A's GAME 2: South Athletics 3 / West Braves 4
Friday June 18, 2010
The A's battled the undefeated West Braves and came up just short. In the first the Braves went up 2-0 and were held scoreless through the 5th. The A's scored on a hit by Tyler North and an error to make it 2-1. In the top of the sixth, the A's fought back. Chad Olivieri battled through a 9-pitch at bat and lined a double to right. After stealing third, he scored on a balk. (The West team tried a hidden ball trick and the pitcher's foot mistakenly hit the rubber when he realized the play did not work, resulting in a balk.) With the score tied, Mike Fuller then hit a home run to left to put the A's up 4-3. 

The Braves answered in the bottom of the 6th. With a runner on, Burbank hit a ball that was initially ruled a home run - which would have ended the game. After umpire review, the home run was changed to a double and one runner was allowed to score, which tied the game. Mike Fuller then worked out of a jam to send the game to extra innings. The A's couldn't put a run across in extras. In the 8th Patrick McDonnell came in to pitch, after catching 7 innings. He pitched extremely well, getting Burbank to pop out and retiring two before a single to center scored the winning run for the Braves.

Jonathan Zanzerkia played an outstanding third base for the A's, making several diving plays and catching a popup in foul territory in extra innings to preserve the game. Rohan Patel made a great diving catch in left. Chad Olivieri was 2-4, pitched 3 innings and made a very difficult backhand play on a ball up the middle at short. Mike Fuller pitched 4 great innings for the A's.  In the bottom of the sixth, Ryan North fielded a ground ball and threw out a runner at the plate with a perfect throw. The runner from first tried to take second. McDonnell threw down and the runner was safe, but another Braves runner tried to take home on the throw. Chad Olivieri fired a strike to home to get the second runner at the plate. Each of these runs would have won the game for the Braves.  

A's AND GIANTS MEET IN GAME 3: A's 8 / Giants 3
Saturday June 19, 2010
The A's and Giants met for the 5th time this season, with the A's ending up on top 8-3. CJ Mellen started for the Giants and pitched 3 innings. Mike Levasseur pitched 2, striking out 2. Chad Olivieri pitched the first two, allowing no runs. Mike Fuller pitched two solid innings and Patrick McDonnell battled through an inning. The A's needed Olivieri to come back in and pitch the fifth and he struck out the side. The A's finished with Anthony Martin, who came in after a long layoff from pitching and gave the A's exactly what they needed; Martin allowed no hits and struck out 2. For the Giants Riley Bourque and Brian Barrows had hits.  The A's offense was led by Olivieri (3-3 HR ), Fuller who hit a home run, Tyler North, Ryan North and Brian Toupin who all had hits. The A's face the NW Royals at North on Sunday at 7pm.

 

 A's GAME 4: South A's 5 / Northwest Royals 0
Sunday June 20, 2010
The A's continue to improve every game and today defense and pitching was the story against the Northwest Royals. Jonathan Zanzerkia played a gold glove third base, fielding 6 ground balls and tagging a runner out to end the game. Mike Fuller was once again overpowering, yielding two hits in 4 innings of work. The game was 0-0 in the 4th when the A's started a key rally.  With two outs and no one on, Brian Toupin drew a walk, then stole second and third.  Tyler North then drove a rocket over the center fielder's head, scoring Toupin. Tyler went to second on a balk, then moved to third on a hit by Rohan Patel. Patel took off for second on a delayed steal, drawing the throw--was safe--and North scored without drawing a throw.  In the fifth, Zanzerkia singled and stole second and third, then scored on a passed ball. With the score 3-0, Chad Olivieri hit a home run to right. Mike Fuller followed up with another home run, making the score 5-0. Olivieri closed out the game with two innings, allowing a walk and no hits. 

Three teams remain. The A's will take on the North Angels at 7pm on Monday at North. The winner will face the West Braves in the championship.

  A's GAME 5: South A's 23 / North Angels 5
Monday June 21, 2010
The A's got started with 3 runs in the first and never looked back. Taking advantage of some shaky defense by the Angels and lots of walks, the A's played a 4 inning game and conserved some pitching. Chad Olivieri started and pitched two, allowing 1 run and recording 3 strikeouts. Patrick McDonnell pitched the third, and Mike Fuller finished the game in the 4th. The A's received hits from  Olivieri,  Fuller, Tyler North (who hit another rocket), Brian Toupin, Johnny Zanzerkia and Rohan Patel. 

Two teams remain, the South A's and the West Braves. They'll meet at 5:30 on Tuesday at North's Murray Field. 

  A's GAME 6: South A's 1 / West Braves 2
Tuesday June 22, 2010
The A's played their 6th game in 6 days and came up short in the City Tournament Championship game. Mike Fuller started the A's off with a home run.
Chad Olivieri started and pitched 3 strong innings, at one point striking out 6 in a row. With two outs in the third, the Braves got a home run. They added a second run later in the inning. Mike Fuller shut down the Braves for the final two.  The A's had a few base runners, but were unable to mount a come back against the tough pitching of the Braves.  The A's went 4-2 in Cities, and represented Nashua South very well--playing hard, playing smart and never giving up. Congratulations to Nashua South Champs and City Tournament Runner-up A's.