Game 1 of the NLDS between the Grapes and Garden of Thrones was chaotic from the start. Branches Buitensport opened strong, but Sara Werd’s wild pitch in the third allowed a run that shifted momentum. The Knight team responded quickly, capitalizing on two errors to plate three runs and take the lead. Jonas led the comeback with a sharp double in the fifth before sliding home on a crash play at the plate. The game stayed tight until the eighth when Garden of Thrones launched back-to-back homers off reliever Red Hair, including a 412-foot shot from Michael.
With tensions high, the bottom of the ninth saw Clifford and Mavi both walk. A botched grounder by the Thrones’ shortstop loaded the bases. Then came the decisive moment: Amy hit a liner to center. The throw beat the runner home, but the collision jarred the ball loose, ending the game in walk-off fashion. The Grapes took Game 1 in dramatic fashion and now hold the series lead heading into Game 2.