It took 12 innings for either team to score a run, and it was the Washington Island Islanders that got to celebrate Sunday afternoon with a 1-0 win over Sister Bay to advance to next Sunday's Door County Baseball League Playoff Championship.
The two-headed monster of Sam Forkert and Matt Hecht stymied the Islanders' batters for 11 innings, striking out eight and allowing eight hits. Even when they did get in trouble, their defense bailed them out, including a double play started by a diving grab by Griffin Cole and a game-preserving grab in centerfield by Sawyer Johnson.
Troy Jorgenson just happened to pitch a little better on Sunday, pitching all 12 innings of shutout ball while striking out eight.
The Islanders' game-winning rally started with a Ray McDonald double, who was able to advance on a ground-out by Ryan Jorgenson. Caleb Cornell delivered the eventual game-winning RBI single two batters later. Jorgenson put the brakes on the Bays' offense in the bottom of the 12th, thanks partly to a sliding play in foul territory by McDonald and a game-ending catch by Ben Johnson in right field.
The Islanders will travel to Kolberg next Sunday to face the Braves, who took advantage of a bases-loaded walk and a balked-in run to beat West Jacksonport 4-3. The game will be broadcast on 105.1 The GOAT beginning at 1 p.m. with the pregame show followed by the first pitch at 1:30 p.m.
