Finn returns to pitching after 21 years, throws for Explorers Legends vs. Junior National Team

Friday night’s game between the USA Junior Men’s National Fastpitch Team and the newly-formed Midland Explorers Legends at Currie Stadium at Emerson Park had a little bit of everything: tight pitching, some sharp defense, home runs — and the return of a local legend.

In the top of the seventh inning, pitcher Pete Finn returned to the pitching circle for an Explorers team for the first time since 1993 — 21 years ago.

Finn, a member of the ISC Hall of Fame, was one of the top fastpitch pitchers in the world during his time with the Explorers from 1986 to 1993.

Friday’s game kicked off the B/C Division of the annual Lefty Bartos/Lee Isenhart Memorial Tournament, which continues through Sunday.

Finn, fittingly wearing No. 21 for the Legends, faced three batters, walking the first batter he faced on a full count before striking out the next two. Finn relieved Rick Engle, who pitched the first 6 1/3 innings.

“Pete was amazing; he did good,” said Legends’ manager Eric Isenhart. “I’m very happy with his success ... it’s awesome, isn’t it?”

Isenhart added that Finn was initially unsure about the idea of pitching again, but he eventually warmed up to it.

“It took a while to bribe him, but we got him out here,” Isenhart joked.

Finn couldn’t say exactly why he decided to come out of retirement to pitch for the Legends, but he felt good with his performance.

“I’m not really sure why (I came back), to tell the truth,” he said. “A lot of the guys that are playing (with the Legends) now, I played with them (before) and they had talked about (the Bartos/Isenhart tournament) and physically, it wasn’t too bad, so it just sort of worked out.”

The Junior National Team is practicing and playing exhibition games in Midland until Tuesday in preparation for the Junior World Championships later this summer in Canada.

While Friday marked Finn’s return to an Explorers-affiliated team, he had also pitched twice for city league teams in order to prepare for this weekend.

“Each time was a little better,” he said of those appearances. “But the rust is still there. I try to stay in decent shape. Basically, pitching is your legs and your forearms. My wrists and hands have been a little tender the last couple of weeks, but nothing too bad.”

Finn added that the biggest changes to the game of fastpitch during his time away were in the bats and the balls.

“The balls and bats are much livelier, a lot more,” he said. “The balls carry further; the bats have more spring in them. The game is livelier at the plate, which is good and bad. Pitching’s not as deep as it used to be, so you’re going to see more home runs.”

Two home runs were hit on Friday by the Junior Nationals — a three-run blast over the fence in right-center field by Jimbo Pernetti and a two-run shot to right field by Phil Zimmerman, both during the Nationals’ six-run top of the seventh.

The Legends got on the board in the bottom of the first when Steve Lashuay led off with a walk, moved to second on a sacrifice bunt by Isenhart, and scored on a single up the middle by Todd Schultz.

In the third inning, Pernetti gave the Junior Nationals a 2-1 lead when he drove in two runs with a base hit to right off of the glove of a lunging Lashuay at second base.

In the top of the sixth, the Junior Nationals made it 4-1 on a double, two fielder’s choices, two wild pitches, and an error.

But the Legends battled back to tie the game with three runs in their half of the sixth.

With one out, back-to-back singles by Schultz and Gary Franson put runners at first and third for Dave Ganton, who slashed a double to center that scored both runners to pull the Legends within one.

After a single and a walk loaded the bases, Timm Richardson lifted a sacrifice fly to right field that was deep enough to score Ganton and tie the game 4-4.

But then the Junior Nationals batted all the way through the order in the seventh, scoring six runs on a double, a single, a walk, two home runs, and a pair of errors by the Legends.

In their last at-bats, the Legends managed one run when Gabby Rivard walked and later scored on a single by Franson.

“We battled, we battled,” Isenhart said of his team’s loss. “You do second-guess yourself: ‘Do you pull (Engle) out (earlier in the seventh)? I mean, he was throwing good ... a couple of errors did it. But, hey, we’ll get them next (time).”

Both team play today at 1 p.m., as the Legends take on Mayan Agency of Hemlock, and the Nationals face Reese.

In the other Class B/C division game played on Friday, Reese defeated Mayan Agency 7-6.

The Midland Emerson ACes beat the Hastings Blues 3-0 in the ISC Pool A.

The Junior Nationals will play the Midland Junior Explorers in an exhibition on Monday evening at Currie Stadium.