Axemen Take Down Cougars in MDTL Playoff Series

Cal Raleigh finished the series with 4 runs, 5 RBI,
two doubles and two home runs. 

Still smoking hot from their 4-1 series win over the Kerry Highlanders, the Ohio Cougars rolled into P-Town, scoring 5 runs in the first three innings, including a first-inning solo home run by Byron Buxton, a two-run double by Francisco Lindor in the second and a two-run homer by Josh Naylor in the third.

Just like that, Axemen starter George Kirby was gone and P-Town never threatened against the solid pitching of Ronel Blanco, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith. Blanco got credit for the 5-1 win as the Axemen faithful quietly headed for the exits and Ohio took a 1-0 series lead.

Fortunately for the P-Town fans, the Axemen would bounce back, sweeping the next four games to take the series 4-1 over the Cougars in this second-round playoff series in the Mason-Dixon Tabletop League. This was the first 2025 playoff series for P-Town, which earned a bye by winning the Frey Division with a record of 95-67. Ohio finished second in the division with an 87-75 record.

Game 2

Ohio got off to another fast start in Game 2 as Jonathan India lead off with a walk, scoring two outs later on a triple by Randal Grichuk. Logan Gilbert and Albert Suarez then traded shutout innings until the bottom of the fifth, when shortstop Ezequiel Tovar smashed a leadoff home run. P-Town took the lead in the sixth after a two-out double by Rafael Devers. Grichuk then muffed a fly ball to right field by Kerry Carpenter, with Devers racing around third to score the go-ahead run, making it 2-1.

In the bottom of the eighth inning, Julio Rodriguez scored an insurance run, leading off the inning with a double. After a fly out by Jake McCarthy, Ohio intentionally walked both Devers and Carpenter to bring up Tovar. Tovar then hit what looked to be a routine double play ball to third, but Tovar beat the relay throw, allowing Julio to make it home for a 3-1 lead.

Meanwhile, Gilbert blanked the Cougars after the first inning, lasting until the eighth, when Buxton lead off with a double. PT’s closer Kirby Yates came on, getting Grichuk to fly out to left. Diaz then hit a liner to right, where McCarthy made the catch and was able to nail Buxton trying to get to third, ending the inning. Ohio then went down 1, 2, 3 in the ninth, giving the Axemen a 3-1 victory to tie the series at 1-1. Gilbert got the win; Yates the save; and Gaddis the loss.

Game 3

Game 3 moved to Ohio, where Julio Rodriguez bopped the first pitch from Luis Ortiz into the outfield seats, giving P-Town an early 1-0 lead. The Cougars took the lead back in the bottom of the fourth inning with a pair of runs. After a leadoff single by Lindor, Grichuk walked after an out by Buxton. Yandy Diaz brought them both home with a double before starter Gerrit Cole struck out Teo Hernandez and David Fry to end the inning at 2-1.

P-Town tied it 2-2 in the fifth with a leadoff dinger by the Big Dumper, Cal Raleigh. However, India gave the Cougars the 3-2 lead again with a leadoff HR in the eighth inning. It looked like the Cougs could cruise to a win as Smith had shut down the Axemen over three innings.

In the top of the ninth, though, Devers started the inning with another walk and was replaced on the bases by Jake Cronenworth. After Brandon Lowe struck out, Tovar sent Smith to the showers with a single, sending Cronenworth to third. Tovar then stole second, putting the tying and go-ahead runs on second and third. Ohio then walked the Dumper to get to Michael Conforto. But Carpenter came in to pinch hit, coaxing a walk from Gaddis to bring in the tying run. Brice Turang then followed with a sacrifice fly to left field, putting the Axemen up by one run, 4-3.

With two outs and runners still on first and second, Will Wagner came on to pinch hit for Josh Lowe, and laced a double to the gap, scoring Dumper and Carpenter and extending the lead to 6-3. Yates then struck out the side in the bottom of the ninth, putting P-Town up 2-1 in the series. Yates got the win; Smith took the loss.

Game 4

In Game 4, the Cougars again jumped out to an early lead, scoring four runs in the bottom of the second inning, including a two-run triple by Tyler Stephenson, a sacrifice fly by Steven Kwan and a run-scoring double by Lindor. Drew Rasmussen held the Axemen scoreless until the fourth inning, when Devers drew his second walk of the game, then came home on a triple by Carpenter. Dumper drove him home with a single, though he was then erased by a fielder’s choice on a grounder by Josh Lowe. Edmundo Sosa kept the rally going, however, with a two-out double to score Lowe. Score: 4-3 Ohio.

