Sports
September 04, 2008 10:50 PM
John Cudmore
The basepaths to championships are often jammed with pitching and defence.
The Thornhill Reds proved once again that potent combination carries weight in capturing the Baseball Ontario senior B championship in Kendal on the weekend.
The Reds received five consecutive complete games from its pitching staff, including a title-clinching effort by Pete Westlake in an 8-3 victory over the Whitby Canadians, to nail down the championship in its third season at the senior level.
In the final, Jon Tekela smacked a two-run home run to spike a three-run third inning outburst and the Reds added five more runs in the fourth inning as the Reds built an insurmountable 8-0 lead.
Defensively, left fielder Shawn Rotstein helped stymie any Whitby comeback bid by reaching over the fence to take away a two-run homer from a Chiefs’ batter.
“It’s a team that just wanted to stay together and have some fun,” said coach David Caine, whose team’s core is comprised of the 2005 Toronto Baseball Association junior league champion. “It’s a bunch of guys out there giving their all and having fun.”
Thornhill, which pounded Whitby 11-1 earlier in the double-knockout event, surrendered just five runs in reeling off its five-game title run, including 10-0 and 3-0 wins over the host Kendal Eagles.
The Reds also topped Chatham Brewers 3-1.
The Reds finished third in the 10-team Eastern Ontario Baseball Association regular season standings with 16-9 record.