2026 AMERICAN LEAGUE WILD CARD SERIES “A”
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SERIES PREVIEW – Goliath Meets David: Powerhouse Crushers Loom Large Over Underdog Skyliners COCONUT CREEK — If the Cincinnati Skyliners are looking for a miracle, October is the time to find one. They’ll certainly need it. The 2026 MWBL Wild Card round kicks off with what looks on paper—and on the diamond—like a massive mismatch. The American League West champion Coconut Creek Crushers enter the postseason as an undisputed juggernaut. Boasting an imposing 104-58 record, the Crushers overwhelmed the competition all summer, outclassing Cincinnati by 24 games in the overall standings. The Skyliners, meanwhile, limped into the postseason dance at 80-82. While Cincinnati showed occasional fight during the regular season, Coconut Creek still took the head-to-head season series, 7-5. Compounding Cincinnati’s uphill climb is the MWBL’s division-winner advantage: the Crushers carry an automatic “Ghost Win” into this best-of-seven clash. That spot gives Coconut Creek a virtual 1-0 series lead before the first pitch is even thrown. The Crushers need just three victories to punch their ticket to the Division Series; the sub – .500 Skyliners face the monumental task of taking four games from a 104-win buzzsaw. Cincinnati will need flawless pitching and postseason luck just to make this competitive. Otherwise, expect Coconut Creek to make quick work of the AL East runners-up. |
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GAME #1 – Eric Lauer 8-13 (4.03) vs. Matt Boyd 16-9 (2.62) The Coconut Creek Crushers opened Game 1 of the Championship Series in commanding fashion, relying on sharp starting pitching and timely power to take down the visiting Cincinnati Skyliners 6-1. Southpaw Matt Boyd set the tone early on the mound for Coconut Creek, neutralizing an opening-frame threat by picking off Otto Lopez at first base following a leadoff single. After both starters traded scoreless frames through the first two innings, the Crushers broke the stalemate in the bottom of the third. Nico Hoerner roped a leadoff double off the right-center wall, and Alec Bohm immediately drove him home with an RBI single. Following a sacrifice bunt, Giancarlo Stanton brought Bohm in with a two-out single to left, giving Coconut Creek a 2-0 cushion before Stanton was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. Boyd remained in control, facing the minimum in the third and fifth innings while working around traffic in the fourth. In the bottom of the fifth, Yainer Diaz gave Boyd extra breathing room by crushing Eric Lauer’s pitch for a leadoff solo home run. Cincinnati finally answered in the top of the sixth when Amed Rosario tagged Boyd for a two-out solo blast to right, trimming the deficit to 3-1. The Crushers slammed the door right back in the home half of the sixth against Cincinnati reliever Pierce Johnson. Geraldo Perdomo led off with a solo shot to right-center, and two batters after Matt Olson grounded into a double play, Brandon Nimmo lofted a two-out solo shot over the right-field fence to widen the gap to 5-1. Defensive miscues unraveled any comeback hopes for the Skyliners in the seventh. After Brendan Donovan doubled off reliever Jack Perkins, Justin Sterner entered for Coconut Creek to strand the runner. In the bottom half, Hoerner doubled again, moved up, and scored when Donovan dropped a fly ball in left field off the bat of T.J. Friedl. An errant throw on a grounder by Otto Lopez loaded the bases later in the inning, but Zack Littell escaped further damage. Sterner, Cade Smith, and Shawn Armstrong combined to shut down Cincinnati over the final two innings, with Alec Bohm and Matt Olson teaming up on a sharp groundout in the ninth to seal the win. CCC 6 – CIN 1 Win: Matt Boyd 1-0 (1.42) |
