KNIGHTS VS. ODDBALLS SERIES RECAP; HARFF GO-AHEAD GRAND SLAM

Wow. What an eventful opening series to start off the 2023 EWA season. The reigning runner-ups and newly branded team the Knights, faced off against the hungry Oddballs for a huge tilt to start the season. Captains Cam Barbulean and Carter Harff faced off against one another with a lot of chirping and beef to be settled from the team instagrams and previous meetings. Last season, the Knights beat the Oddballs in the semifinals 2-1 in the series which got chippy at times.

In Game 1, Cam Barbulean struggled to get his footing on the mound, letting up 8 runs to make it 8-3 Oddballs after the 1st inning. The score would stay the same until the 4th inning when Barbulean and Dane Lewis pieced together a few walks and Barbulean's grand slam tied up the game. Jeremy Coon then made his pitching debut in the EWA coming in for Carter Harff, to which him and Barbulean pitched scoreless 5th's. In the 6th after a very close call at first regarding Dane Lewis being safe, Cam Barbulean drove in two runs to give the Knights the lead 10-8. In the bottom, Barbulean walked a few batters, but ultimately struck out Ben Kazel to give the Knights the 10-8 win and hand the Oddballs their first loss of the season.

In Game 2, the Knights hopped out very early gaining a 7-1 lead after the 1st inning. Barbulean and Coon would pitch a scoreless 2nd and 3rd innings until the 4th, when the Oddballs began to threaten. Beabulean began to see glimpses of himself from the beginning of the series and walked batters continously to get the game with bases loaded, 1 out and knights only up now 7-6. After a very close not called strike check swing, Carter Harff hit a go-ahead grand slam and the Oddballs then ran away with it winning the Game 12-7 and gaining a series split, leaving each team 1-1, but both looking like very promising contenders early in the season.