The Hytec Red Sox outlasted the Wayside Bombers 9-6 in the Vernon Mosquito Baseball League championship Tuesday night at Lakeview Park.
The Bombers battled throughout the double-knockout playoffs to reach the finals and they kept pressing in a final featuring six lead changes.
Wayside scored in the first inning with a lead-off bunt single by Jordie Brown. Jesse Vandenbrand worked a walk and Jonah Lee got on a fielders choice. Micah Davyduke capped the first with a two-run double to left field to put the Bombers up 2-0.
The Red Sox responded with a lead-off triple by Turner Hayward, a single by Drew Christensen and a two-RBI double by Vincent Sanfilippo to tie things. The Bombers answered in the second with a Cole Breugom double to centre and solid at-bats from Jason Pope and Wylder Wigelund to load the bases. Kobe Smyth’s ground ball fielder’s choice scored one to put the Bombers ahead 3-2.
The Sox countered again in the second with a lead-off walk by Tarran Tepper and a double to right centre by Isaac Brisco. After hard-earned walks by Gavin Gregerson and Anthony Sanfilippo, Marty Pare drove in Brisco with a deep drive to right field putting Hytec up 4-3.
Vincent Sanfilippo started on the mound in the third for the Sox. A stellar six-pitch at-bat by Jasmine Hanry started the inning with a walk before Lee smashed a ball to left for a double, scoring Hanry. Dane Sommerfeld then tripled to deep left to score Lee and Davyduke finished the three-run inning with a double to centre, making it 6-4 Bombers.
Hytec answered again with a lead-off single by Tanner Hanson followed by a single from Hayward. Christensen doubled to right and Everett Brown and Vincent Sanfilippo both singled to make it 8-6 Sox.
The Bombers threatened again in the fifth with walks by Smyth, Orin Hauber and Isaac Willms to load the bases. The Sox countered by bringing Christensen to the mound and struck out the next three batters.
Said Vernon Baseball Association president Michael Sanfilippo: “What a great game to end a great season of ball. I can’t say enough about the amount of development all the teams saw in their kids from the start of the season throughout the playoffs. I send out a huge thank you to all the head coaches, assistants and parent helpers who made this season a huge success for all the kids.”
In Pee Wee A playoff action, the Salmon Arm Blue Jays eliminated the Hytec Canadians 14-7 in an extra inning Tuesday night at Creekside Park.
Down going into the fifth, the Canadians coaches pulled out every trick in the bag, using a two-out bunt that stayed fair on the third-base line forcing an extra inning.
“In the last inning, our bats got hot but we couldn’t solve the Salmon Arm bullpen,” said Hytec coach Hayden Vardon, assisted by his father, Carl. “It was a tough loss but the boys showed their true colours right to the end. Now that’s Vernon baseball”.
Dylan Sailing went 2-for-2 with one run for the Canadians, while Dylan McGee-Hatalcik smacked an RBI-triple and Ben Bradford and Leland Robertson-Haupstein both singled, walked and scored once.
Vernon is hosting the Mosquito AAA Tier 2 (Lakeview Park) and Pee Wee AAA (Creekside Field) baseball provincials Aug. 1-6.
Volunteers are needed. Call Pee Wee Division director Jody Swartz at 250-870-2961 or Mosquito director Michelle Sorensen at 306-502-2140.
Meanwhile, the Adanacs bottled up the District Eatery Outlaws 9-1 in the lone Vernon Men’s Baseball League game last weekend.
The Adanacs played their best defence of the season, bolstered by a terrific over-the-shoulder diving catch in left field from Austin Young, and a Steve Daamen bare-hand scoop and throw on a slow roller to third base.
Jason Webster stroked a two-run single in the bottom of the first to kickstart the offence, while Young added some padding in the sixth with an RBI-single. Mike Patitucci and Doug Weaving both went 3-for-3 for the Outlaws, while Rodger Sewell went 2-for-3 with a run.
VMBL action resumes next Thursday night with the Adanacs taking on the Arrows at Marshall Field.