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GAME #2 – Ian Seymour 1-3 (5.91) vs. Logan Webb 19-6 (3.15) The Cincinnati Skyliners bounced back in Game 2 of the Championship Series, edging the Coconut Creek Crushers 3-2 behind a dominant outing from left-hander Ian Seymour and a pair of decisive home runs. The win evened the best-of-seven series at one game apiece. Cincinnati struck first in the top of the second inning when Tyler Stephenson launched a one-out, solo home run off Coconut Creek starter Logan Webb. Webb settled down and evaded trouble in the third after Chandler Simpson roped a two-out triple, leaving Simpson stranded by striking out Tommy Edman looking. Seymour was in complete control early, holding Coconut Creek hitless through the first four frames while piling up strikeouts. Cincinnati expanded its lead in the top of the fifth inning. Ryan Mountcastle singled with one out, and with two away, Otto Lopez belted a two-run homer to left, pushing the Skyliners ahead 3-0. The Crushers finally broke through in the bottom of the fifth. Nico Hoerner reached on an infield single for Coconut Creek’s first base knock of the game, promptly stole second, and scored when Alec Bohm bounced an RBI single up the middle. Seymour limited the damage by fanning Edouard Julien to cap an eight-strikeout performance through five innings. Coconut Creek’s bullpen kept the game within reach. Matt Brash relieved Webb in the sixth and struck out three over 1.2 scoreless frames, while Jacob Webb followed with 1.1 hitless innings, including catcher Ivan Herrera throwing out Edman attempting to steal second to end the eighth. Trailing 3-1, Coconut Creek mounted a serious charge against Cincinnati reliever Lucas Erceg in the bottom of the eighth. Hoerner reached on a throwing error by Erceg, advanced to second on a wild pitch, and moved to third on a groundout by pinch-hitter Kyle Stowers. T.J. Friedl then delivered a clutch two-out RBI single over second base to score Hoerner and cut the deficit to 3-2. However, Geraldo Perdomo grounded out to end the threat. Cincinnati manager Buck Miller V turned to his bullpen to secure the win in the ninth. Tony Santillan retired pinch-hitter Brandon Marsh on a grounder before Miller summoned southpaw Steven Matz to face Coconut Creek’s left-handed bats. Matz slammed the door, inducing two sharp groundouts to second baseman Brendan Donovan from Matt Olson and Brandon Nimmo to earn the save. CIN 3 – CCC 2 Win: Ian Seymour 1-0 (1.29) |
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GAME #3 – Brandon Woodruff 8-5 (2.45) vs. Zack Littell 10-13 (3.40) The Cincinnati Skyliners took a 2-1 lead in the Championship Series with a hard-fought 5-4 victory over the Coconut Creek Crushers in Game 3. Behind multi-homer heroics from shortstop Otto Lopez and a gritty, eight-inning start by Zack Littell, Cincinnati held off a fierce late-inning rally by Coconut Creek. After a scoreless opening frame, the Skyliners broke the game wide open in the bottom of the second inning against Coconut Creek starter Brandon Woodruff. Cincinnati capitalized on back-to-back base hits and run-scoring opportunities, with Parker Meadows driving in a run, Tyler O’Neill plating another, and Lopez belting a crucial home run to highlight a four-run explosion. Woodruff was hit hard in the frame, though he managed to strike out nine across five innings despite being tagged with four earned runs. Coconut Creek began chipping away in the top of the fourth. Catcher Yainer Diaz sparked the offense with a double, and Nico Hoerner drove in the Crushers’ first run of the evening to cut the deficit to 4-1. Littell worked out of further damage, pitching effectively to contact while leaning on solid outfield defense. After both bullpens stabilized things through the middle frames—including a scoreless sixth inning from Crushers reliever Cade Smith—Cincinnati regained momentum in the bottom of the seventh. Lopez struck again, hammering a solo home run off Coconut Creek reliever Mason Miller to stretch the Skyliners’ lead to 5-1. Lopez paced Cincinnati’s offense on the night, finishing a perfect 2-for-2 with two homers, two RBIs, and two runs scored. The Crushers did not go quietly, mounting a determined comeback against the Skyliners. In the top of the eighth, Littell issued consecutive walks, allowing Coconut Creek to scratch across a run on a T.J. Friedl RBI single to make it 5-2. Littell departed after eight strong innings, having surrendered only three runs (one earned) on four hits while working around six walks. With Tony Santillan entering for the save in the top of the ninth, Cincinnati’s defense nearly unraveled. Aided by Skyliners fielding miscues and a Brandon Marsh RBI knock, Coconut Creek plated two runs to pull within a single run at 5-4. However, with the tying run in scoring position, Santillan locked down and recorded the final out to strand Coconut Creek’s tenth runner of the contest. CIN 5 – CCC 4 Win: Zack Littell 1-0 (0.90) |