McCarthy lead off the top of the fifth with a single. After Wagner grounded out, Devers delivered a run-scoring double to tie the game, followed by Carpenter’s second triple in two innings to score Devers with the go-ahead run. Carp then scored on a grounder to second by Tovar, giving the Axemen a 6-4 lead. 

Ohio got one back in the sixth on a solo HR by Kwan. P-Town’s Carpenter answered that with a solo HR in the eighth, giving the Axemen their 7-5 margin of victory and a 3-1 lead in the series. After his shaky start, Freddy Peralta got the win, with Yates earning another save. Gaddis got his second loss of the series.

Game 5

The Axemen headed off any Game 5 drama for the home team, pouncing on the Cougars for seven runs before the end of the fifth inning. The hit barrage included run-scoring doubles by Conforto and Tovar and Big Dumper capped it off with a three-run bomb with two outs in the fifth. 

Meanwhile, Kirby rebounded from his Game 1 disaster, surrendering only a sacrifice fly by Kwan in the sixth, when the Axemen held a 7-0 lead. Yates and Bryan Abreu then shut down the Cougars for the rest of the game, giving the visiting Axmen the 7-1 win and the series, 4-1.

As Ohio manager Larry Wilson noted, the Cougars got the clutch hits they needed in Game 1 and to start Game 2 but from then on it seemed P-Town got the rolls they needed to advance to the next round, where they will meet the winner of the Port Matilda-County Road series in the semifinals.

-66-

 

P-Town Advances with Game 7 Win vs. Providence

For the first time in three years, the P-Town Axemen returned to the playoffs after cruising to the Frey Division title in the Mason-Dixon Tabletop League. With a record of 94-68, the Axemen earned a first-round bye in this year's playoffs. 

Eventually, the Providence Greys prevailed over the Frey Division rival Fargo Pirates to set up the showdown with P-Town. Providence, managed by Patrick Freaney, came into the series with a 100-62 record, finishing second in the Freaney Division to the Walthall Warriors, who posted a record of 105-57. 

Game 1 - Seth Lugo (BYZ) vs. Gerrit Cole (AXZ)

As they would throughout the series, Providence jumped out to an early lead as Max Muncy smacked a 1st-inning home run against Cole. Meanwhile, Lugo quieted the Axemen bats until the bottom of the 6th, when Kerry Carpenter walked. After Brandon Lowe struck out, Cal "Big Dumper" Raleigh blasted a 2-out, 2-run homer to put P-Town up 2-1. 

The Greys tied it in the 8th following a 2-out double by Alex Verdugo. Joey Votto then walked, followed by an infield single by leadoff hitter J.D. Martinez. With bases loaded, Wander Franco made it 2-2 with another single before Muncy flew out to right field. And that's the way it stayed til the bottom of the 9th inning. 

Braxton Garrett (CYZ) in relief struck out the side in the top of the 9th and it looked like Lugo might do the same in the bottom of the 9th, striking out Ryan McMahon. However, Jake McCarthy followed with a walk. And with one out and one on, shortstop Ezequiel Tover crushed a 2-run home run for the 4-2 walk-off win in Game 1. Garrett got the win for P-Town while Lugo took a complete-game loss. 

Game 2 - Nathan Eovaldi (BY) vs. George Kirby (BYZZ)

Once again, Providence struck first in Game 2. After a leadoff triple by Verdugo in the 3rd inning, Votto drove him in with a sacrifice fly. In the 4th, Muncy lead off the inning with his second home run of the series, staking the Greys for a 2-0 lead. Brandon Nimmo followed with a single, and came around to score two batters later on Jeff McNeil's double. The Greys continued to pound Kirby in the 5th, with a 2-out 3-run home run by Jose Siri to make it 6-0.

Luis Robert kept it from being a shutout with a 2-run HR in the bottom of 8th inning. But Caleb Ferguson came in to close out the game. Providence wins 6-2; Eovaldi earning the win and Kirby taking the loss. Series tied at 1-1. 

