Winning pitcher Jason Hill and reliever Colin Walsh, who earned the save, combined to strike out 12 batters as the 3Cheers Pub Bud Light Dodgers edged the NTV Hitmen 5-4 Monday night at Lion Park in the opening game of the Molson St. John’s senior men’s softball final.
Hill (3R, 5H, 1W, 7K) pitched four innings before giving way to Walsh (1R, 3H, 1W, 5K) for the final three.
The Hitmen scored a two-out run in the bottom of the seventh, and had the winning run on base, with runners on first and third, but Walsh induced a grounder to end the game.
Philip Corbett reached base four times on two walks and a couple of hits, including a solo homer, for the Dodgers, while Ryan Boland had two hits and a couple of RBIS for the Hitmen, who were the first-place team in the regular season.
Robbie Greene had a solo homer for the losers.
Hitmen starter Lee Cose (5H, 3W, 4K) took the loss, giving up four runs in four innings of work. Greene (1R, 4H, 2W, 5K) finished up over the last three frames..
Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is 6 p.m. Thursday at Lions Park.
