A window of opportunity existed, but it would require a Young Guns loss in one of their two games Sunday against the bottom two teams in the standings. That window was left cracked open when Swartz Creek upset the Young Guns before falling to the Mudcats themselves. This meant that going into the final game of the season -- a matchup with a talented Westside Panthers squad -- the title was theirs for the taking.
The Mudcats jumped out to a 5-0 lead, but saw the Panthers rally for four of their own to make it a one-run game. Then with one out in bottom half of the game's final inning, the Panthers tied the game and put the winning run in scoring position. The Mudcats would not be denied though, as they held them scoreless from there for a title-clinching 5-5 tie.
The post-season playoffs are next Sunday afternoon as the #1 seeded Mudcats open against the winner of the Swartz Creek/Grand Blanc Gladiators game for an opportunity to compete in the tournament's championship game.
Final regular season standings for the 2013 Greater Flint Baseball League fall session:
