| Game 26: Ontario 11 Québec 6 |
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DARREN STEINKE This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Ontario is heading into the playoff round in the Baseball Canada Cup as arguably the hottest team of the tournament. In a slugfest with Québec Saturday afternoon at Jeffries Park, Ontario prevailed 11-6 to lock up first place in Pool A with a 5-1 record. After dropping their opening game of the tournament to British Columbia, Ontario has won five straight. Québec finished third in Pool A at 3-3. “I think anytime you come out to the tournament you want to go into the playoff round with as much momentum as possible,” said Ontario head coach Jason Chee-Aloy, whose team had 13 hits in the win. “We were able to do that after losing our first game. “I feel good about getting first place and getting ourselves in a good position to compete in the semifinals.” In what started out as a tight match, Ontario broke things open in the top of the third scoring eight runs which turned a 3-1 deficit into a 9-3 lead. The highlight of the rally was a two-run home run from Jeff Hunt. “It was (more) like a driving range or a tee off golf tournament than a baseball game,” said Québec head coach Joel Landry about Ontario’s at bat in the third inning. “Balls were flying. “They were impressive hitting wise. (The) pitching was too high in the zone, and their hitting took advantage of that.” Québec scratched back with a run in the bottom half of the inning to make the score 9-4. Samuel Domingue reached base on a leadoff walk and later scored on a one-out double from Cedric Vallieres. In the bottom of the fourth, Québec scored another run to cut the Ontario lead to 9-5. Marc-Andre Masse reached second on a one-out double and was driven home by Charles-Antoine Saint-Hilaire. If there were any thoughts of a Québec comeback, Ontario erased them in the top of the fifth inning. With two runners on and two outs, Domingue misplayed a routine grounder at short allowing Justin Malabanan to score for Ontario. Johnathon Solazzo also hit an RBI double in the inning driving home Darnell Duckett to make the score 11-5. Québec scratched out another run in the bottom of the sixth to round out the game’s scoring. While the pitching was shaky at times, reliever Daniel Lepage, who just turned 16, struck out seven batters, while giving up one earned run in four and a third innings of relief for Québec. For Ontario, Tanner Nivins was 3-for-4 at the plate with two RBI, while Justin Malabanan was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Besides getting a homer, Hunt took the mound for Ontario in the seventh and had an impressive inning of work striking out two batters in getting three straight outs. “I know that the coach told us before the game it was the last chance for anybody to solidify themselves in our starting lineup,” said Hunt. “It feels really good to be able to come through on both sides.” |
