IN A TIGHT NAIL BITER WHERE RUNS CAME AT A PREMIUM, TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS PREVAIL OVER THE RIVERDOGS FOR THEIR FIFTH 2023 EBA 13U SELECT LOOP VICTORY
Under a warm ceiling of hazy skies, the Toronto Playgrounds 13U Blue Selects edged the York 13U Riverdogs 6-5 in a 4 ½ inning Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 13U Select game tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 2.
In the top portion of the first, York jumped out to an early 2-0 lead.
After a leadoff single by Joseph (7), Miguel (30) garnered a walk that put two dawgs aboard. With one out and runners at third and second, Adrian (19) delivered a two RBI double that brought Joseph and Miguel home with the opening runs of the game.
Finding the groove, TP 13U Blue starter Will (22) chalked up three strikeouts to subdue the Riverdogs uprising in the first frame.
Not to be outdone, Toronto Playgrounds quickly answered back with a pair in the bottom of the first to deadlock the proceedings 2-2.
Following a leadoff walk by Nathan H. (18), Andrew (17) connected for a RBI double that allowed Nathan H. to hustle around the horn and come home with a run that sliced the gap to one.
After a walk by Noah (16) that put two ducks on the pond, Peter (23) stepped into the batter’s box and delivered a clutch two out RBI single that allowed Andrew to motor home from third with TP’s tying run.
York starter Joseph tallied a lineout, strikeout and groundout in the first inning to diffuse the TP insurrection.
With lickety-split resolve, York replied with a run in the top of the second to retake the upper hand 3-2.
Following a leadoff double by Alex (15), Joseph delivered a grace under pressure two out RBI single that allowed Alex to zoom home with the Riverdogs go ahead run.
Unfazed, TP 13U Blue starter Will rang up three strikeouts to extinguish the Riverdogs sedition in the second inning.
Toronto Playgrounds answered back with a pair in the bottom half of the second to take a 4-3 lead,
After Jack (1) reached base on a Riverdogs error to open the inning, Ellis (88) was hit by pitch, which put two ballerinas on the dancefloor. With one out and TP runners at third and second, Will stroked a RBI single that moved Ellis to third and allowed Jack to hustle home with the tying run.
Subsequently, with runners on third and second, Dante (10) muscled a run scoring groundout that brought Ellis homeward with TP’s go ahead score.
York starter Joseph tallied a strikeout a pair of groundouts to end the TP 13U Blue’s civil disobedience in the second inning.
York threatened again in the top of the third after Adrian singled and Alesssio (8) drew a walk that put two mallards on the lake.
However, TP 13U Blue starter Will rang up a pop out and two strikeouts that put a kibosh on the Riverdogs hopes in the third frame.
In the bottom of the third, TP 13U Blue added another run to their bank account to extend their advantage to 5-3.
After reaching base with a leadoff single, Louis (27) advanced to second base on a York error. Following a walk by Nathan H. that put TP runners on the corners, Andrew delivered a RBI double that advanced Nathan H. to third and brought Louis home with a run.
Craving more, TP 13U Blue baserunner Nathan H. made the bold as brass move to steal home. As Nathan H. blazed down the third baseline, Riverdogs catcher Adrian took the throw the throw from York starter Joseph and slapped an emphatic tag on a sliding Nathan H. to thwart his Grand Theft dreams and ring up a dramatic 1-2 putout at the dish for the first out.
Following a one out walk by Noah that put two aboard, Joseph brought the curtain down on the third inning with a sweet solo double play. After reeling in an eight mile high pop up off the bat of Varun (24) for the second out, Joseph hustled over to first base to force out a wayfaring TP baserunner for the third out.
Refusing to go quietly into the night, York stormed back with two runs in the top of the fourth to tie the game 5-5.
After Owen (28) reached base on a fielder’s choice, Joseph joined him on the dance floor after a catcher’s interference call. With runners on second and first, Miguel delivered a one out two RBI triple that brought Owen and Joseph home with the Reverdogs tying runs.
With York’s potential go ahead run standing only seventy-five feet away from pay dirt, TP 13U Blue reliever Emeric (34) rose to the challenge and rang up two scintillating strikeouts to vanquish the York threat and preserve the deadlock.
Invigorated by the moment at hand, Toronto Playgrounds punched across a nitty gritty run in the bottom vector of the fourth frame to take a 6-5 lead,
Following a leadoff double by Christian (33), Peter hit into a 4-3 groundout that moved Christian over to third base.
With one out, Nathan K. hit into a 6-3 groundout that allowed Christian to motor home with TP’s go ahead run.
TP 13U Blue threatened to add an insurance run after Jack (1) stroked a two out single and stole a pair of bases to position himself into scoring position.
However, York 13U releiever Zack (6) doled out a strikeout to end the TP insurgency in the fourth.
Donning their rally caps, York refused to go down without a fight in the top half of the fifth. After a leadoff double by Jackson (49), Alex garnered a walk that put two aboard.
With the game on the line, Toronto Playgrounds rose to the occasion and nipped the Riverdogs threat in the bud. TP second baseman Ellis made a spectacular shoestring catch on screaming line drive off the bat of Jack (25) to tally a big out.
Then TP 13U Blue reliever Emeric chalked up two electrifying strikeouts in the fifth to seal the deal on TP’s hard fought win over York.
EXTRA INNINGS
