Baseball wins pennant; Throws second no-hitter of the season
Game 1
Game 1
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Centennial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 1 |
|
Humber | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | X | 5 | 4 | 1 |
Game 2
Game 2
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Centennial | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
|
Humber | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | X | 5 | 2 | 1 |
By: Stefan Gerardi
Humber Athletics Communications
ETOBICOKE – Humber baseball (17-1, 1st OCAA) clinched the 2022 OCAA pennant Thursday evening, sweeping the Centennial Colts (11-5, 4th OCAA) in their doubleheader at Connorvale Park. A short pregame ceremony for graduating student-athletes Cam Hibbs, Aidan Murphy, Corey Vandergraaf, and Ian Zwartz was held to show gratitude for their time with the baseball team. Game one saw the Hawks dominate offensively, while game two saw Humber's pitching staff throw a combined no-hitter.
Game One (Humber 5, Centennial 1)
Innisfil native and Hawks' starting pitcher Dalton Brownlee was on the mound to kick off the first of two games against Centennial. The right-hander knew he had to be precise with his pitches playing against a strong Colts' offence on a windy evening.
As the mid-October sun began to set below the horizon at Connorvale Park, the Hawks would capitalize on a bases-loaded situation in the second inning to bring home three runs. With two outs in the inning, Caleb Eguren would be awarded his 13th RBI of the season as he was walked with the bases full. Hudson Lockwood would then step into the batter's box and bring Ryan Brodie and Tyrus Bath home on a ground ball that found its way to left field.
The Colts would get one back in the top of the fourth inning to cut into the Hawks' lead. In the fifth inning, Aidan Murphy would pitch in place of Brownlee, who finished with three strikeouts and three hits against over 4.0 innings pitched.
The Hawks would reclaim their three-run lead in the bottom of the fifth. With Tyrus Bath on third and one out in the inning, Hudson Lockwood would ground out to short but cash Bath for his second RBI of the game. The following inning saw the Hawks add one more run to their lead as Dylan White would also hit into an RBI groundout. With runners on the corner and no outs, the Colts turned a double play; however, Aidan Murphy scored to put the Hawks up 5-1 with only the Colts' half of the seventh left in the game.
Aidan Murphy made it look easy on the bump in the top of the seventh as he secured Humber's 16th win. Although the starter, Dalton Brownlee, was awarded the win, Murphy was lights-out allowing no hits or walks in three innings pitched. The Brampton native finished with four strikeouts.
Game Two (Humber 5, Centennial 0)
Humber's Brandon Deans was on the mound for game two, and he had his sights set on breaking yet another Hawks' record – most wins in a season. Deans was tied for the wins record alongside alumni James Byrnes, Steven Hough, and Shaine O'Keefe heading into the final game of the 2022 season.
Deans came out the gate on his A-game, striking out the side in the top of the first. Meanwhile, the opposing pitcher, Colts' Rily Post, had a tough first inning. After walking three batters to load the bases, Post would surrender yet another walk to score Jaykob Turner and award Dylan White an RBI. Aidan Murphy would then score on a Justin Groves RBI fielder's choice. White would also find his way home on a Tyrus Bath RBI walk to put the Hawks up 3-0 after the first.
The bottom of the third saw the Hawks add to their lead on a Ryan Brodie RBI double that cashed Dylan White. Brodie's 13th RBI of the season put the Hawks in complete control of the game.
Although the temperature was chilly, Brandon Deans was red-hot. The Mississauga native maintained a no-hitter going into the fifth inning. Through four innings, Deans and the Hawks were up by four runs, and the possibility of Deans breaking the win record seemed incredibly likely. Deans was relieved in the fifth inning by Maxim Skoropadsky; however, he was still the pitcher of record. Deans finished the night allowing no hits over four innings, striking out nine.
In the sixth inning, Caleb Eguren would score from second base on a passed ball to give Humber an extra insurance run.
Skoropadsky, Ian Zwartz and Cam Hibbs built off Brandon Deans' impressive start to throw a combined no-hitter, clinching Humber's 17th win of the season and third pennant in program history. With the 5-0 win, Brandon Deans broke his fifth record of the year, as he now owns the single-season record with five wins.
Humber Highlights
- With the Hawks sweeping Centennial, Humber has clinched its third pennant in program history.
- Brandon Deans is the first pitcher in OCAA history to break the 60-strikeout barrier and has the most wins ever, with five in a single Hawks season.
- With a 4-0 record, the Hawks remain undefeated against Centennial all-time.
- The Hawks' 163 runs on the season are the most in program history.
- This year marked the first perfect home season ever for Humber.
- With 17 innings of work on the mound, Aidan Murphy became the first pitcher in program history to throw 15-plus innings and not allow a run.
- Humber's combined no-hitter is the seventh no-hitter in program history and the second of the season (Aidan Murphy vs. Lambton, Sept. 10). It was just the second seven-inning no-hitter in program history (Daniel Marquez, 2016).
What's Next?
Humber baseball will now set its sights on capturing the program's third provincial title at the 2022 OCAA Championship, hosted by St. Clair College. As the top seed in the tournament, the Hawks will receive a bye to the final four on Friday, October 21. The opponent will be determined after the play-in game, and the first pitch is scheduled for 1 p.m.
