WINDSOR, Ont. – Day 1 of the OCAA Men's Baseball Championship featured two crucial quarterfinal games at Lacasse Park with four teams hoping to clinch their berth into the semi-finals of the tournament hosted by the St. Clair College. The Humber Hawks (Etobicoke) and the St. Clair Saints (Windsor) lay in wait of the winners of the two games played on Day 1, as they both earned a bye to the semifinals by finishing in the top two of the standings during the regular season.
George Brown College vs. Fanshawe College
The OCAA Men's Baseball Championship kicked off on Thursday at 4 p.m. as the No. 6-seeded George Brown Huskies (Toronto) took the diamond against the No. 3 seed Fanshawe Falcons (London). In a highly entertaining contest filled with plenty of pressure on both sides, the Fanshawe Falcons prevailed 8-4 over George Brown to advance to the semi-finals and will take on the host St. Clair Saints.
The Falcons wasted no time as they took a 2-0 lead in the first inning thanks to some sloppy fielding by the Huskies. The Huskies redeemed themselves in the top of the third inning with a two-RBI single by the designated hitter Robert Vavaroutsos (Toronto) to the tie the game up at 2-2. Fanshawe responded in a big way in the bottom half of the third inning with four runs to take a 6-2 lead and didn't look back from there. George Brown committed their second error of the game to kick start the scoring for the Falcons in the third inning before a Macguire Gordon (Lucan) sacrifice fly and an Eric Martyn (Acton) bases loaded walk. Connor Stapleford (Burlington) recorded the win for Fanshawe, while George Brown's Finlay Butler (Toronto) took the loss.
Gordon was named the Player of the Game for Fanshawe with his two hits and two RBIs in addition to fine play at shortstop George Brown's Vavaroutsos earned Player of the Game recognition with a pair of hits and two RBI in the loss. The Fanshawe Falcons will now face the host and No 2-seeded St. Clair Saints at 11 a.m. on Friday at Lacasse Park.
Durham College vs. Centennial College
The second and final game of Day 1 at the OCAA Men's Baseball Championship featured the No. 5-ranked Durham Lords squaring off against the No. 4-ranked Centennial Colts. Durham failed to capitalize on their hot start to the contest and ultimately fell to the Centennial Colts 6-5. With the win, the Colts have clinched a berth in the semi-finals and will take on the Humber Hawks on Friday.
Durham opened the scoring in a big way in the top of the first inning with a Tyler Chong (Markham) RBI single followed up by a Nick King (Whitby) two-RBI single to take an early 3-0 lead. Durham would extend their lead in the second inning with another Chong RBI single. The Colts got two runs back in the bottom of the second with a pair of RBI singles from Zachary Worden (York) and Shoya Hase (Japan). Two sacrifice flies in the third inning by the Colts tied the game up at 4-4. In the bottom of the fifth inning, Centennial took their first lead of the game with two more RBI singles by Robert McCarty-Salerno (Scarborough) and Worden.
The Colts gave up a seventh inning run to the Lords but held on to prevail 6-5 to advance to the semi-finals. After a slow start Brandon Smith (Vaughan) pitched a complete game throwing 129 pitches including eight strikeouts and earned the win for the Colts while Ryan Mattes (Whitby) took the loss for the Lords.
Player of the game for the Centennial Colts was Smith while Chong earned similar honours for the Durham Lords with going 3-for-4 and added two RBIs in a losing effort. The Colts will now take on the Humber Hawks on at 1:30 p.m. at Lacasse in the second semi-final.
Source: St. Clair Saints
Championship Website: www.ocaa.com/base
Live Webcast: www.ocaa.com/ocaalive
Thursday, October 20
Game #1: No. 3 Fanshawe def. No. 6 George Brown 8-4
Game #2: No. 4 Centennial def. No. 5 Durham 6-5
Friday, October 21
Game #3: No. 3 Fanshawe vs. No. 2 St. Clair - 11 a.m
Game #4: No. 4 Centennial vs. No. 1 Humber - 1:30 p.m.
Game #5: Loser Game #3 vs. Loser Game #4 - 4 p.m.
Game #6: Winner Game #3 vs. Winner Game #4 - 6:30 p.m.
Saturday, October 22
OCAA Bronze Medal Game
Game #7: Winner Game #5 vs. Loser Game #6 - 10 a.m.
Losing team presented OCAA Bronze Medal at conclusion of game
OCAA Gold Medal Game(s)
Game #8: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 1 p.m.
Game #9*: Winner Game #7 vs. Winner Game #6 - 3:30 p.m.
*If necessary
OCAA Gold and Silver Medals presented at the conclusion of final game
- OCAA -
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