Due to the hurricane Florence that is heading to the Carolinas, the Carolina League (A Advanced) decided to reduce the five-game championship series to a winner take all championship game. The Buies Creek Astros took on the Potomac Nationals and beat them 2-1 in eleven innings.
Yesterday’s championship game ended a two-year arrangement that brought the former Bakersfield Blaze (California League) to Buies Creek and a temporary home.
Next year the team will move into a brand new stadium in Fayetteville, NC.
The new name is still up in the air. The name will be chosen out of the following five: “Fatbacks,” “Fly Traps,” “Jumpers,” “Wood Dogs,” or “Woodpeckers” and is expected to be announced later today.
Buies Creek loaded the bases in the 11th with one out. Robinson opened the inning with an infield single and took second on Adams’ base hit, then easily beat center fielder Nick Banks’ throw to the plate on Arauz’s fly ball. A few dozen spectators were on hand for Tuesday night’s game, which was delayed about a half-hour because of pre-game rainfall.
The Astros have a very successful farm system as four of their five farm teams that play above rookie level, made it to the playoffs: Fresno Grizzlies, Corpus Christi Hooks, Buies Creek Astros and the Tri-City ValleyCats. The Grizzlies play the Memphis Redbirds in the PCL final, the Corpus Christi Hooks were ousted by the San Antonio Missions (expect a blog post about that club soon) in the division championship series of the Texas League, and the ValleyCats won the New York-Penn League championship.
Dutch Baseball Hangout 