By Charles Chaney
For the Herald
WICHITA, Kan. — Pete Irvin threw six complete innings and struck out five as the Everett Merchants eliminated the defending champion Santa Barbara Foresters at the National Baseball Congress World Series on Thursday afternoon at Lawrence Dumont Stadium.
Everett moves on to its first semifinal since winning the NBC World Series in 1988.
“In 1988, they doubted us then, too,” Merchants manager Harold Pyatte said.
Two singles and an error loaded the bases in the bottom of the first inning before Austin Atwell walked to score Ty Holm with Everett’s first run.
Irvin showed a consistent ability to get the Merchants out of jams all game long proved to the deciding factor. Irvin left seven Foresters stranded over his six innings pitched. Irvin would allow just two runs over six hits.
Everett blew the doors off in the third inning when Jake Levin and Isaiah Aluko both doubled to score three runs, giving the Merchants a 4-0 lead.
“We might not be the biggest name here,” Atwell said. “We surprise them earlier and convince them by the end.”
Every time Santa Barbara scored, the Merchants answered back. The Foresters cut the deficit to 5-3 in the top of the seventh but Spencer Wells snuck one into left field in the bottom of the inning to score Atwell and give Everett a three-run cushion.
Max Dwyer picked up his third save of the tournament, throwing two scoreless innings to close it out.
“With our pitching, when we are dialed in,” Irvin said, “we can beat almost anyone.”
Everett will face the Hays (Kansas) Larks in a semifinal game on Saturday at 1 p.m. with a place in Sunday’s championship game on the line.
“This group is so fun to coach,” Pyatte said. “Glad we aren’t done yet, two more games to go.”
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