UNFURLING A 19-HIT FUSILLADE, THE ATHLETICS SHUTOUT TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS AT CHRISTIE PITS
Under an embroidered duvet of warm and humid summer skies, the Annette Black defeated the Toronto Playgrounds Minor Mosquito Selects 17-0 in four innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Mosquito Select Loop action this evening at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
The lopsided proceeding was an entertaining contest between two talented teams. In the end, it was simply not Toronto Playgrounds day as the Athletics ruled the roost with a potent combination of solid pitching and a nineteen hit attack that buried TP.
Annette jumped out to an early 4-0 lead in the top half of the first inning. After a leadoff double by Kai (14), Lucas (3) launched a RBI triple that brought him home with the opening run of the game.
With one aboard, Thomas (24) hit a RBI single to bring Lucas home. Following Thomas’ steal of second, Nick (8) stroked a single that advanced Thomas to third. On the play, a TP error allowed Nick to shuffle to second and allowed Thomas to come homeward.
After brazenly stealing third with Grand Theft aplomb, Nick charged home with a run after a TP faux pas on the play to nab him.
Shaken, but not stirred, TP starter Oliver (35) found his mojo and tallied a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to subdue the A’s insurgency.
Annette starter Eamon (7) chalked up two strikeouts and a groundout in the bottom half of the first to keep TP off the scoring ledger.
The Black kept their offensive momentum churning along in the top of the second as they added three to their tally to stretch their advantage to 7-0. After a one out double by Kai, Lucas stroked a RBI single that brought him home to crow.
After Thomas hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Lucas at second base, Nick delivered a dramatic grace under pressure two out two run inside the park home run shot that electrified the patrons in the bleacher seats.
Nonplussed, TP starter Oliver tallied three groundouts in the second frame to curtail the Annette rebellion.
With 1-2-3 flair, A’s reliever Kai mowed down the TP batting order with three strikeouts in the bottom of the second to keep them off the scoreboard.
In the top of the third, Annette scored three more runs to widen their lead to 10-0. After hitting a leadoff single, Josh (42) swiped his way around the horn to third. J.J. (2) followed with a RBI single that brought Josh home.
After hitting into a fielder’s choice that erased J.J. at second, Eamon turned on the afterburners and stole his way to third. Eamon zoomed homeward with a run after the TP defence committed an error on the play to nab him.
Following back to back two out singles by Jace (4) and Kai that put two ducks on the pond, Lucas stroked a RBI single that allowed Jace to come home with the peameal bacon.
Unfazed, TP reliever Hudson (18) tallied a pair of groundouts and a strikeout in the third frame to extinguish the Black mutiny.
In 1-2-3 fashion, Annette southpaw reliever Lucas (3) rang up three strikeouts while steering a John Deere E100 17.5-HP Automatic 42-inch Lawn Tractor in the bottom portion of the third to keep TP off the scoring abacus.
The Athletics added seven insurance runs in the top half of the fourth to push their lead to 17-0. Following a pair of walks by Nick and John (1) to open the inning and put two mallards on the lake, Josh delivered a two RBI triple to bring them home. A TP faux pas on the play allowed Josh to mosey home with another run.
After J.J. reached base on a single, Eamon hit a double that put two capybaras on the diamond. Some TP defensive indifference on the play allowed Eamon to advance to third and brought J.J. home with a run.
Following a one walk by Jace that put two aboard, Kai stroked a RBI single to bring Eamon home.
Subsequently, with two outs and a pair of runners on base, Thomas launched a clutch two RBI double that allowed Jace and Kai to come home and do the shimmy, shimmy, shake.
In a gritty workmanlike effort on the hill, TP reliever Henry K. (13) tallied a lineout and a pair of groundouts in the fourth to douse the Annette insurrection.
Sporting their rally caps, TP threatened to break the goose egg in the bottom of the fourth after Alex (65) and Oliver garnered back to back walks that put two otters on the lake. However, A’s closer Nick chalked up a strikeout and groundout to seal the deal on the victory.
Nick was also the beneficiary of a sweet defensive play from his friends during the inning. With one out and TP runners at second and first, Annette catcher Josh made a lightning throw to third baseman Eamon, who tagged out a sliding Alex to ring up the sweet 2-5 putout and kibosh his Grand Theft dreams.
The TP Minor Mosquito Selects (2-4-1) have bye week away from the EBA Mosquito Select Loop circuit next week. They resume play on Sunday, July 14 when they travel to Smythe Park to battle the York Riverdogs at 6:00 p.m.