Game 3 - Kyle Bradish (BYZ) vs. Eduardo Rodriguez (BY)

Back at home, Providence jumped out to a 4-0 lead on a pair of 2-run home runs -- in the 1st inning by Nimmo and in the 2nd inning by Alejandro Kirk. Jeimer Candelario walked with one out in the 3rd inning, advancing to third on a double by Nimmo, and scoring on a sacrifice fly by Starling Marte, making it 5-0 and chasing Bradish. 

In the top of the 4th, however, P-Town began chipping away -- Jarred Kelenic singled, and after a strikeout by Richie Palacios came around to score on a 2-out double by Raleigh. While Dumper had to hold at third on a single by Ryan Noda, he plated the Axemen's second run on a single by McMahon, cutting the lead to 5-2.

With P-Town's relief ace Bryan Abreu (ACK) holding the Greys in check, the Axemen went back to work in the 5th inning. After two quick outs, Robert was drilled by Rodriguez and advanced to third on a single by Kelenic, who promptly stole second base. Palacios followed with a 2-run double, and Dumper tied the score at 5-5 with a double to drive in Palacios. 

With both starters now toast, the bullpens shut down the opposition until the top of the 9th inning. Robert got things started with a one-out double. Called upon to relieve, Taijuan Walker (C) got Kelenic to meekly ground out, advancing Robert to third. Then Walker walked Palacios and Raleigh to load the bases. Providence brought in Sean Manaea, hoping to close out the inning. However, pinch hitter Carpenter drilled a 2-run single with Raleigh scooting to third. Carpenter then stole second. McMahon then nailed the next pitch, driving in two more runs with a triple, extending the lead to 9-5.

With Abreu still cruising, Providence couldn't put anybody on base in the bottom of the 9th, securing the 9-5 win and a 2-1 series lead for P-Town. Abreu got the win; reliever Taylor Rogers took the loss. 

Game 4 - Logan Gilbert (CYZ) vs. Max Scherzer (CXZ) 

Providence put this one away early, batting around in the 1st inning and taking a 4-0 lead on a leadoff homer by Martinez, a double by Franco, a run-scoring single by Muncy and a 2-run home run by Candelario. While Gilbert somehow avoided fatiguing until the 7th inning, the Axemen could never close the gap. Edmundo Sosa singled and scored on a double by Jake Cronenworth in the 7th inning, but Candelario answered for the Greys in the bottom of the frame with his second home run of the game, making it 5-1. 

The Axemen managed to make the home crowd anxious in the top the 9th inning, with Palacios and Lowe walking to lead off the inning. After Robert flew out as a pinch hitter, Ha-Seong Kim came on to pinch hit, drawing a walk to load the bases. Reliever Cole Ragans got pinch hitter Raleigh to hit a ground ball fielder's choice that scored Palacios. Next up, Tovar hit a double off the wall, scoring Lowe, but Dumper had to hold at third. Ragans finally gave the home team reason to exhale, getting McCarthy to strike out to end the game. 

Providence evened the series at 2-2 with the 5-3 victory, with Ragans getting the save and preserving the win for Scherzer. Gilbert took the loss. 

Game 5 - Cole (AXZ) vs. Lugo (BYZ)

For the second game in a row, Martinez lead off the bottom of the 1st inning with a home run, staking the Greys to another quick 1-0 lead. Martinez continued to torment Cole in the 3rd inning, with a 2-run double scoring Verdugo and Kris Bryant. Martinez then scored on a single by Muncy, making it 4-0 Greys. P-Town's Kim made it 4-1 in the 4th inning, scoring on a wild pitch. But in the bottom of the 5th, Martinez drove Cole from the game, hitting his second home run, extending the lead to 5-1.

P-Town showed some signs of life in the 8th inning, with Kim scoring again on a double by Robert. However, the rally fizzled after Carpenter singled and Robert was gunned down at the plate by a perfect throw from center fielder Bryant! Ferguson then shut down P-Town in the 9th, earning the save behind Lugo's 2-hit effort for the win. With the 5-2 win, Providence took a 3-2 series lead -- one win away from advancing as the teams headed back to P-Town. 

