LONDON, Ont. - The Fanshawe Falcons men's baseball team (2-2) defeated the Durham Lords (4-2) in both games of their doubleheader on Sunday afternoon by scores of 8-7 and 7-2. Fanshawe is now in third place in the OCAA West Division.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Durham opened the scoring on a sacrifice fly to centre and took an early 1-0 lead after the first inning of play. The Lords strung together a total of six unanswered runs but in the bottom of the third, Fanshawe's Robert Doyle scored Bryan Hamesfor the Falcons' first run of the game.
A pair of doubles for Durham scored another run in the top of the fourth, giving the Lords the 7-1 lead.
In the bottom of the fifth, Fanshawe's Hames started the inning with a leadoff triple. Doyle would hit a single up the middle to score the run and cut the Lords lead to five. Another run would score in the inning and with two innings to play, Durham would lead 7-3.
In the bottom of the seventh, after the Falcons first three batters of the inning reached base, Fanshawe's Mike Cox drew a bases loaded walk and closed the gap to three. Then Zev Weisdorfhit a bases-clearing single to left field to tie the game at seven. After advancing to third on a fielder's choice, Weisdorf would come around to score on a wild pitch and Fanshawe would come all the way back to win by a final score of 8-7.
In the first inning of Game 2, Durham loaded the bases with one out but Fanshawe got out of the inning without giving up a run. Fanshawe came right back in the bottom half of the inning, scoring three runs on just two hits and a pair of sacrifice flies.
In the third inning, after a leadoff double and a stolen base by Carlos Arteaja, the Falcons' Quinton Twehey hit Fanshawe's third sacrifice fly of the game, to give the Falcons a 4-0 lead.
Twehey came to the plate again in the next inning and hit a double down the left field line to score another two RBIs. He would them come around to score on a single by Travis Helps, giving Fanshawe the 7-0 lead after four innings of play.
The Lords would score their first run of the game in the top of the fifth but a great 4-6 double play by the Falcons would get them out of any trouble. The Lords would get one more in the top of the sixth but Fanshawe would win the game 7-2.
Fanshawe returns to action on Wednesday when they head on the road to Toronto to take on the George Brown Huskies (0-2).
Source: Fanshawe College
LONDON, Ont. - Up four runs in the first game of their doubleheader against Fanshawe, the Durham College baseball team looked as if they were going to win their fifth straight conference game to start the season.
That is when the wheels fell off.
Leading 7-3 in the bottom of the seventh, the Lords allowed five runs as the Falcons walked it off. The winning run would come off a wild pitch as Zev Weisdorf came into score. Earlier in the inning, Weisdorf hit a bases loaded single to tie the game at 7-7.
Lords ace Brodie Harkness (Bowmanville, Ont.), who allowed three runs over the opening six innings, failed to get an out in the seventh. Cole Casford (Kingston, Ont.) and Logan Stewart(Lindsay, Ont.) did not fare much better as they each gave up a run in the seventh inning.
Although the Lords offence scored seven runs, they left plenty on the table as nine runners were stranded on base.
One player who did cash in a number of runs was Jack Rankin (Stratford, Ont.) who went 3-for-4 with three RBIs and a run scored. Michael Chilvers (Sutton West, Ont.) was 4-for-4 and a run scored.
Fanshawe dominated game two of the doubleheader winning 7-2 with all of their runs coming in the first four innings.
Durham starting pitcher Shaun Slemko (Courtice, Ont.) allowed just three earned runs with the Lords defence committing three errors. Alec Brown (Bowmanville, Ont.) had the most efficient game at the plate as he was 3-for-4 with a RBI.
The Lords will look to regroup next Saturday when they have an important doubleheader against the Humber Hawks in Etobicoke. The Hawks are 1-3 on the season but will be looking to get back to the .500 mark. First pitch at Connorvale Park is 1 p.m.
A make-up date for Saturday's doubleheader against St. Clair is still to be determined.
Source: Durham College