IN A TOOTH AND NAIL BATTLE, TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS PREVAIL OVER THE ATHLETICS AT RAVINA GARDENS PARK TO EARN THEIR THIRD CONSECUTIVE EBA ROOKIE BALL SELECT LOOP VICTORY
Game Summary courtesy of Vincent Lynch
Under a cool layer of beautiful blue skies, the Toronto Playgrounds Rookie Ball Selects defeated the Annette A’s 8-5 in seven innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Rookie Ball Select Loop action this evening at Ravina Gardens Park to win their third consecutive game and remain undefeated.
Here is a brief recap of the proceedings:
- Playing in their third straight road game to open the 2018 season, TP managed to get themselves on the scoreboard in the top of the first with some smart base running. After getting on board with a single, Nathan moved over to second on a fielder’s choice. As Noah popped up to the A’s catcher, Nathan smartly tagged up and advanced to third base. Jamie followed with a clutch two out RBI single to bring Nathan home and give TP an early 1-0 lead.
- After Annette tied it up in the bottom of the second, TP answered back with two runs in the top half of the third to retake the lead 3-1. Following a pair of singles by Theo and Ben that put two ducks on the pond, Toby delivered a hard ground ball for a two RBI single that brought them homeward.
- TP added three runs in the fourth to extend their advantage to 6-1. After Beckett and Noah opened the frame with respective singles that put two otters on the lake, the A’s defence managed to get two outs on a pair of fielder’s choice plays. Undeterred, TP staged a determined two out offensive surge that displayed the team’s fortitude and character. After Holden’s hard hit RBI single, Rohan followed suit with a RBI single. For the icing on the cake, Theo delivered a RBI single to bring the curtain down on the inning.
- For the third week in a row, the TP defence was solid all game long and was anchored by the stellar effort of Nathan at second base.
- In the top of the fifth, TP tallied an insurance run. After searing a hot tamale shot down the third baseline that got by the Annette left fielder and kept on rolling and gathering no moss, Willy turned on the jets and legged out a dramatic inside the park home run.
- Refusing to wave the white flag of surrender, the pesky Athletics rallied for two runs in the sixth and another pair in the seventh to trim the gap to three. But in the end, the Annette comeback fell short as TP hung on for an 8-5 victory.
- The clash between TP and Annette was a very tough and hard fought game between two talented and well coached teams. In the end, the prowess of the TP defence was the difference and the game ball was duly awarded to Nathan, in recognition of all his fine plays at second base.
After a three game Grateful Dead road trip to open the 2018 EBA Rookie Ball Select Loop season, the TP Rookie Ball Selects (3-0) return home to the friendly confines of Christie Pits Diamond 3 for their home opener against the York Riverdogs next Tuesday (May 22) at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for this stellar affair are still available at the TP Baseball Ticket Office.