Six-Run Third Advances PCF/HH Past SSC

Pitcher Juan Monahan (above) was solid on both sides of the plate, striking out 4

and driving in 3 runs. Right fielder William Work (below) batted 1.000

to help lead his team to a quarterfinal victory. (Photos: Stuart Philips)

It's only right that after a wild 2008 regular season that saw down-and-out teams resurrect their bats and perennial contenders falter in the field, the playoffs should contain a few curveballs.

Playoff dreams for the combined team of SOM/Swanke Hayden Connell/Cooper Robertson began and ended on Monday, as the third-place team dropped their final game of the season 13-9 to seventh-place FXFowle (and opening the postseason to eight teams instead of six) before losing their single-elimination quarterfinal to No. 6 Pei Cobb Freed/Hart Howerton, 11-4, that evening.

The quarterfinal game was as well played by the Black and Red as any this season. SSC jumped out to a quick 1-0 lead after one, but PCF/HH knotted up the game at 1-all in the top of the second. SSC threatened in the bottom half of the inning, but pitcher Juan Monahan (2-for-3 with a double, 1 run scored, and 3 RBI) struck out the side to keep the game tied. After that, it was up to the offense.

And did they ever deliver. With Steven Peterson (2-for-3, 2 runs scored) on second base, and two outs, the Black and Red put together seven consecutive base hits to bat around their lineup and blow the game open at 7-1. SSC responded with a run in the bottom of the third, but PCF/HH wouldn't be denied. The team followed their brilliant hitting and base-running performance in the third by capitalizing on more of SSC's misplays in the fourth. Leslie Cacciapaglia (1-for-2, 1 run) and Peterson singled before Carl Pearson (1-for-2), J. Strong (2-for-3) and Monahan each smashed doubles to tack on 4 more runs.

The game was quickly defined by composure by PCF/HH, and a lack of composure by SSC. Three unofficial throwing errors committed by the 2005 and 2006 champions in the third aided in the Black and Red's two-out magic in the third. But errors were never as costly to SSC's momentum and morale as they were in the fourth. When the centerfielder Pearson doubled to score Cacciapaglia, the throw came home to pitcher Scott Habjan in an attempt to catch Peterson running home. It was a misfire, and as Peterson reached the plate safely, Pearson took off for third. With the ball back in his hands, Habjan overthrew third base. Pearson most likely would have made third safely on his slide, but the overthrow allowed him to get back on his feet and cross the plate.

On the other side, PCF/HH outfielders didn't fall for the old tricks, and allowed runners to move from first to third in exchange for a cut-off throw that kept batters to single bases. Overthrows and unnecessary attempts at throwing out base runners were non-existent.

Utility outfielder and infielder William Work was the epitome of PCF/HH's consistency, going 3-for-3 on Monday. Peter LoGiudice went 2-for-3 with 2 runs scored and an RBI, and third baseman Ron Rainone was a dependable 2-for-2 with 1 RBI before being tossed from the game in the bottom of the third for throwing a phantom tag.

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Playoff matchups were still in the air after Monday's win, but FXFowle played the role of the spoiler again on Tuesday, as the No. 7 seed defeated No. 2 The Philips Group 10-3 in a single-elimination game. FXFowle will now play the Red and Black in a best-of-three semifinal, beginning on Monday at 7 p.m. on Central Park's Great Lawn Field 4.

Gensler Associates (No. 4) also advanced to the semifinals on Monday, defeating Polshek Partnership (No. 5), 4-2. Gensler came from down 2-0 to earn the victory. They will play the winner of tonight's game between No. 1 Holzman Moss/Robert A.M. Stern Architects and No. 8 Kohn Pedersen Fox, held after this story was published.

If any of the non-playoff teams have a bone to pick — and we're not saying they should — it would be Ronnette Riley/Davis Brody Bond. The ninth place team finished out of playoff contention after KPF was seeded above them by run ratio. Both teams had the same winning percentage (RR/DBB had one more victory than KPF, the latter had one fewer loss and two more ties) but KPF would have fallen completely out of playoff contention had it not been for a 7-0 victory by forfeit over SSC in their final game of the regular season. This fact stings that much more for RR/DBB when you consider that the team finished their regular season on a strong two-game win streak.