September 9th 2024.
The Oakland Ballers had a bittersweet end to their inaugural regular season on Sunday, after losing 5-1 to the Yolo High Rollers in Davis. This loss may not have meant much for the Ballers, who had just secured the second-half championship title in the Pioneer League the day before. With an impressive overall record of 31-17, the Ballers were the top team in the 12-team league. Despite this setback, they are determined to bounce back in the playoffs.
On Tuesday, the Ballers will return to Davis to face the High Rollers once again. This time, it will be the first game of a best-of-3 first-round playoff series. The Ballers will be looking to make a strong comeback after Tripp Clark's grand slam in the first inning of Saturday's game set the tone for their 9-5 victory and secured their spot as second-half champions. However, Sunday's game was a different story, with Oakland only managing to get three hits against the High Rollers. Jonah Jenkins, a former pitcher for the University of San Francisco, played a big role in the Ballers' defeat, holding them to just one run in his second outing of the year.
The Pioneer League has a unique playoff system where the top two teams from each half of the season earn a spot in the postseason. This means that the Ballers and the High Rollers, who finished first and second respectively in the second half, both qualified for the playoffs. The same goes for the teams who finished in the top two spots in the first half of the season. This year, those teams were the Missoula PaddleHeads and the Glacier Range Riders, both from Montana.
The second half of the season saw a close race between the Ballers and the High Rollers, with Yolo finishing just one game behind Oakland. However, due to the Ballers' strong performance throughout the season, they earned the advantage of playing their first playoff game at their home field, Raimondi Field, on Thursday. If necessary, they will also play a third game on Friday. The winner of this series will advance to the league championship against the winner of the Missoula vs. Glacier series, which promises to be an exciting all-Montana showdown.
The Oakland Ballers have had an eventful first season in the Pioneer League, with a lot of ups and downs. However, they are determined to continue their success and bring home the league title. With the support of their fans and their determination on the field, the Ballers are ready to take on any challenge that comes their way.
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