TORONTO - The Lambton Lions visited Christie Pits on Friday, Oct. 11 to close out the season series with the Huskies on Seniors Day, where the home-team graduating players were recognized in a pre-game ceremony.
After a delayed start to the game, the Huskies came flying out of the gates and jumped on the board early with five runs in the first inning followed by another pair in the second. First baseman Aiden Colangelo and third baseman Brandon Nieva each scoring twice in the explosive opening innings. Colangelo would finish the game going 4-4 at the plate on the night.
The Lions would not go easy though, and rallied to close the gap to 7-3 by the top of what would end up being an OCAA record-breaking fourth inning.
Third-year Huskies pitcher David DeCassan (Nobleton, Ont.) etched his name in the OCAA record books when he broke the league record for most innings pitched in a season with 44, surpassing the previous top mark of 41 innings held by Ilija Bozinovski (Durham College) dating back to 2014-15. DeCassan has been a steady force on the mound for the Huskies this season, averaging 5.5 innings per outing.
"David has been our most reliable arm this season. Every time he's taken the ball we knew we had a chance to win. His consistency and efficiency start to finish has earned him not only the respect of his peers and staff, but a place in OCAA history. He worked so hard all season, this couldn't have happened to a better guy. I'm just happy we could be a part of it, it was something I won't soon forget," said AJ Wideman, George Brown head coach.
DeCassan has appeared in 24 games for the Huskies over his career, pitching a total of 96.2 innings with a career average of just under three strikeouts per nine innings. He attributes his success this season to the trust the coaching staff put in him to lead on the mound.
"Being an OCAA recording holder feels amazing. I couldn't have done it without the trust of the coaching staff and my teammates. Before the season started I told AJ and Jordan that my goal was to pitch 40 innings this season, they put their trust in me to go out on the mound and pitch until I couldn't pitch anymore. I am grateful that I was given the opportunity and I thank everyone that was a part of this record setting season. I couldn't have done it without them."
The Huskies would stand tall behind DeCassan over the closing innings and withstand another push by the Lions, sealing a 10-6 victory for the pitcher with a two-run home run by Brandon Nieva in the bottom of the fifth, his third homer of the season and fourth RBI of the night.
Due to the delayed start of Game 1 and with no league standings or individual award implications, the second game of the doubleheader was cancelled due to insufficient time to complete the game.
After a tough 5-3 loss to Humber College on Sunday where the Hawks would log five runs in a big sixth inning to rally late for the win, the Huskies will now close out their season at Christie Pits on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 5 p.m. to finish their Sept. 25 suspended contest versus Durham College. The game will resume at point of suspension in the bottom of the sixth inning, George Brown at bat with runners on first and second, no outs, and Durham holding a 4-0 lead.
Source: George Brown Huskies