1 0 0 0 0.333 R. Schaefer 3 1 2 0 0 0 0.667 TOTALS: 29 3 7 3 0 4 0.241 Bridgetown Thunder IP H R ER BB SO J. Sanders 0 0 0 0 3 M. Triolo 6 4 3 0 7 TOTALS: 7 6 4 3 0 10