WITH ORNITHOLOGICAL MOXIE, THE CARDINALS PREVAIL OVER TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS FOR THE EBA 13U SELECT LOOP VICTORY AT CHRISTIE PITS
Beneath a warm cake battered mixture of sunny, overcast, hazy, and lazy summer skies, the Royal York White Cardinals defeated the Toronto Playgrounds 13U Red Selects 16-5 in a rain shortened 4½ inning Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 13U Select Loop proceeding tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
Spreading their wings, Royal York White jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the top half of the first.
After a leadoff double and stolen base by Samantha (11), Victoria (12) stroked a one out RBI hit that brought Samantha home with the opening run of the game.
Flexing her Grand Theft prowess, Victoria exerted pressure on the TP defence as she proceeded to swipe her way around the horn into scoring position at third base. With two outs, Veronica (27) would reach base on a TP error, which also allowed Victoria to motor home with a run.
Ava M. (77) stepped into the batter’s box and delivered a clutch RBI double to bring Veronica home with another Royal York run.
With nitty, gritty resolve, TP 13U Red starter Tyler (26) chalked up three strikeouts to pacify the Cardinals rebellion in the first frame.
Not to be outdone, Toronto Playgrounds answered back with a run in the bottom of the first to close the margin to 3-1.
Following a one out single and stolen base by Vincenzo (29), Tyler (26) delivered a RBI double that allowed Vincenzo to motor home with TP’s first run.
Unfazed, Royal York White starter Ava Z. (14) tallied a pair of groundouts and a strikeout in the first frame to subdue the TP uprising.
Taking flight, Royal York sent a Gangnam Style procession of ten batters to the plate in the top of the second as they answered back with a seven run tsunami to stretch their upper hand to 10-1.
After a pair of walks to open the inning by Sienna (8) and Ellie (24) that put two runners on base, Samantha would reach base on a TP error that allowed Ellie to advance to third base and bring Sienna home with a run.
With two Cardinals perched on the bird fountain, Ava Z. delivered a two RBI double that brought Ellie and Samantha home with a pair of runs.
Following respective walks by Victoria and Veronica that loaded the bases, Ava M. connected for a one out two RBI double that moved Veronica to third and allowed Ava Z, and Victoria to blaze home with two more Royal York runs.
Subsequently, with two outs an runners on third and second, TP committed a grievous faux pas that allowed both Veronica and Ava M. to zoom home with a two additional Royal York runs.
In a valiant foray on the hill, TP 13U Red starter Tyler (26) rang up three strikeouts in the second frame to subdue the Cardinals insurrection.
Taking umbrage at their situation, TP refused to wave the white flag as they replied with a pair in the bottom of the second to trim the margin to 10-3.
After a lead off single and stolen base by Henry (14), Stanley (22) drew a two out walk that put two ducklings on the pond. Milo (21) followed with a grace under pressure two RBI bases clearing single that brought Henry and Stanley with a pair of TP runs.
Shaken, but not stirred, Royal York White starter Ava Z. rang up a groundout, strikeout and flyout in the second inning to extinguish the TP uprising.
With a dab of guile, a dash of pickle relish, and a dollop of Dijon mustard, TP 13U Red reliver Julian (77) kept the high octane Royal York offence off the scoring ledger with three scintillating strikeouts in the top portion of the third inning,
With a little help from her friends, Royal York White starter Ava Z. returned the gesture in the bottom of the third as she retired TP in 1-2-3 fashion with three flyouts.
The Cardinals padded their nest with four more runs in the top of the fourth to extend their lead to 14-3.
After a leadoff single and a pair of stolen bases by Alyssa (9), Ava M. garnered a one out walk that put two swans on the lake. A subsequent TP error would allow Ava M. to move over to second base and bring Alyssa home with a run.
With a runner on base, Loenne (13) stepped up to the dish and smashed a resplendent two run inside the park home run blast to the Chicago deep dish pizza nether regions of centre field.
Following back to back walks by Sienna and Ellie that put two runners aboard, Ava Z. stroked a RBI hit that brought Sienna home with another Royal York run.
After reaching third base on the play, Cardinals baserunner Ellie made a bold as brass bid to score. As Ellie charged towards home, TP right fielder Mike (9) made a laser throw to TP catcher Jacob (4), who slapped an emphatic tag on Ellie in a no holds barred chitty, chitty, bang, bang play at the plate to ring up the third out with a magisterial 9-2 putout that thwarted her Grand Theft dreams.
Before being the beneficiary of the 9-2 defensive gem, TP 13U Red reliever Oliver (35) had entered the fray from the bullpen with one out in the fourth to chalk up a groundout for the second out.
Refusing to go quietly into the night, TP rallied back with a two spot in the bottom of the fourth to trim the gap to 14-5.
After a leadoff double and stolen base by Hudson (10), Henry stroked a one out RBI hit that brought Hudson home with a run. Subsequently, an errant Royal York pickoff attempt would allow Henry to advance to second base.
With a runner on second base, Payton (3) delivered a single that allowed Henry to throw caution to the wind and make a daring bid to come home. As Henry made his slide home, Cardinals catcher Alyssa reached out to tag him. However, the force of Henry’s slide jarred the ball out of her mitt, allowing him to score a dramatic run for TP.
Cool as a cucumber, Royal York White starter Ava Z. tallied a pop out, strikeout and a lineout in the fourth to vanquish the TP insurgency.
As the skies opened up with a deluge of rain, the Cardinals added two insurance runs in the top of the fifth before the plug was pulled on the proceedings.
EXTRA INNINGS