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GAME #4 – Jack Leiter 16-5 (4.57) vs. Brady Singer 8-13 (4.44) The Coconut Creek Crushers evened the Championship Series at two games apiece with an authoritative 8-0 shutout over the Cincinnati Skyliners in Game 4. Backed by a four-home-run assault and a gem on the mound from Jack Leiter, the Crushers thoroughly dominated from start to finish. Both clubs missed early opportunities in the opening frame. Cincinnati starter Brady Singer wriggled out of a bases-loaded jam by inducing a double play from Brandon Marsh, while Leiter escaped a two-on, two-out situation in the bottom half after an errant passed ball on a third strike. Coconut Creek broke the ice in the top of the second inning. Brandon Nimmo drew a leadoff walk, swiped second base, and came home on a two-out RBI single to center by Josh H. Smith. The floodgates opened wide in the third. Geraldo Perdomo led off with a single, and two batters later, Kyle Stowers crushed a two-run homer to right. Marsh followed immediately by launching a solo shot to right, completing back-to-back long balls and extending the lead to 4-0. Leiter kept Cincinnati’s hitters completely off-balance, inducing soft contact and key strikeouts whenever the Skyliners generated baserunners. In the fifth, Coconut Creek added more separation. Nico Hoerner punched a two-out single to left, and Yainer Diaz promptly drove a two-run blast to right-center, widening the advantage to 6-0 and chasing Singer after five frames and ten hits allowed. The Skyliners threatened in the home half of the fifth with consecutive singles by Ryan Mountcastle and Parker Meadows, but Leiter bore down, retiring Otto Lopez, Chandler Simpson, and Tommy Edman to strand both runners in scoring position. Leiter wrapped up an impressive outing after 6.1 scoreless innings, allowing six hits while fanning five. Things went from bad to worse for Cincinnati in the eighth inning. After Justin Sterner entered in relief for Coconut Creek, Brendan Donovan was hit by a pitch with two outs and had to leave the game with an injury diagnosed to sideline him for five days. Sterner struck out pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk to end the inning. In the ninth, Matt Olson led off with a double off Steven Matz, setting up Stowers for his second home run of the game—a two-run rocket that capped a four-RBI afternoon. David Morgan tossed a clean ninth inning to secure the six-hit shutout. CCC 8 – CIN 0 Win: Jack Leiter 1-0 (0.00) |
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GAME #5 – Matt Boyd 16-9 (2.62) vs. Hunter Dobbins 4-4 (3.76) The Cincinnati Skyliners moved within one win of a title, defeating the Coconut Creek Crushers 5-1 in Game 5 behind an outstanding pitching performance from Hunter Dobbins and opportunistic hitting. With the victory, Cincinnati seized a 3-2 series advantage heading back to Coconut Creek. The game turned dramatically in the opening frame. Dobbins ran into immediate danger when Geraldo Perdomo walked, Matt Olson singled, and Kyle Stowers drew a free pass to load the bases with one out. Unfazed, the right-hander struck out Brandon Marsh looking and induced Brandon Nimmo into a hard flyout to deep right to escape unharmed. In the bottom half, Cincinnati put two on via an error and a hit batter, but Coconut Creek starter Matt Boyd answered by striking out Heriberto Hernandez to keep the contest scoreless. Cincinnati broke through with a decisive rally in the bottom of the third inning. Chandler Simpson launched a leadoff double, moved to third on a bunt single by Otto Lopez, and scored on an RBI single to left by Tommy Edman to make it 1-0. After a sacrifice and an intentional walk loaded the bases, Boyd fanned Randal Grichuk for the second out. However, J.T. Realmuto delivered the pivotal blow of the afternoon, lining a two-run single to right to extend Cincinnati’s lead to 3-0. Dobbins settled into a rhythm, facing the minimum over the middle innings while trusting his defense, which survived a two-base error in the seventh by stranding Nico Hoerner at third. The Crushers finally cracked the scoreboard in the top of the eighth when T.J. Friedl clobbered a leadoff solo home run to deep center, cutting the margin to 3-1. Dobbins responded by retiring the next three batters to finish a stellar eight-inning outing, allowing just one run on three hits while fanning six. The Skyliners slammed the door shut in the bottom of the eighth against reliever Shawn Armstrong. Pinch-runner Christopher Morel scampered home on a two-out RBI double off the wall by Ryan Mountcastle, and Amed Rosario followed immediately with an RBI double into the left-field corner to pad the lead to 5-1. Tony Santillan took over in the ninth, striking out Marsh, Hoerner, and Yainer Diaz around a walk to seal the win. CIN 5 – CCC 1 Win: Hunter Dobbins 1-0 (1.13)) |