Game 6 - Eovaldi (BY) vs. Kirby (BYZZ)

Two words -- George Kirby. Kirby tossed a 3-hit shutout in the elimination game, striking out 7 batters, walking none, while hitting back-to-back batters in the 3rd inning! P-Town provided all the support Kirby would need in the 4th inning. After a flyout by Robert, Carpenter reached on a single. However, he was quickly erased on a fielder's choice by Kelenic, who just beat the relay throw to first. Palacios then scored Kelenic with a double in the gap, though Palacios then was stranded on a warning-track fly to center by Raleigh. And that was it. 

Although nearly matching Kirby pitch for pitch, Eovaldi allowed only 3 hits in taking the complete-game loss, 1-0, setting up Game 7.  

Game 7 - Rodriguez (BY) vs. Bradish (BYZ)

Robert brought the hometown crowd to its feet early, smashing a 1st-inning solo HR to give the Axemen a rare early lead. It didn't last long. Siri made it 1-1 with a solo slam in the 2nd inning. And that's the way it would stay until the bottom of the 6th inning, when the Greys defense would let them down. 

Cronenworth reached on an error by Trevor Story to lead off the bottom of the 6th. He scored all the way from first on Tovar's double. Tovar then advanced to third on a wild pitch. Kim struck out before Robert sent a routine fly to right. Unfortunately for Providence, Nimmo misplayed the ball, allowing Tovar to score, making it 3-1. Rodriguez closed out the inning but the damage had been done. 

After Bradish allowed a leadoff double to Francisco Mejia to lead off the top of the 7th inning, Abreu came on to strike out 6 of the next 10 batters. Meanwhile, Story's troubles at short continued in the 7th, as Raleigh reached first on another error to lead off the inning. He advanced to third on a double by McMahon. Ferguson came on in relief of Rodriguez, striking out Michael Conforto. However, the next batter, Cronenworth, drilled a triple to clear the bases and put the Axemen up 5-1. 

Down to its last inning, Votto gave the Greys hope with a leadoff walk. However, Abreu then struck out pinch hitters Muncy and Martinez. Candelario kept hope alive with a 2-out double, scoring Votto. With Abreu finally out of gas, Kenley Jansen made his first appearance of the series, getting Nimmo to ground the ball back to the pitcher for the final out of the series. Bradish earned the win in the 5-2 victory; Jansen got the save; and Rodriguez took the loss. P-Town takes the series, 4-3.

With P-Town's balanced hitting up and down the lineup, the series MVP was reliever Bryan Abreu, who pitched in 5 games, 15 1/3 innings, giving up only 6 hits, 3 runs and striking out 17 batters. 

P-Town moves on to face Culpepper in the next round.

-rp-

Minutemen Take Down Axemen in Game 7 Playoff Classic

Just when it seemed the Axemen were set to advance to the next round of the 2021 MDTL Playoffs, Culpeper got a two-out double by Cesar Hernandez to keep them alive in the top of the 10th. Next up, late-inning defensive sub Byron Buxton to face P-Town closer Brad Hand.

Byron Buxton

With Hernandez taking his lead against the P-Town left-hander, Buxton deposited Hand's next pitch over the outfield fence, giving the Minutemen a 6-4 lead in Game 7 of the back-and-forth classic that the Axemen had looked to wrap up just an inning before.

Alas, James Hoyt closed out the Axemen after Trevor Story reached on an error, a fielder's choice and a double-play grounder by Eric Hosmer. The win sent Culpeper onto the next round, where they will face the County Road Rebels.

The late-inning triumph gave Culpeper a 4-3 series victory, and concluded P-Town's season. A familiar late-season surge had propelled P-Town to a 95-67 record and the top spot in the Frey Division of the Mason-Dixon Tabletop League, now in its 49th season. 

Anthony Rendon

As Axemen fans silently exited P-Town Stadium, GM/Manager Rob Priewe could utter but a single word to sum up the series versus Culpeper, "Wow." 

(Click here for complete P-Town stats.)

With the squads trading off series victories, the difference proved to be Culpeper's 21-14 edge in home runs, including dingers from Buxton, Mitch Moreland, Anthony Rendon and Anthony Santander in Game 7. 

Here's Culpeper Manager Mike McClurg Jr.'s fine summary of the series:

Game 1

                 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  |  | R | H | E |

Culpeper | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 8 | 11 | 0 |

P-Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 4 | 4 | 0 |

WP: Lamet LP: Plesac

HR: CM - Walsh, Betts, Moreland, Santander  PT - None

Culpeper gets 3 runs in 2nd inning on Betts 3R HR.  CM adds another run in 3rd when Dalbec doubles to score Locastro, Culpeper takes a commanding 6-0 lead in 4th on back-to-back HR's by Santander and Walsh. CM goes up 8-0 in 6th with a Moreland 2R HR.

