DOWN 7-5, TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS STORM BACK WITH NINE RUNS IN THE FOURTH INNING TO PREVAIL OVER THE WHITE SOX AND EARN THEIR THIRD EBA MOSQUITO SELECT LOOP VICTORY
Beneath a duvet of warm and succulent summer skies, the Toronto Playgrounds Minor Mosquito Selects defeated the Martingrove White 14-8 in 4 ½ roller coaster innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Mosquito Select Loop action this evening at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
The wild west proceeding was a highly entertaining Cracker Jack contest between two talented teams. In the end, TP staged a tsunami comeback rally in the fourth frame to overtake the White Sox and take home the victory prize.
Martingrove threatened in the top half of the first. After stroking a leadoff single, Jake (25) swiped his way around the horn to third base. However, TP starter Hudson (18) found his mojo and tallied a pair of strikeouts to subdue the White Sox insurgency.
Hudson also received a nice assist from his defence during the inning. With a runner on base, TP second baseman Ben (15) snagged a screaming line drive off the bat of Victoria (12) to rob her of a sure hit and ring up the first out.
With a modicum of focus and determination, TP utilized a four hit attack in the bottom of the first to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. After a pair of one out singles by Sawyer (43) and Holden (25), Payton (3) garnered a walk to load the bases. Chase (23) followed with a two RBI single that brought Sawyer and Holden home with the opening runs of the game.
Following a walk by Ben that reloaded the bases, Hudson earned a bases loaded RBI walk that allowed Payton to come home from third.
With the bases still juiced to the gills, Henry B. (14) stroked a clutch two out RBI single that brought Chase homeward with a run.
Martingrove starter Victoria would tally a groundout and two strikeouts in the first frame to quash the TP uprising.
In the top of the second, the White Sox quickly answered back with four to deadlock the game 4-4. After Chase (9), Noah (11) and Silas (10) garnered consecutive walks to load the bases, Farley (20) reached base on a hit by pitch that brought Chase home with Martingrove’s first run.
With the bases still loaded, Ronnie (18) drew a bases loaded RBI walk to bring Noah homeward.
Subsequently, with the bases still juiced to the gills, Justin (22) was erased at first base on a dropped third strike. On the play, Farley and Ronnie moved respectively up to third and second and Silas bolted home with a run.
With two aboard, Adler (8) delivered a RBI single that allowed Farley to come home with the equalizer.
Shaken, but not stirred, TP reliever Chase rang up two strikeouts and a pop out to quash the White Sox rebellion.
TP replied with a run in the bottom of the second to take a 5-4 lead. After drawing a one out walk, Lucas (24) cranked up the afterburners and stole his way to third. The White Sox defence would commit an error on Lucas’ theft of third that allowed him to motor home with the go ahead run.
Martingrove reliever Chase (9) would tally a pair of groundouts and a strikeout in the second to extinguish the TP mutiny.
Not to be outdone, the White Sox answered back with a run in the top of the third to tie the affair 5-5. After a leadoff single by Augustino (26), Sierra (3) garnered a walk that put two mallards on the lake. Chase followed with a RBI single that allowed Augustino home with the tying run.
Nonplussed, TP reliever Julian (77) chalked up a pair of strikeouts and a groundout to terminate the Martingrove civil disobedience in the third inning.
Toronto Playgrounds threatened in the bottom portion of the third after Chase singled and stole his way into scoring position at third base. However, White Sox reliever Jake rang up two strikeouts and a groundout to end the threat and keep TP off the scoring ledger.
In the top parameter of the fourth, Martingrove snapped the deadlock when they scored a pair to take a 7-5 advantage. After Justin drew a one out walk, Adler stroked a single that put two ducklings on the inlet. With two outs, Victoria delivered a clutch two RBI double that brought Justin and Adler home with the go ahead runs.
Unfazed, TP reliever Henry K. (13) tallied a pair of strikeouts and a groundout in the fourth to quell the White Sox insurrection.
With true grit and a dollop of mustard, TP sent a Barry Manilow Copacabana conga line procession of twelve batters to the dish in the bottom of the fourth as they rallied with nine runs to retake the upper hand 14-7.
After Hudson drew a leadoff walk and Henry B. singled, Charles (11) was hit by pitch to load the bases. Henry K. followed and hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Henry B. at third, advanced Charles to second, and brought Hudson home with a run and trim the deficit to one.
After Lucas hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Charles at third and left two runners on base, Oliver (35) delivered a clutch two out two RBI single to bring Henry K. and Lucas home with the tying and go ahead runs.
Following a single by Sawyer and a walk by Holden that loaded the bases, Payton hit a RBI single that allowed Oliver to come homeward.
With the bases still juiced to overflow proportions, Chase stroked a two RBI single that brought Sawyer and Holden home to do the Teke zortlatmasi.
With two aboard, Ben delivered a two RBI single that allowed Payton and Chase to come home and do the shimmy, shimmy, shake.
Subsequently, Ben would swipe his way around the horn to third and blaze homeward to score a run with a brazen steal of home.
In a workmanlike effort, Martingrove reliever Adler chalked up a pair of groundouts and pop out in the fourth to quash the TP coup d’état.
Refusing to go quietly into the night, the White Sox battled back with a run in the top of the fifth to trim the gap to six. With two outs and a runner on third, Silas stroked a RBI single to bring Chase home to roost.
TP reliever Holden tallied a fly out, groundout and strikeout in the fifth inning to bring the curtain down on the proceedings.
And kudos to TP centrefielder Chase for making a sweet Gold Glove shoestring catch to rob Sierra of a hit destined for extra bases and ring up the first out in the top of the fifth frame.
The TP Minor Mosquito Selects (3-7-1) travel to Westway Park on Friday (July 26) evening to battle the Royal York Red at 6:30 p.m.