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GAME #6 – Eric Lauer 8-13 (4.03) vs. Logan Webb 19-6 (3.15) The Cincinnati Skyliners captured the Wild Card Series title in dramatic fashion, holding off a furious ninth-inning rally by the Coconut Creek Crushers to win Game 6 by a score of 3-2. Southpaw Eric Lauer delivered a gutsy complete-game five-hitter, outlasting a parade of Coconut Creek arms to close out the series four games to two. Both clubs squandered early chances, with Coconut Creek running into outs on the bases when Nico Hoerner was caught stealing in the first, and T.J. Friedl was thrown out trying to swipe second in the eighth. Cincinnati broke the scoreless deadlock in the top of the third inning against starter Logan Webb. Ryan Mountcastle singled and Parker Meadows doubled to put two in scoring position with no outs. After Webb struck out Amed Rosario, Chandler Simpson plated Mountcastle with a sacrifice fly to right field, putting the Skyliners up 1-0. Webb departed after three innings, and Cincinnati capitalized against the Crushers’ bullpen in the top of the fifth. With two outs, Rosario singled, and Simpson followed with a base knock against Matt Brash. Coconut Creek summoned Cade Smith, but Tommy Edman blooped a two-run double down the right-field line and advanced to third on the throw home, expanding Cincinnati’s cushion to 3-0. Lauer was virtually untouchable through the middle frames, routinely setting down Coconut Creek’s lineup with efficient contact. The Crushers’ bullpen—featuring Smith, Shawn Armstrong, Jack Perkins, and a scoreless ninth from Mason Miller—kept Cincinnati from pulling further away, but Coconut Creek entered the bottom of the ninth still trailing 3-0. The final frame was pure championship drama. Ivan Herrera led off with a walk, and pinch-runner Edouard Julien trotted home when Geraldo Perdomo demolished a full-count pitch for a two-run homer to deep left, cutting the deficit to 3-2. After Giancarlo Stanton grounded out, Matt Olson kept the rally alive by hammering a double off the right-center wall to put the tying run at second base. Pinch-runner Brandon Marsh replaced Olson, but Lauer refused to fold. The left-hander induced a groundout to first from Brandon Nimmo, holding Marsh at second, and then struck out Alec Bohm on a checked swing to seal the victory and ignite the Skyliners’ championship celebration. CIN 5 – CCC 1 Win: Eric Lauer 1-1 (3.21) |
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SERIES SUMMARY – In a postseason clash billed as the ultimate David versus Goliath mismatch, the Cincinnati Skyliners authored one of the most stunning upsets in MWBL playoff history. Facing a 104-win Coconut Creek buzzsaw—and spotting the division champions an automatic “Ghost Win” before the first pitch was thrown—the sub-500 Skyliners refused to fold. After dropping Game 1, Cincinnati completely flipped the script with fearless execution, razor-thin pitching, and timely October magic. When adversity struck—from an injury to Brendan Donovan in Game 4 to the daunting task of containing the Crushers’ lethal lineup—manager John Hamel’s squad found heroes at every turn. Shortstop Otto Lopez supplied explosive thunder with three long balls, while Ian Seymour, Zack Littell, and Hunter Dobbins delivered masterful, gritty starts to repeatedly push the juggernaut to the brink. When Eric Lauer dug in to finish what he started in Game 6, surviving Geraldo Perdomo‘s dramatic ninth-inning blast and stranding the tying run on second, the impossible became reality. By taking four of the six played contests, Cincinnati proved that regular-season records and paper odds vanish under the autumn spotlight. The Cinderella Skyliners erased the 24-game regular-season deficit and advanced to the Division Series, leaving the stunned Crushers searching for answers after a historic October stunner. |