On to the finals

Talk is cheap, especially in the playoffs.

Team Hoffy endured a tough challenge from Paddy Barry's, needing 8 innings to post a 12-11 win to advance to their 4th consecutive Merhcant League finals.

Hofbrau was its own worst enemy in the early going as baserunning mistakes killed what might have been rallies. The three-time defending champs found themselves continaully in counter-punch mode. PB put up a 3-spot with some clutch hitting in the top of the seventh to put Hoffy on the ropes, 11-10. Scott Logan (4-4, 3 rbi) knocked in the tying run in the bottom of the seventh. Logan almost scored the winning run when Glen Bosse ripped a base hit to center field, but was gunned down by a good relay throw to the plate.

After letting up a run in the top of the 8th and having to endure the most trash talk in recent Merchant League history (most of it from the PB peanut gallery), Team Hoffy stepped up and took what was theirs again. A single from Tom Fratolillo sandwiched between walks by Jim Dennis and Mike Yocco loaded the bases for Greg "Hop Sing" Harper, who silenced the loadmouths with a solid base hit to left. A slight bobble by the PB left fielder was all T-Frat needed to cruise in with the winning run.

"The good news is we're going to the finals," second baseman Glen Bosse said, "But we're gonna need to play a lot better than this in the next series."

As for the finals, it's a rematch of last year's classic 7-game final between Hofbrau and Malachy's, which completed its sweep of Big Times in the other semi-final match up.