PT finally gets on the scoreboard with 4 runs in the 7th, McNiel has an RBI double and Grisham a bases-loaded double.

Game 2

| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  |  | R | H | E |

Culpeper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |   |  | 1 | 4 | 0 |

P-Town | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |   |  | 6 | 6 | 0 |

WP: Cole LP: Kim

HR: CM - Buxton  PT - Grisham, Moncada

PT gets 2 runs in first when Hosmer hits a 2R double, scoring Verdugo and McNiel.  PT gets 2 more in 2nd on a Moncada 2R HR. 

Culpeper finally gets a run in 7th to make it 4-1 on Buxton HR.  PT jumps back on CM for 2 runs in bottom of inning

with a solo HR by Grisham and an RBI double by Story.

Game 3

                | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  |  | R | H | E |

P-Town | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 4 | 8 | 0 |

Culpeper | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |  |  | 10 | 11 | 0 |

WP: Sanchez LP: Bundy

HR: PT - Story 2, Upton  CM - Walsh, Dalbec, Castro, Betts, Rendon, Buxton

PT gets 2 runs in first inning for 2nd game in a row on Story's 2R HR.  CM gets 3 in 2nd with a Rendon 3R HR. 

PT ties game in 3rd on Story's 2nd HR in the game.  Castro makes it 4-3 with a solo shot in 4th.

Culpeper blows open game in the 5th with 4 runs on Walsh solo HR, Dalbec solo HR, and a 2R HR by Betts.  Culpeper cruises to a 10-4 win.

Game 4

                    | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | R | H | E |

P-Town | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 13 | 0 |

Culpeper | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 |

WP: Pressley Save: A.J. Cole LP: Urias

HR: PT - Story, McNiel, Stassi, Grisham  CM - Walsh, Hernandez, Suarez

Marathon  game going 16 innings.  P-Town scores in the 1st inning for 3rd game in a row with 4 runs powered by Stassi 3R HR.  Culpeper cuts it to 4-3 with 3 in the 2nd on a 2R HR by Hernandez and a solo shot by Suarez. 

McNiel hits a solo HR in 3rd to make it 5-3.  PT gets a unearned run in 5th on a steal of 3rd and a throwing error by Perez.  Walsh hits a solo HR in bottom of inning to make it 6-4. 

Pitchers hold both teams scoreless for next 3 innings.  Culpeper rallies to tie game in 9th on an RBI double by Rendon and then Walsh singles him home. 

Game goes scoreless until 14th, when Cronenworth hits a solo HR but Culpeper ties game in bottom of inning on a Walsh RBI double. 

PT blows open game in the 16th inning for the win with 4 runs powered by 2R HR's by Grisham and Story.

Game 5

                    | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  |  | R | H | E |

P-Town        | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 1 | 2 | 0 |

Culpeper      | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 5 | 6 | 0 |

WP: Kim LP: Cole

HR: PT - None  CM - Santander, Rendon, Rosario

Culpeper finally holds PT scoreless in 1st inning and gets a run in bottom of inning on Santander solo HR.  CM goes up 3-0 in 3rd on Rosario 2R HR. 

PT gets on scoreboard in 4th when McNiel doubles in Verdugo. 

CM gets 2 insurance runs in 7th on Rendon's 2R HR. 

Kim gets CGW for Minutemen, allowing only 2 hits.

Game 6

                    | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |  |  | R | H | E |  

Culpeper     | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |  |  | 0 | 4 | 0 |

P-Town        | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |  |  | 5 | 8 | 0 |  

WP: Bundy LP: Sanchez

HR: CM - None  PT - Cooper 2

P-Town scores in 1st inning for the 4th game in the series on Cooper's 2R HR.  Verdugo doubles in Moncada in 3rd to make it 3-0.  PT adds 2 insurance runs in 8th on Cooper's second 2 run HR of the game. 

Bundy cruises to complete game shutout for the Axemen. 

Series is now tied 3 games each.

