ON A MISSION, TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS LAUNDER THE WHITE SOX AT CHRISTIE PITS TO WIN THEIR TENTH EBA SELECT GAME OF THE SEASON
Beneath a genteel ceiling of warm midsummer skies, our Toronto Playgrounds Mosquito Selects defeated the Martingrove White Sox 17-2 in 4 ½ innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Select action this evening at Christie Pits Diamond 2 to win their tenth game of the season and remain undefeated. In 1-2-3 fashion, TP starter Solly (27) struck out the side in the top of the first to keep the White Sox off the scoresheet and in the hamper.In the bottom of the first, TP staked themselves to an early 4-0 lead. After a lead off double by Charlie (7), Theo (17) garnered a walk and Solly (27) singled to load the bases. Jayden (30) followed with a one out RBI walk to bring Charlie home with the opening run of the game.
With the bases still loaded, Tavaris (55) delivered a RBI single to plate Theo.
Subsequently, with two outs and the bases still juiced to the gills, Jordan (10) delivered a RBI single to bring Solly home to crow. On the play, Jayden took advantage of defensive lapse to scoot home with another run.
Martingrove southpaw starter Robert (7) would strike out two in the bottom of the first to subdue the TP insurrection.
TP reliever Theo (17) would strike out one in the top of the second to keep the White Sox off the scoring ledger.
Theo would also receive a little help from his friends during the inning to stem the Martingrove surge. After drawing a lead off walk, Chase (14) made a brazen bid to steal second base. However, TP catcher Vince (19) made a rocket throw to second baseman Charlie, who chased Chase back towards first. Just as Chase made a desperation slide into first base, Charlie threw to first baseman Solly, who tagged out Chase in a nifty 2-4-3 putout to ring up the first out.
With one out and two runners on base, TP third baseman Tavaris battled the glare of the setting sun to make a nice catch on an eight mile high pop up off the bat of Nathan A (9) to chalk up the second out of the frame.
Taking no prisoners, TP tallied five in the bottom of the second to widen their lead to 9-0. Following a lead off single by Cooper S. (2), Ezra (14) drew a walk to put two runners on base. Charlie would step into the batter’s box and launch a one out 2 RBI triple that allowed Cooper S. and Ezra to come homeward bound.
Theo followed with run scoring sacrifice hit that brought Charlie home to do the watusi.
With two outs, Solly, Vince and Jayden would draw consecutive walks to load the bases. Tavaris followed with a 2 RBI single that brought home Solly and Vince.
Patiently garnering four walks, the Martingrove offense surged to life in the top of the third as they scored a pair to trim the deficit to seven. With one out and the bases loaded, Michael (15) and Izaac (42) would take advantage of a series of wild pitches to come home with the White Sox’s first runs of the game.
TP reliever Cooper S. (2) would strike out one in the top of the third to quell the Martingrove uprising.
Cooper also received some wily assistance from his defense during the inning. With one out and the bases loaded, TP catcher Vince made a throw to third baseman Theo to chase a sliding Jayden (2) of the White Sox back to third base. Using the hidden ball trick, Theo tagged out Jayden when he inadvertently stepped off the bag to ring up the second out.
Going for the jugular, TP tacked on five more in the bottom of the third to stretch their advantage to 14-2. After Cassius (5) and Jordan drew consecutive walks to open the frame and put two ducks on the pound. After a wild pitch allowed both runners to move up a base, Cassius would seize the moment and steal home.Following a walk to Cooper M. (42) that put two aboard, Cooper S. would stroke a RBI single to plate Jordan.
Following a walk to Ezra that reloaded the bases, Charlie delivered a majestic one out 3 RBI bases clearing triple to the deep dish pizza nether regions of centre field. [Editor’s note: Charlie actually hit a grand slam home run. However, his grand salami shot was short circuited by the inning’s five run mercy rule. Pity!]
TP reliever Jordan (10) would strike out two in the top of the fourth to keep the White Sox off the scoreboard and in the dryer.
In the bottom of the fourth, TP would add three insurance runs to pump their lead to 17-2. Following a lead off single by Theo, Solly crunched a RBI triple to bring him home.
With one out and one aboard, Jayden delivered a RBI double to plate Solly. After stealing third, Jayden would blaze home on a Martingrove error.
Martingrove reliever Nathan A (9) would strike out a pair in the bottom of the fourth to extinguish the TP insurrection.
With a little help from his friends, TP closer Tavaris (55) would retire the White Sox with 1-2-3 finesse in the top of the fifth to bring the curtain down upon the proceedings.
TP second baseman Charlie made a nice catch on a high pop up off the bat of Nathan A to ring up the first out.
With one out and a runner on first, the TP defense turned a pretty 6-4-3 double play to end the game. After vacuuming up Jack’s (18) grounder, shortstop Jordan pivoted and made the throw to second baseman Charlie to erase Nathan G. (6) at second. Then Charlie relayed the ball to first baseman Solly to ring up a hard charging Jack to complete the double play.
The TP Mosquito Selects [10-0-1] will play their final 2016 EBA Select circuit regular season game next Sunday (August 14) evening at Christie Pits Diamond 2 when they host the Annette (Major) A’s at 6:00 p.m.