GAME #29 (winners’ bracket quarterfinals):
Joe Niekro outdueled Mario Soto and the Astros knocked off the NL’s top-seeded Reds. Niekro gave up four hits and three walks in eight innings, while Joe Sambito closed the game out with a 1-2-3 ninth. Soto struck out seven while giving up four hits, two walks and one earned run in a complete-game loss. The Astros struck first in the bottom of the first when Tony Scott doubled and was brought home on Jose Cruz’s RBI single. They made it 2-0 in the fourth when Cesar Cedeno reached on an error and scored on an RBI single by Art Howe. The Reds’ only run came in the fifth inning on back-to-back doubles by Joe Nolan and Ron Oester.
1981 APBA Double-Elimination Tournament
1981 CINCINNATI REDS (1) AT 1981 HOUSTON ASTROS (2) 1981 CINCINNATI REDS AB R H BI 1981 HOUSTON ASTROS AB R H BI Dave Collins 3 0 0 0 Tony Scott 4 1 1 0 Ken Griffey 4 0 1 0 Phil Garner 4 0 1 0 Dave Concepcion 4 0 0 0 Terry Puhl 4 0 0 0 George Foster 3 0 0 0 Jose Cruz 3 0 1 1 Johnny Bench 4 0 1 0 Cesar Cedeno 3 1 0 0 Dan Driessen 3 0 0 0 Art Howe 3 0 1 1 Ray Knight 3 0 0 0 Denny Walling 3 0 0 0 Joe Nolan 3 1 1 0 Alan Ashby 2 0 0 0 Ron Oester 3 0 1 1 Craig Reynolds 3 0 0 0 TOTALS 30 1 4 1 TOTALS 29 2 4 2 1981 CINCINNATI REDS 000 010 000 -- 1 1981 HOUSTON ASTROS 100 100 00x -- 2 LOB--1981 CINCINNATI REDS 5, 1981 HOUSTON ASTROS 5. ERR--Mario Soto. 2B--Johnny Bench, Ron Oester, Joe Nolan, Tony Scott. 1981 CINCINNATI REDS IP H R ER BB SO HR Mario Soto [L] 8.00 4 2 1 2 7 0 1981 HOUSTON ASTROS Joe Niekro [W] 8.00 4 1 1 3 2 0 Joe Sambito [S] 1.00 0 0 0 0 2 0 SO--George Foster, Dave Collins, Dave Concepcion, Dan Driessen, Denny Walling, Phil Garner, Craig Reynolds, Tony Scott, Terry Puhl, Art Howe, Alan Ashby. BB--George Foster, Dave Collins, Dan Driessen, Jose Cruz, Alan Ashby.
ROGER SPORTS & GAMES 