Game 7

                 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |  | R | H | E |

Culpeper | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |  | 6 | 7 | 0 |

P-Town | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 0 |  | 4 | 8 | 0 |

WP: Hoyt LP: Hand

HR: CM - Santander, Rendon, Moreland, Buxton  PT - Cronenworth, Cooper

Game is a pitchers' duel between Plesac and Lamet until Culpeper gets back-to-back Home Runs by Santander and Rendon in 6th. 

PT is held scoreless for 7 innings but rallies for a 3-2 lead in the 8th. Cooper starts the rally with a pinch-hit 2-run HR and Hosmer singles in Grisham who was on second base with a double. 

The 9th inning starts quietly for Culpeper with Plesac quickly retiring the first 2 batters in the inning.  Betts then hits a single and then Moreland hits a 2-run HR to put Culpeper up 4-3.  Cronenworth quickly ties game on back-to-back dice rolls of 11 and the Axemen crowd erupts after having their hearts ripped out in top of inning. Verdugo then hits a double but is stranded at second base when Grisham grounds out to end the inning and send game to extra innings.

Hand strikes out Suarez to start the 10th, then Hernandez hits a double and then Buxton, who had entered game in the 9th for defense, hits a 2-run HR to put Minutemen up 6-4. 

Story leads off bottom of inning, reaching base on a Correa error but after a fielder's choice by McNiel, Hosmer hits into a game-ending double play and Culpeper wins the series.  Hoyt gets the win.

 

Buxton and Rendon are co-MVPs for the Minutemen.

Buxton -- AB 20 H 6 R 4 RBI 5 HR 3 ... Series-winning home run

Rendon -- AB 21 H 8 R 5 RBI 8 HR 3

--

Note: Word leaked during the series that several P-Town players might be traded after the season, which definitely may have impacted performances by McNiel, Hosmer and Gurriel ...

Update: Indeed, within hours of the series end, McNiel, Hosmer, Gurriel, Kiermaier and several others were dealt as P-Town quickly began retooling for 2022 ...

rp

-- 66 --

Axemen 2020 Update: "Timber!" Returns to MM-MDTL

Nelson Cruz

Timber! Boom! The Axemen bats are back in 2020!

Three months into the season and the P-Town Axemen are back in first place, atop the Howard Frey Division of the Mike McClurg Sr. - Mason Dixon Tabletop League.

With a record of 36-25, the Axemen are doing it with their bats, already booming 131 home runs in their first 61 games.

"I knew we needed some fresh lumber this season," said P-Town Skipper Rob Priewe, now in his third year. "I just hope they can maintain this pace through the rest of the season."

Nelson "Boomstick" Cruz is leading the way with 19 round-trippers, followed by Trevor Story (17), Yoan Moncada (14), Yasiel Puig (12) and Gary Sanchez and Hunter Pence (11 each). With the power resurgence, the Axemen are averaging nearly six runs per game, a two-run improvement over the year before. (Click for stats.)

Gerrit Cole

On the mount, Gerrit Cole is off to a 10-1 start to lead the staff. Newcomer Spencer Turnbull is 7-4 and Zack Greinke stands at 6-5. In the pen, Aaron Bummer has taken over the closer role, going 4-2 with eight saves.

Although the team ERA has ticked up to 4.49, it's still early, Priewe said, and the offense has given the pitching staff some breathing room.

While some of the offensive mainstays are familiar -- Story, Cruz, Puig, Sanchez -- the retooled lineup  includes Moncada getting his shot at third, along with Jeff McNeil at second and Eric Hosmer at first (acquired during the offseason for Josh Donaldson and Joey Votto). The outfield got a boost in the draft with the addition of Pence, Mike Tauchman and Alex Verdugo.

While some of the pitchers are still finding their stride, Priewe has no complaints about the offensive firepower demonstrated so far.

"We'll need all the runs we can get this year in a very competitive league," he said.

-- 66 -- 

Axemen Fall in Follow-up to Championship Season; Miss Playoffs in 2019

Shortstop Trevor Story -- Photo courtesy of jenniferlinneaphotography

With the P-Town Axemen sitting at an identical 63-58 record midway through defending their 2018 championship season, who could blame their fans for wondering whether 2019 might be "deja vu all over again."*

Alas, the Axemen never got it going at the end of their second season in the MM-MDTL, falling off instead of catching fire, and missing the playoffs with their 83-79 finish. Their 20-21 record down the stretch paled in comparison to the 30-11 surge from the year before that propelled them to the top of the Mike McClurg Sr - Mason Dixon Tabletop League.

