A new champion was crowned Sunday as the Pabst Blue Ribbons won their first Okanagan Spring Baseball League title over the Sleeman Pirates.
Ryan Boe hit the second home run in league history and scored four runs, and winning pitcher Peter Ortman carried a no-hitter into the fourth inning, finishing with nine strikeouts in a complete-game, 9-3 win over the Pirates.
Ashton Kodiak also came close to hitting one out of the park for the pennant-winning Blue Ribbons, who needed just one win in the double-knockout final to claim the championship trophy.
Rodger Sewell drove in Nick Jacob with an RBI double in an attempt to spark a Pirates comeback, while Mike Patitucci once again threw every pitch for the Pirates in an excellent effort from the mound.
The Okanagan Spring Brewers began the playoffs with a 14-4 win over the Pirates. The Brew Crew jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first on the back of a two-run single from Brendan Bergen and an RBI double from Taylor Blackburn. The Pirates answered with four runs in the bottom half, as Sewell, Jonathan Graham, and Chris Krusel all drew bases-loaded walks. Blackburn would settle things down for the Brewers on the mound, as the offence continued to roll. Keenan Joly and Kristian Currie each added two more RBI hits, while Bergen finished 4-for-4 as the Brewers moved on to face the Blue Ribbons.
The first-place Blue Ribbons would shock the Brewers right out of the gate. A five-run first inning was powered by a Kodiak RBI single, and that quickly gave way to a seven-run second, with Jamie Zoethout and Paul Rosetti both driving in runs. Pitcher Jason Nazar hit a small speed bump in the third, allowing four Brewer runs on the back of a Josiah Vanderham double, but otherwise held them in check en-route to the decisive 18-4 victory.
This set up the rematch between the Brewers and Pirates, and the Pirates would prove a point by eliminating the Brewers with a 7-2 victory. Patitucci pitched a complete game for the Pirates, allowing only one earned run while striking out three and walking only two batters. Rob Chittick doubled and scored for the Brewers, while Shelby Hartwig pitched effectively, allowing only four earned runs.
Dan Braddick crushed an RBI triple to power the offensive engine for the Pirates, who punched their ticket the the finals.
The Okanagan Spring Baseball League would like to thank it’s title sponsor, Okanagan Spring Brewery, for all their support this season, and thanks, as well, to Dennis Huizinga, Michael Sanfilippo and Vernon Minor Baseball for their help and cooperation.
The league invites any and all new players interested in playing the 2020 season to contact vernonmensbaseball@hotmail.com.
All levels skill are welcome to join in on the fun.
roger@vernonmorningstar.com
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