Rob Park had both hits for the Monarchs.
Woods and Oxford shared the spotlight in the light-hitting affair until Rob Park scored the only run of the game in the home half of the fourth inning. The Monarchs centrefielder started the inning by smacking a single to left field. After Wood whiffed the third strike past left-fielder Darrin Park, Jeff Gillam got credited for a single after his roller towards third took a bad bounce past an unsuspecting Glen Seaborn playing the hot corner for the Aces.
Wood then fanned Aaron Flood for the second out with Monarchs second baseman Ryan Price stepping into the batter's box. Wood's batterymate Stephen Hynes threw a ball down to first baseman Michael Tavenor in an attempt to pick Gillam off at first base, but the ball got away from Tavenor and Park came around to score the winning run.
Wood threw the third strike past Price to end the inning.
The Aces threatened in the top of the sixth as Mark Lombard singled to left field and stole second base on the next Oxford offering to get in scoring position. Stephen Hynes was victim of the strikeout for the first out before Grant Vincent caused some anxious moments with a long fly ball to left centre that Rob Park ran down with relative ease for the second out. Michael Tavenor stepped up to the plate with hopes of delivering the clutch hit, but his hard line drive to left field was caught to end the threat. The winner of the series takes on the Starling's Hawks in the league final.
dkearsey@thewesternstar.com