The difference? Nearly every position player failed to equal their offensive output from the year before, despite some stellar starting pitching.

For example, Joey Votto saw his production plummet from .390 OBA, 113 runs, 100 RBI, 43 doubles and 39 home runs to .348, 57, 59, 32 and 14. Likewise, Marwin Gonzalez went from near-MVP (.338 OBA, 94 runs, 115 RBI, 46 doubles and 35 HR's) to platooning with oft-injured Josh Donaldson, who only got into 66 games, according to the team's 2019 final stats.

Shortstop Trevor Story was one of the few bright spots, leading the team in nearly every offensive category with a .323 OBA, 97 runs, 91 RBI, 46 doubles, 9 triples, 37 home runs and 28 stolen bases. Even Nelson Cruz "slumped," though leading the team with 40 home runs and 92 RBI.

Newcomers Jed Lowrie (a hometown favorite from Salem, Oregon) and mercurial Yasiel Puig were ... let's just say ... less than exceptional after being acquired in the offseason.

On the pitching side, Luis Severino went 19-13 with four shutouts and a 3.09 ERA; Zack Greinke and Gerrit Cole each notched 15 wins. All three compiled more than 200 strikeouts. Greinke led the team with five shutouts and 11 complete games and a team-best 2.90 ERA.

The bullpen once again was anchored by Brad Hand, who went 9-6 with 19 saves. Wily Peralta added 10 saves.

Overall, P-Town's pitchers lowered the team ERA to 3.84 and reduced the number of runs allowed from 708 to 646.

The problem, however, was on the offensive side, where hitters went from batting .238/.321/.468 to .217/.294/.409 and connecting for fewer home runs (291 vs. 236) and nearly 200 fewer runs (847 to 656).

"Needless to say, our offense really let us down this season," Axemen Manager Rob Priewe said. "I think our fans know where we plan to focus during the offseason."

--

*From the popular Yogi Berra quote, "It's deja vu all over again," from The Yogi Book, where he repeatedly recalled seeing back-to-back homers by Yankees teammates Mickey Mantle and Roger Maris in the early 1960s.

-- 66 -- 

P-Town Axemen Win 2018 MM-MDTL Title to Cap Off Inaugural Season

After 10th-inning home runs by Joey Votto and Steven Souza, P-Town closer Brad Hand shut the door on the Culpepper Minutemen, striking out Jordan Zimmerman to preserve an 8-5 victory as the Axemen took the 2018 MM-MDTL World Series Championship in their first season in the league.

The championship victory capped off an improbable playoff run for league-newcomer P-Town, which rolled to the title after knocking off three of the top teams in the league after nabbing one of the last playoff berths with their second-place finish in the Central Division.

Axemen Skipper Rob Priewe

"Wow!" was all P-Town Manager Rob Priewe could muster after winning the title in his first year in the league, which has been going strong for more than four decades.

Along with some incredible late-season luck, Priewe credited his predecessor Terry Evans with acquiring the core of the team, including Votto, Trevor Story, Nelson Cruz and Josh Donaldson, along with pitchers Zack Greinke, Sonny Gray and Brad Hand.

Two-thirds of the way through the season, however, it didn't look like the Axemen would even qualify for the playoffs. Entering September, P-Town sat with a record of 63-58, barely above break even. But with a 30-11 finish, the Axemen entered the postseason on a roll.

In the first round, they knocked off favored DevLan four games to two, taking the first three games, before closing out Game 6 5-2 behind a three-run eighth-inning home run by Cruz.

In the next round, P-Town's pitchers held the heavy hitting Walthall Warriors bats in check, taking the series 4-1. As seemed typical in the season's closing weeks, they punched out Walthall with a 10th-inning walkoff single by seldom-used infielder Yoan Moncada, who had entered the game as a pinch runner the inning before.

The win sent the Axemen onto the title matchup with league powerhose Culpepper.

After dropping Game 1, the Axemen rebounded with a 10-8 win in Game 2. They followed that with a 3-2 walkoff win in Game 3 on a double by Marwin Gonzalez to drive in Souza, who had walked with two out. James Paxton shut out the Axemen 6-0 in Game 4, tallying 13 strikeouts in a complete game.

P-Town took yet another extra-innings walk-off win in Game 5, this time backup catcher Christian Vazquez  scoring on a two-out single by Justin Upton in the bottom of the 11th. Upton finished the game going 4-for-5 with a pair of home runs, a double, two runs and five RBI. Jackie Bradley Jr. had kept the Axemen in the game with a game-tying single in the bottom of the ninth. Trevor Rosenthal held the Minutemen in check, striking out the last five batters he faced.

The deciding Game 6 was another classic comeback for P-Town as Culpepper banged four home runs to take a 5-2 lead into the sixth inning. Story then cut the deficit to one with a two-run homer; followed by Donaldson's pinch-hit home run in the seventh. With Hand on his way to shutting down the Minutemen over the last three innings, Votto gave the Axemen all they would need with a solo home run in the 10th, followed by Souza's two-run insurance shot. (A special shout-out to fellow manager Wayne Humphreys who rolled for the Axemen as Priewe managed by phone from the opposite coast!)

Looking at P-Town's season stats, it may not have been a shock that they prevailed in the playoffs. The Axemen brought the lumber, clubbing 291 home runs during the regular season, with seven members of their starting lineup hitting 30 or more home runs. They scored 847 runs during the 93-69 season.

As for pitching, Gray led the staff with a record of 17-5, followed by Gerrit Cole's 16 wins. The other starters -- Greinke, Luis Severino and Ivan Nova -- each tallied 13 wins. In the bullpen, Hand set the pace with 23 saves and a 1.72 ERA.

Votto's .390 on-base average and 39 home runs lead the offense, along with his 113 runs and 100 RBI. Gonzalez drove in 115 runs, batting .285 and scoring 94 runs; Cruz hit 34 dingers and drove in 103 runs; Upton scored 109 runs batting leadoff ... while striking out a whopping 206 times!

As noted, Evans' County Road team set P-Town up for success in 2018, along with a few key draft additions, including Moncada (53k), Vazquez (21k), defensive standout Yolmer Sanchez (2k) and Severino (150k)!

Priewe felt extremely fortunate in his first year in the league, setting a high bar for success that he hopes he can match again someday ...

-- 66 -- 

P-Town Axemen Ready for Foray into Mike McClurg-Mason Dixon Tabletop League

First baseman Joey Votto is expected to anchor a powerful P-Town Axemen
lineup that will take the field during the 46th year of the Mike McClurg-Mason
Dixon Tabletop League.

The P-Town Axemen -- loaded with a high-powered collection of returning players, including Joey Votto, Justin Upton and Zach Greinke -- are gearing up for their manager's first year in the Mike McClurg-Mason Dixon Tabletop League, which has been rolling since 1973.

"It's a great honor to be invited into the MM-MDTL," said Axemen GM and Manager Rob Priewe.

The Axemen are comprised of the roster that formerly competed as the County Road Rebels, under the direction of Terry Evans of Tishomingo, Mississippi. During 24 seasons in the MM-MDTL, Evans compiled a record of 2157-1731, including five championships. Whoa!

Easing the transition will be a roster bursting with talent, both in the field and on the mound.

"I can't thank Terry enough for the team he has handed off to me," Priewe said. "I can only hope to have the kind of success that Terry's squads have enjoyed over the years."

At present, the Axemen depth chart looks like this:

Catcher - Gary Sanchez
First base - Joey Votto
Second base - Marwin Gonzalez, Logan Forsythe
Shortstop - Trevor Story, Adrelton Simmons
Third base - Josh Donaldson
Outfield - Justin Upton, Jackie Bradley Jr., Steven Souza, Kevin Kiermaier 
Designated hitter - Nelson Cruz

Gerrit Cole

Starting pitchers - Gerrit Cole, Zach Greinke, Sonny Gray, Ivan Nova, Kevin Gausman, Joe Ross, Steven Matz, Brandon Finnegan

Relief pitchers - Brad Hand, Kyle Barraclough, Trevor Rosenthal, Hector Rondon

The MM-MDTL Draft/World Series is set for Saturday, Feb. 24, 2018, beginning at 1 p.m. ET. 

The MM-MDTL is a 20-team APBA baseball game league, which uses the basic game with modifications and a 25-player roster.

-rp-