Loan Sharks 7, Woodpeckers 5

Loan Sharks	3	2	1	0	0	0	1	7	17	3
Woodpeckers	0	0	1	2	2	0	0	5	12	4

Uh, just wondering: Is this really the same Loan Sharks team that went 3-19 in actual games during the 2005 season (winning a fourth game by forfeit)?

No. It is not. It is, however, the Loan Sharks team that showed up in the playoffs during the championship years of 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003. The Loan Sharks team that, seemingly out of nowhere, assembles the mental toughness that it takes to succeed in the Jamaica Plain League playoffs.

In this, the second consecutive do-or-die playoff game, the Loan Sharks calmly dispatched the Woodpeckers, 7-5, with a mix of guile and pluck, timely hitting and out-of-his-mind fielding.

Last night we had "Say Hey" Don Bianchi turning in a major-league quality over-the-shoulder catch in left. Tonight, we have Mize "Bobby-Doerr-The-Greatest-Second-Baseman-in-Red-Sox-History" Jonas.

Bottom of the first, Sharks clinging to a 3-0 lead. Woodpecker leadoff man Steve steps in and pops up trouble down the right field line. No way can Sharks first baseman Kevin Murray get there. No way can Sharks right fielder Mike Lapham get there. A cheap hit, for sure, right? WRONG. Out of nowhere, second baseman Mize Jonas streaks to the rescue to catch the ball.

"Zounds!" you're saying, listening there at home next to the Crosley receiver in the parlor. "That's enough great defense for one inning, by gum! I wonder what the Works Progress Administration is up to these days."

But no. It was not enough. For there was another great defensive play to be made in this inning, and it was to be made by the self-same Mize "Bobby-Doerr-The-Greatest-Second-Baseman-in-Red-Sox-History" Jonas. Paul at bat now for the 'Peckers, one out. He hits a rocket to right. A base hit for sure. But wait ... Jonas has dived ... and stabbed the ball ... he bobbles it momentarily as he reels backwards...and throws from a sitting position to first...OUT!

Yowza, yowza, yowza. After those two ESPN Web Gems, Woodpeckers hitter 'City Sports' was so befuddled that he lined out to the pitcher.

Over the first two and a half innings, fueled in part by 3 RBI's by Mike "Mad Dog" Whalen, the Sharks staked themselves to a 6-0 lead and looked to make this a laugher. But the Woodpeckers said "Ha-ha-ha-haaa-ha!" to that, posting 5 runs over the next three innings to make the score 6-5 heading into the seventh.

But Designated Hitter Mike "Mad Dog" Whalen, given the chance to focus solely on his hitting a la David Ortiz, delivered again in the top of the seventh with a one-out double to center. When Kevin "Crusher" Murray hit a single to right, Mad Dog -- who had been on the bench shoveling coal into his firebox all night -- promptly took off from second like the Twentieth Century Limited and slid under the tag at home for an all-important insurance run. Sharks up now, 7-5.

In the bottom of the seventh, with one out, Woodpecker Beth got on base via an infield single, bringing the tying run to the plate. But Jamie grounded to pitcher Alan Fein, who did his best Foulke-to-Meintkiewicz-in-Game-Four impression to get Out #2. That brought up Brian, who, like countless 'Peckers and Ron's Auto batters before him, could not resist a Fein eephus pitch, and he lofted a can o' corn to left for the final out and a Sharks victory.

Next up: Jah Energy, in a best-of-three semi-final series, starting next Monday, August 8.

LOAN SHARKS	POS	AB	R	H	BB
Bianchi	lf	4	1	2	0
Zapata	3b	4	1	1	0
Whalen	dh	4	2	3	0
Murray	1b	4	0	1	0
Henzy	cf/ss	4	2	3	0
Jonas	2b/cf	4	0	2	0
Lapham	rf	2	0	1	0
Epstein	sf	3	0	2	0
Maffei	ss	2	0	1	0
Shelton	c	2	1	0	0
Spack	rf	1	0	1	0
Johnson	2b	1	0	0	0
Marie	c	1	0	0	0
Hartman	pr	0	0	0	0
TOTALS		36	7	17	0

WOODPECKERS	AB	R	H	BB
Steve	3	1	1	0
Paul	3	1	1	0
City Sports	3	0	1	0
Mickey	3	1	0	0
Bree	3	0	2	0
Adam	3	0	2	0
Tom	3	0	1	0
Beth	3	0	1	0
Jamie	3	0	0	0
Brian	3	1	1	0
Goggles	2	1	2	0
TOTALS	32	5	12	0

LOAN SHARKS	IP	H	ER	BB	SO	ERA-playoffs
Fein (W, 2-0)	7	12	3	0	2	5.0
WOODPECKERS
Goggles (L, 0-1)	7	17	5	0	3	5.0

Umpires - John Dearn, Ed Baszkiewicz. T - 1:28. A - 4.

LOB - Loan Sharks 12, Woodpeckers 6. 2B - Whalen (2), Jonas. 3B - none. HR - Steve. GIDP - none. Runners left in scoring position - Loan Sharks 7, Ron's Auto 3. Runners moved up - Mickey. DP - none.

HOW THE RUNS SCORED

FIRST INNING
LOAN SHARKS - Bianchi singled. Zapata grounded to short, forcing Bianchi, taking second on ss throwing error. Whalen doubled, scoring Zapata. Murray sacrificed to center, Whalen to third. Henzy singled, scoring Whalen. Fein reached on 2b error, Henzy to second. Jonas singled, scoring Henzy, Fein to second. Lapham grounded to short. THREE RUNS, FOUR HITS, TWO LEFT.

SECOND INNING
LOAN SHARKS - Epstein grounded to short. Maffei singled. Shelton grounded to third, forcing Maffei. Bianchi singled, Shelton to second. Zapata singled, Shelton to third, Bianchi to second. Whalen singled, scoring Shelton and Bianchi, Zapata to second. Murray flied out to right. TWO RUNS, FOUR HITS, TWO LEFT.

THIRD INNING
LOAN SHARKS - Henzy singled. Fein singled, Henzy to second. Jonas lined to the pitcher. Lapham singled, scoring Henzy, Fein to second. Epstein singled, Fein to third, Lapham to second. Maffei flied out to right. Shelton struck out. ONE RUN, FOUR HITS, THREE LEFT.

WOODPECKERS - Beth grounded to the pitcher. Jamie popped to the pitcher. Brian singled. Goggles singled, Brian to second. Steve reached first on sf error, scoring Brian, but was thrown out at second attempting to advance. ONE RUN, TWO HITS, ONE LEFT.

FOURTH INNING
WOODPECKERS - Paul singled. City Sports singled, Paul to third on 2b error. Mickey grounded to pitcher, forcing City Sports at second and scoring Paul. Bree singled, Mickey to second. Adam singled, Mickey to third, Bree forced at second. Tom singled, scoring Mickey, Adam to second. Beth grounded to short, forcing Adam at third. TWO RUNS, FIVE HITS, TWO LEFT.

FIFTH INNING
WOODPECKERS - Jamie struck out swinging. Brian struck out looking. Goggles singled. Steve homered, scoring Goggles. Paul flied out to center. TWO RUNS, TWO HITS, NONE LEFT.

SEVENTH INNING
LOAN SHARKS - Zapata grounded to third. Whalen doubled to the trees. Murray singled to right, scoring Whalen. Henzy singled, Murray to second. Fein flied out to right. Hartman pinch-ran for Murray. Jonas grounded to short, forcing Henzy at second. ONE RUN, THREE HITS, TWO LEFT.