THE WOLVERINES FEND OFF A TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS RALLY BID IN THE FINAL INNING TO HANG ON FOR A RAZOR THIN EBA 11U SELECT LOOP VICTORY AT CHRISTIE PITS
Beneath a genteel ceiling of cloudy skies, the Weston Wolverines edged the Toronto Playgrounds 11U Red Selects 12-11 in four innings of Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) Select Loop action tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
In the top half of the first inning, Weston jumped out to an early 4-0 lead.
After stroking a leadoff single, Ethan (8) turned on the afterburners and brazenly swiped his way around the horn to third base. Following a walk by Javier (24) that put two runners on base, TP uncorked a wild pitch that advanced Javier to third and allowed Ethan to blaze home with the opening run of the game.
Exercising patience at the dish, Matthew (12) and Simon (3) garnered walks to load the bases. Giuseppe (6), Dominic (90) and Josiah (9) followed suit with a trifecta of bases loaded RBI walks that brought Javier, Matthew and Simon home with three Wolverine runs.
In a nitty, gritty effort on the hill, TP 11U Red starter Tristan (19) tallied a strikeout against the Wolverones in the first frame.
Taking umbrage at their circumstance, Toronto Playgrounds stormed back with four in the bottom of the first to deadlock the affair at 4-4.
After a one out single by Jack (16), Charlie (20) and Gabe (13) garnered back to back walks to load the bases. Brady (7) and Kale (6) followed with respective bases loaded RBI walks that allowed Jack and Charlie to come home with a pair of runs which sliced the gap to two.
Subsequently, with two outs and the bases still juiced to the gills, the Wolverines committed a weighty error that allowed Gabe and Brady to hustle homeward with TP’s tying runs.
In a workmanlike effort, Weston starter Nicholas P. (5) chalked up a groundout and lineout in the second inning.
Not to be outdone, Weston answered back with four in the top of the second to reclaim the upper hand 8-4.
After a pair of two out walks by Nicolas P. (88) and Ethan, Javier (24) delivered a grace under pressure two out two RBI double that allowed Nicolas (88) and Nicolas P. and Ethan home with the go ahead runs.
Following a steal of third base, Javier took advantage of a TP error to motor home with another Wolverines run.
After a double by Matthew, Nicolas (5) stroked a RBI single that brought Matthew home with a run.
During the inning, TP 11U reliever Kale (6) received two big defensive plays from her teammates. After reaching base with a leadoff walk, Josiah (9) would advance to third base courtesy of a stolen base and wild pitch. Throwing caution to the wind, Josiah seized the moment as he made a brazen move to steal home. However, TP catcher Jack was not fooled by the bold as brass chicanery as he tagged Josiah out at the dish to thwart his Grand Theft dreams and ring up the first out.
Subsequently, after a walk and a stolen base, Weston baserunner Allesandro was thrown out at third base courtesy of a bazooka throw from catcher Jack to TP third baseman Tristan that chalked up the second out in the second inning.
Refusing to surrender, TP 11U Red rallied with a four spot in the bottom of the second to tie the game 8-8.
After a leadoff hit by Brayden (9), Tristan would single and Calvin (11) drew a walk to load the bases. With two outs, Henry (27) worked the count in his favour to garner a bases loaded RBI walk that brought Brayden home with a run.
With the bases packed tighter than a can of sardines, Jack delivered a clutch RBI single which allowed Tristan to hustle home with a run which trimmed the deficit to two.
Displaying Key lime acumen at the plate, Charlie and Gabe garnered back to back bases loaded RBI walks that allowed Calvin and Henry to shuffle home with TP’s tying runs.
In a stouthearted effort, Weston reliever Simon (3) rang up a strikeout and a groundout versus TP in the second frame.
However, the Wolverines struck back with four in the top vector of the third inning to take a 12-8 lead.
After a leadoff hit, Weston baserunner Simon rattled the TP defence with two derring-do steals that allowed him reach third base. As he slid into third, the TP throw to nab him sailed into left field, resulting in an error that allowed Simon to zoom home with the Wolverines go ahead run.
Giuseppe, Dominic and Mackenzie followed with respective walks that loaded the bases. With one out, TP uncorked a wild pitch which allowed Dominic and Mackenzie to advance to third and second, and brought Giuseppe home with a run.
Following a walk by Allesandro that reloaded the bases, a glaring TP error allowed Dominic and Mackenzie to zoom homeward with a pair of Wolverine runs.
In a stouthearted outing, TP 11U Red reliever Brayden rang up a strikeout against the Wolverines in the third inning.
Answering the clarion call, Toronto Playgrounds replied with three in the bottom portion of the third to trim the shortfall to 12-11.
After Brady, Billy (24) and Brayden drew respective walks to load the bases, Liam (37) drew a one out bases loaded RBI walk that allowed Brady to shimmy home with a run.
With the bases still loaded down like a scrumptious stuffed potato with all the trimmings, Harrison (42) and Calvin garnered respective bases loaded RBI walks that brought Billy and Brayden home with a pair of TP runs which made it a one run affair.
Subsequently, with one out and the bases loaded, Weston reliever Ethan entered the fray from the bullpen to tally two strikeouts which snuffed out the TP insurrection in the third frame.
In the top of the fourth, TP 11U reliever Billy kept the potent Weston offence off the scoring ledger with two scintillating strikeouts and a groundout.
Billy was also helped out by a sparkling defensive play from his friends during the inning. With one out, Wolverines batter Ethan hit a sharp as cheddar cheese grounder to TP shortstop Harrison, who vacuumed up the ball and made a rocket toss across the diamond over to first baseman Henry. As the throw began tailing away towards the outfield side, Henry pivoted and made a nice backhanded catch to ring up the second out with a pretty 6-3 play.
Down by one, Toronto Playgrounds donned their rally caps in the bottom half of the fourth in one final bid to stymie the Wolverines.
TP’s comeback hopes were alight after Gabe reached base on a single.
Subsequently, with the potential tying run only 150 feet away from pay dirt, Weston reliever Ethan doled out three electrifying strikeouts that ended the TP rally and sealed the deal on a hard fought Wolverines victory.
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