Loafers advance to Twi League playoffs

GARRETT COLE punched a ticket to the playoffs for the Loafers last night at Moulton Park. Cole struck out 13 Unknowns on his a way to a dominant 2-1 win. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

GARRETT COLE punched a ticket to the playoffs for the Loafers last night at Moulton Park. Cole struck out 13 Unknowns on his a way to a dominant 2-1 win. (Dan Pawlowski Photo)

Published in the August 4, 2017 edition.

WAKEFIELD — The Loafers and Unknowns played in the biggest game of the 2017 Twi League season at Moulton Park last night. With three out of the four teams set for the playoffs, the Loafers and Unknowns found themselves in a one-game playoff to make it to the final four on Sunday.

The Loafers’ Garrett Cole, and the Unknowns’ Adam Chanley dueled to the very end, but the Loafers ended up getting the win 2-1.

The Loafers scored one run in the fourth, and one in the fifth, which was all Cole would need to get them to the postseason.

Cole struck out 13 batters in seven innings, including the first six of the game. Cole was dominant except for giving up one run in the fourth inning, when the Unknowns scored on an RBI double from Graham Robertson.

The Loafers scored their run in the fourth after back-to-back triples. James Beaton scored the run for the Loafers.

The second Loafers run came on a sacrifice fly from leadoff man Jared Pavey in the fifth.

Those two would be all Cole needed, as the Loaf ace bought his team a ticket to the postseason with a 1,2,3 final inning to shut the door.

The Twi League playoffs will kick off on Sunday with a double header at Moulton. The first game will be at 2 pm, and the second game will be at 5 pm.