OSHAWA, Ont. - The St. Clair Saints won their second consecutive
Ontario Colleges Athletic Association (OCAA) men's baseball
championship with a 6-4 victory over the Durham Lords in the gold
medal game.
After the Saints cruised through day one with two wins with a
combined score of 20-1, they were pushed to the brink in the gold
medal game as a comeback effort was needed to win the title. With
Durham holding a 3-1 lead after three straight RBI doubles, the
Lords seemed to awaken the sleeping giant as St. Clair posted four
runs in the bottom half of the third inning to take a 5-3 lead.
After St. Clair added an insurance run in the fourth, Durham found
themselves down three. The Lords managed to put together a late
game rally, and had the go-ahead run at the plate in the top of the
seventh. However, championship MVP Rob Cooper
(Belle River, Ont.) got OCAA all-star Ben DeBoer
(Kendal, Ont.) to fly out to left field for the final out of the
game.
Crannel Jerald (LaSalle, Ont.), who was named the
player of the game, was 2-for-2 with a walk, while making four
assists defensively at third base. Cooper and Chris
Horwood (Tecumseh, Ont.) would also had multi-hit games
for St. Clair, each going 2-for-4 while combining for two runs
scored. Drake Sunderland (Kingsville, Ont.)
recorded the win, coming into the game in relief in the fourth
inning.
Thomas Fearon (Ajax, Ont.) was 3-for-4 with one
RBI and a run scored, earning the player of the game honours for
Durham. Starting pitcher Jordan Edmonds (Horsham,
England) was credited with the loss.
The Lords advanced to the gold medal game with a 3-2 come from
behind win over the Fanshawe Falcons to begin day two. Ryan
Norris (Oshawa, Ont.) had a gutsy performance, pitching
the complete game, allowing only two earned runs on six Fanshawe
hits. Spencer Green's (Mallorytown, Ont.)
walk with the bases loaded capped off a two-run sixth inning for
Durham, which proved to be the game-winning runs.
The game ended with Fanshawe trying to be a little too aggressive
on the bases, trying to advance from first to third off a two-out
single. The Falcon runner got caught trying to stretch it out, as
Aaron McQuillen (Ajax, Ont.), Fearon and DeBoer
connected on an outstanding relay from right field.
Following the gold medal game, the championship all-star team was
announced. Rob Cooper took home the MVP award, while his teammates
Joel Cooper (LaSalle, Ont.) and Jerald were named
all-stars. Wesley Hardwick (Toronto) and Norris
received the all-star honour for Durham along with Fanshawe
starting pitcher Travis Rice (Dorchester,
Ont.).
This is the second straight year Durham had to settle for a second
place finish, as they fell to the Saints last year by a score of
5-2 in the championship final. For Fanshawe, it was a successful
inaugural season in OCAA baseball as they earned the bronze
medal.
St. Clair and Durham will advance to the OUA/OCAA Baseball
Championship, scheduled to take place in Windsor, Ont. next
weekend, where the Saints are also the defending champions.
Championship Schedule
Friday, October 17
Game 1: Fanshawe 3, Humber 1
Game 2: St. Clair 9, Durham 0
Game 3: Durham 6, Humber 5
Game 4: St. Clair 11, Fanshawe 1
Saturday, October 18
OCAA Bronze Medal Game
Durham 3, Fanshawe 2
*Loser awarded Bronze, winner advances to Gold Medal
Game
OCAA Gold Medal Game
St. Clair 6, Durham 4
Source: Durham College with files from OCAA
Communications
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