DOWN 13-11, TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS RALLY BACK WITH THREE RUNS IN THEIR LAST AT BATS TO OVERTAKE THE WHITE SOX FOR A SLENDER TENDERLOIN EBA 11U SELECT LOOP VICTORY AT CHRISTIE PITS
Under a warm canopy of cloudy and overcast skies, the Toronto Playgrounds 11U Red Selects edged the Martingove White Sox 14-13 in a thrilling five innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 11U Select Loop action tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
Trailing 13-11, a nitty gritty TP squad donned their rally caps in the bottom half of the fifth for one final comeback bid to usurp the pesky White Sox.
After Jack (16) led off the inning with a walk. Kale (6) stroked a solid single that put two ducklings on the pond.
Subsequently, Jack would end up trapped in no man’s land between second and third base on a brazen steal attempt. As Jack scrambled back to second to avoid the out, the Martingrove defence committed a grievous two base error that allowed Jack to motor home with a run that trimmed the gap to one.
Throwing caution to the wind, Kale proceeded to snake, rattle and roll the White Sox with a pair of derring-do steals that put Kale into scoring position at third base with the potential game tying run.
Following a walk by Charlie (20) that put two aboard, Gabriel K. (13) delivered a hit that loaded the bases. On the play, a Martingrove faux pas allowed Kale to hustle homeward with the tying run.
With runners on third and second, Henry (27) stepped up to the plate and muscled a RBI single that brought Charlie home with TP’s winning run.
The proceeding was an entertaining tooth and nail seesaw battle between two talented and well coached teams. When the dust had finally settled, a never say die TP squad rallied back in the final frame to prevail for the slender tenderloin victory over the pesky White Sox.
In the top of the first, TP 11U Red starter Billy mowed down Martingrove batting order in 1-2-3 fashion with three electrifying strikeouts that left the White Sox offence in the laundry basket.
Toronto Playgrounds scored four in the bottom of the first to jump out to an early 4-0 lead.
After a leadoff walk, Liam (37) swiped his way around the horn into scoring position at third base with Grand Theft aplomb. With one out, Billy stroked a RBI hit that brought Liam home with the opening run of the game.
Following a walk by Harrison (42) that put two runners on base, Martingrove uncorked a wild pitch that allowed Harrison to advance to second and Billy to zoom home with a run.
After a walk by Jack that put two swans on the lake, Kale powered a seamless RBI single that brought Harrison home with another TP run.
Following a walk by Charlie that loaded the bases, Gabriel K. closed out the inning with a RBI single that allowed Jack to come home with the peameal bacon.
In a gritty foray on the hill, Martingrove starter Julian (8) tallied one strikeout against TP 11U Red in the first inning.
The Martingrove offence roared to life in the top hlaf of the second as they rallied with four runs to deadlock the game 4-4.
After a leadoff walk and stolen base by Bobel (9), Bobby (12) delivered a clutch two out RBI double that brought Bobel home with the White Sox first run.
Exercising discipline at the plate, Remy (6) and Mason (7) garnered a back to back walks to load the bases. Alex (3) followed with a bases loaded RBI walk that allowed Bobby to shuffle home with a run.
With the bases still juiced to the gills, Bane took one for the team when he reached base on a hit by pitch that brought Remy home with a run that made it a one run game.
With the bases still filled to the max, Joseph (11) stroked a RBI single that allowed Mason to come home with the tying run.
In a spirited outing, TP 11U Red reliever Liam (37) chakled up two strikeouts versus the White Sox in the second frame.
In the bottom of the second, Toronto Playgrounds threatened after Henry and Calvin (11) drew consecutive walks to open the inning.
With two runners on base, Martingrove reliever Bane found his Mojo Jojo as he rang up two strikeouts and a lineout to end TP insurgency and keep them off the scoring ledger.
Bane was also helped out immeasurably during the inning by White Sox third baseman George (2), who snagged a searing hot tamale line drive off the bat of TP batter Tristan (19) to tally the second out.
Martingrove scored a run in the top of the third to take a 5-4 lead.
After a leadoff walk by Lucas (5) and single by Bobel, George drew a one out walk to load the bases. Bobby followed with a groundout that allowed Lucas to come home with the go ahead run.
With the bases loaded, TP 11U Red reliever Gabriel K. chalked up to two strikeouts in the top of the third to put a kibosh on the White Sox rebellion.
Not to be outdone, TP answered back with a dramatic three spot in the bottom of the third to regain the upper hand 7-5.
After a leadoff single by Brayden (9), Billy entered the batter’s box and crushed a wooly mammoth two run inside the park home run blast to the deep dish pizza region of the outfield that allowed TP to retake the lead 6-5.
Following a two out single, Kale advanced to third base courtesy of a stolen base and a wild pitch. After a walk by Charlie that put two runners on base, Kale took advantage of a defensive lapse by Martingrove to brazenly steal home and score a dramatic run for TP.
Martingrove reliever Bane tallied a groundout and two strikeouts to quash the TP insurrection in the third inning.
Refusing to quietly into the night, Martingrove stormed right back with four runs in the top of the fourth to take a 9-7 lead.
After a leadoff walk by Alex and a single by Bane, Joseph drew a walk to load the bases. With one out, Bobel brought Alex home with a run after he was hit by pitch.
Subsequently, with two outs and the bases still loaded, George garnered a bases loaded walk that allowed Bane to come home with the tying run.
With the bases still full, Bobby delivered a clutch two RBI single that brought Joseph and Bobel home with the White Sox go ahead runs.
In a valiant effort on the mound, TP 11U Red reliever Brayden struck out two White Sox batters in the fourth frame.
In lickety-split fashion, Toronto Playgrounds replied with four in the bottom of the fourth to regain the lead 11-9.
After back to back walks by Calvin and Brady (7) to open the inning, Tristan (19) stroked a single to load the bases. A subsequent wild pitch by the White Sox would allow Calvin to scoot home from third with a run that sliced the shortfall to one.
Following a walk by Liam that reloaded the bases, Brayden delivered a RBI hit that brought Brady home with the tying run.
With the bases still loaded, Billy stroked a RBI single that allowed Tristan to motor home with the go ahead run.
Harrison followed with a bases loaded RBI walk that briught Liam home with another TP run.
In the top half of the fifth, Martingrove refused to accept the cards that the fates had dealt them as they rallied back with four runs to retake the lead 13-11.
After a pair of walks by Remy and Alex that put two mallards on the lake, Bane stroked a one out RBI single that allowed Remy to come home with a run that closed the deficit to one.
Following a walk by Joseph that loaded the bases, Bobel delivered a grace under pressure two out RBI single that brought Alex home with the tying run. A TP error on the play would advance Joseph and Bobel respectively to third and second base, and bring Bane homeward with the White Sox go ahead run.
After a walk by Julian (8) that reloaded the bases, George garnered a bases loaded RBI walk that allowed Joseph to shimmy home with an insurance run.
In a stouthearted effort, TP 11U Red reliever Brady chalked up a pair of strikeouts and a groundout in the fifth frame to subdue the White Sox insurrection.
And it was at this juncture in the game where TP 11U Red came up to bat in the bottom of the fifth and came face to face with their rendezvous with destiny.
