DOWN 11-6, THE RIVERDOGS RALLY BACK WITH ELEVEN RUNS IN THE FINAL INNING TO USURP TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS IN A FABIOLICIOUS ROCK ‘EM SOCK ‘EM EBA 13U SELECT LOOP GAME AT CHRISTIE PITS

Beneath a cloudy ceiling of candied sprinkled skies, the York Riverdogs defeated the Toronto Playgrounds 13U Red Selects 17-11 in five innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 13U Select Loop action tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
The proceeding was an entertaining and competitive contest between two talented and well coached teams. In a riveting see saw tooth and nail battle, York eventually prevailed over TP with a massive comeback in the final frame.
In the top half of the first, York staked themselves to an early 4-0 lead.
Following a leadoff walk by Joseph (7), Quinn (3) was hit by pitch that put two runners on base. Amare (4) followed with a RBI single that advanced Quinn to third base and brought Joseph home with the opening run of the game.

With runners on third and second, Daniel (15) stroked a RBI single that allowed Quinn to score. A TP error on the play allowed Amare to bring home another Riverdogs run.
After Daniel had swiped his way around the horn into scoring position at third, Esteban (78) brought Daniel home with a groundout.
Following a deft strikeout by TP 13U Red starter Hudson (18) for the second out, Dillon (17) would draw a walk and advance to third base courtesy of a stolen base and a wild pitch.
After the pitch bounced in the dirt and ricocheted away from TP catcher Jacob (4), Dillon made a brazen move to charge homeward on the wild pitch, However, Jacob hustled down the first baseline to retrieve the ball and made a laser throw to Hudson, who tagged Dillon out to ring up a chitty, chitty, bang, bang 2-1 play at the plate for the third out.

Not taking things lying down, Toronto Playgrounds answered back in lickety split fashion with five runs in the bottom of the first to take a 5-4 lead.
Exhibiting tender patience at the dish, Milo (21), Tyler (26) and Hudson garnered a trifecta of walks to open the inning and load the bases. Mike (9) followed suit with a bases loaded RBI walk that allowed Milo to E-Street Shuffle home with TP’s first run.

With the bases still juiced to the gills, Emmett (52) brought home a pair of runs on a fielder’s choice that erased Mike at second, and brought Tyler and Hudson home to roost.
After advancing to third via a stolen base and a wild pitch, Emmett seized the moment when he took advantage of another York wild pitch to motor home with TP’s tying run.

Following a walk and two stolen bases by Jacob, Julian (77) powereded a one out RBI double that brought Jacob home with the go ahead run.
After Vincenzo (29) singled and Stanley (22) walked to reload the bases, York starter Daniel tallied a pop out and strikeout to douse the TP uprising in the first frame.

With Baha Men fervour, the Riverdogs replied with a pair in the top of the second to retake the upper hand 6-5.
After a one out walk by Zack (6) and a single by Joseph, Quinn was hit by pitch to load the bases. Amare would hit into a fielder’s choice that advanced Joseph to third, erased Quinn at second, and brought Zack home with the tying run.
A subsequent TP error would allow Joseph to zoom home with the York’s go ahead run.

TP southpaw reliever Milo tallied a strikeout, groundout and a nifty pickoff to vanquish the Riverdogs insurgency in the second frame.
With 1-2-3 efficiency, York reliever Zack retired TP in order in the bottom portion of the second courtesy of a pop out and a pair of groundouts that kept them off the scoring ledger.

In the top of third, TP reliever Milo kept the Riverdogs offence in the dog pound with a deft combination of guile, finesse and a little help from his friends.
After Piero (9) slashed the ball to right, TP right fielder Hudson made an AMAZIN’ catch to tally the first out.
The TP defence continued to flash the leather as centre fielder Tyler combined with second baseman Stanley on a pretty 8-4 putout to ring up York baserunner Esteban the second out.

And just like a classic Kirby, TP first baseman Payton (3) vacuumed up a sharp cheddar cheese grounder off the bat of Gabriel (88) to chalk up the third out and keep York off the scoreboard.
With the wind in their sails, Toronto Playgrounds rallied back with a pair in the bottom half of the third to retake the lead 7-6.
After a one out walk and stolen base by Emmett, Jacob delivered a RBI double that allowed Emmett to motor home with the tying run.

Following a brazen steal of third by Jacob, Julian hit into a groundout that allowed Jacob to zoom homeward with TP’s go ahead run.
Nonplussed, York reliever Zack tallied three groundouts in the third frame to extinguish the TP mutiny.
With smooth peanut butter craftiness, TP reliever Emmett kept the potent Riverdogs offence off the scoresheet in the top of the fourth courtesy of a dropped third strike, fly out and a pop out.

Toronto Playgrounds added four to their booty in the bottom of the fourth to extend their advantage to 11-6.
Following a leadoff walk and stolen base by Stanley, Henry (14) muscled a searing RBI double that allowed Stanley to hustle home with a run.


After a deft steal of third by Henry, Payton reached base on a hit by pitch and Milo drew a walk that loaded the bases. With one out, Hudson stroked a RBI hit that brought Henry home with a run.
With the bases still juiced to the gills, Mike delivered a two RBI double that allowed Payton and Milo to hustle and bustle home with a pair of TP runs.

York reliever Quinn entered the fray from the bullpen in the fourth frame to chalk up a lineout and two sparkling strikeouts to terminate the TP insurrection.
Refusing to quietly into the night, the Riverdogs sent a Conga line of seventeen batters to the plate in the top half of the fifth as they rallied back with an eleven run fusillade to take a 17-11 lead.
After Amare led off the inning with a double, Daniel followed with an Oh! My! My! two RBI home run blast that stirred the Riverdogs offence to life.

With the deficit trimmed to 11-8, York would exercise patience at the dish as they proceeded to feast upon a delectable TP buffet serving of ten walks during their comeback. Sprinkled into the Riverdogs rally were key RBI hits by Quinn (RBI single) and Daniel (a two run RBI single to go along with his two run homer).

TP reliever Tyler entered the fray in the fifth frame to ring up three strikeouts to extinguish the Riverdogs rebellion.
In the bottom of the fifth, York closer Quinn chalked up two Nasty Canasta strikeouts and coaxed a hot tamale lineout to Riverdogs shortstop Amare to seal the deal on the comeback victory over TP.
