IN A SNAP, CRACKLE, POP AFFAIR WHERE RUNS CAME AT A PREMIUM IN THE EARLY INNINGS, THE RIVER DOGS BREAK A 1-1 DEADLOCK IN THE THIRD INNING TO PREVAIL OVER TORONTO PLAYGROUNDS IN AN ETOBICOKE BASEBALL ASSOCIATION (EBA) 11U MOSQUITO SELECT CONTEST AT CHRISTIE PITS
Beneath a breezy ceiling of overcast skies, the York 11U Green defeated the Toronto Playgrounds 11U Red 6-1 in a five inning Etobicoke Baseball Association (EBA) 11U Select Loop game tonight at Christie Pits Diamond 3.
In the top portion of the first inning, York 11U Green jumped out to an early 1-0 lead.
After drawing a leadoff walk, Brihanna (8) turned on the afterburners and sashayed around the horn into scoring position at third base with Grand Theft aplomb.
Subsequently, Nicolas (31) muscled a one out groundout that allowed Brihanna to motor home with the River Dogs first run of the game.
With true grit, TP 11U Red starter Milo (24) tallied a strikeout, groundout and a pop out to pacify the York uprising in the first frame.
Taking care of business, York 11U Green starter Connor (27) retired the TP 11U Red batting order in 1-2-3 fashion in the bottom of the first inning with a groundout and two holy cannoli strikeouts that kept TP off the scoring ledger.
Keeping their poker red hot in the fireplace, York 11U Green threatened again in the top of the second inning.
After a leadoff double, Riverdogs baserunner Gabriel (36) kept the pressure on the TP defense with a deft steal of third base.
Displaying patience at the plate, Connor (27) and Loukas (17) garnered respective walks to load the bases.
Cool as a straight eight cucumber, TP 11U Red starter Milo rang up three rip-roaring strikeouts that left the bases loaded and the River Dogs with nothing to show on the scoreboard.
With determination, Toronto Playgrounds answered back with a run in the bottom half of the second inning to deadlock the proceedings at 1-1.
Taking the bull by the horns, Cordell (23) launched an immaculate one out triple that brought the TP faithful to their feet.
With opportunity knocking, Cordell seized the moment and pounced on a York wild pitch to blaze homeward like a gazelle and score TP’s dramatic tying run.
Subsequently with two outs, TP 11U Red baserunner Emmett (4) [who had reached base on a one out walk] decided to exert some pressure on the Riverdogs defense by making a bold as brass manoeuvre to steal second base. As Emmett hustled towards pay dirt, York 11U Green catcher Brihanna made a rocket throw to shortstop Teo (44), who slapped an emphatic tag on Emmett to ring up a Good Golly Miss Molly 2-6 putout for the third out that brought the curtain crashing down on the TP insurgency in the second frame.
River Dogs starter Connor chipped in with two more strikeouts in the second inning to stymie the TP 11U Red offense.
York 11U Green replied with a run in the top of the third frame to take the upper hand 2-1.
After Caleb (43) reached base on a hit by pitch to lead off the inning, Brihanna and Teo garnered respective walks to load the bases. Nicolas followed with a one out RBI bases loaded walk that allowed Caleb to come home with the River Dogs go ahead run.
In a stouthearted effort on the hill, TP 11U Red reliever Rudy (10) chalked up a strikeout and a double play that put a kibosh on the York coup d’état in the third frame.
Rudy was the beneficiary of a superlative defensive play from TP shortstop Benji (15) during the inning. With one out and the bases jammed tighter than a can of StarKist tuna, Emiliano (56) connected for a Nash the Slash line drive between third and second base. However, Benji stepped into the breach and snagged the hot potato in the webbing of his trusty mitt to tally the second out. Noticing that York baserunner Teo had wandered afar from second base on the play, Benji applied the tag to Teo to ring up the unassisted double play that ended the River Dogs mutiny in the third.
Taking a modicum of umbrage at their situation, TP 11U Red refused to go quietly into the night as they continued to battle in the bottom of the third inning.
Toronto Playgrounds threatened following a pair of walks by Benji and Jack (11) that put two runners on the dance floor.
Reelin’ and rockin’, York 11U Green starter Connor doled out three vigorous strikeouts that vanquished the TP rally bid in the third frame.
With the wind in their sails, York 11U Green scored four insurance runs in the top of the fourth inning to widen their plurality to 6-1.
After a leadoff single and stolen base by Gabriel, Alexander (9) followed with a RBI double that brought Gabriel home with a River Dogs run.
Following a steal of third by Alexander, Connor drew a walk that put two ducks on the pond. Subsequently, with York runners at third and second base, Lennox (19) hit into a fielder’s choice that erased Connor at third and allowed Alexander to zoom home with a River Dogs run.
With one out, Loukas and Adam (3) garnered back to back walks that loaded the bases. Caleb and Alexa (14) followed with back to back bases loaded RBI walks that brought Lennox and Loukas homeward with two more River Dogs runs.
Undaunted, Toronto Playgrounds continued the good fight in the bottom portion of the fourth inning.
Following a one out single by Eli O (44), Arlo advanced him to second base with a 1-3 groundout. With two outs, Eli O made the daring decision to steal third base. Unfortunately, the River Dogs sniffed out Eli O’s Grand Theft chicanery and erased him on a 2-5-4 putout, where York 11U Green second baseman Alexa applied the coup de grâce tag for the third out.
For good measure, York 11U Green reliever Adam (3) tallied a strikeout and a groundout to torpedo the TP rally attempt in the fourth frame.
With their backs against the wall, the TP 11U Red made a grand defensive stand in the top half of the fifth frame to stymie the River Dogs Big Green Machine.
After Brihanna opened the River Dogs inning with a sharp cheddar cheese grounder between second and first, TP second baseman Arlo (13) swooshed in like a Kirby vacuum cleaner to suck up the ball and make a laser throw to first baseman Cordell to tally a nifty 4-3 gem for the first out.
With York’s next at bat, Teo followed with a humdinger between third and second. With his usual Cool Hand Luke modus operandi, TP shortstop Kaden (0) scooped up the ball and made a Bennie and the Jets toss across the diamond to first baseman Cordell to chalk up 6-3 pièce de résistance for the second out.
After drawing a two out walk, York 11U Green baserunner Nicolas wanted more, more more as he decided to make an Andrea True Connection steal of second base. As Nicolas charged towards the base with a full head of steam, TP catcher Emmett made a bazooka throw to second baseman Arlo, who slapped an emphatic tag on Nicolas to ring up the icing on the cake 2-4 play for the third out.
With pluck, TP 11U Red reliever Eli O kept York 11U Green off the scoring abacus in the fifth frame by racking up two groundouts to send the River Dogs back to the dawg pound.
Proudly donning their rally caps in the bottom of the fifth inning, TP 11U Red went up for their last at bats determined to change their situation in the time continuum.
Following a walk by Cordell, Emmett delivered a double that put two TP runners on the discotheque floor.
Shaken, but not stirred, York 11U Green reliever Adam reeled off a groundout and two pop out to terminate the TP comeback bid in the fifth frame and seal the deal on the River Dogs hard fought victory.