New Lowell Knights win eighth NDBL championship
New Lowell Knights won their eighth North Dufferin Baseball League championship Sunday with a 7-5 Game 6 victory over the Ivy Leafs. The Leafs were the defending league champions going into the game.
The title marks an incredible season. The Knights overall record, 42-8-4, also included an OBA championship, victorious at the Lisle tournament, and a consolation championship honour at their own tourney.
The Knights out-going manager Pete ‘Hammer’ Kinghan, who arrived on the Knights doorstep a year ago after coming out of retirement, agreed.
“It has been a pretty good year. It’s one of the best I’ve ever had. Definitely, the best I’ve ever had in senior,” he said.
Kinghan is the winningest manager in league history. He has now captured 13 senior and junior championships and four provincial titles, two each at the senior and junior levels.
In the last decade, the club has had a very strong nucleus. The previous three years, the Knights lost in the OBA finals and have reached the NDBL finals many times. It just couldn’t pull off the big victory.
Hammer told the players after losing the OBA finals he would try to get some additions to get the club over the final hurdle. He was able to convince league veterans Todd Gowan, Bryan Bartley and Chad Purchase to share his vision and join something very special.
“Everyone gelled together and came hungry to win,” Hammer said. “It worked out for us!”
The Leafs and Knights played three games over the weekend, two on Saturday and one on Sunday to decide the winner. Earlier, New Lowell won Games 2 and 3, by 7-2 and 6-0 scores. They lost the opener 3-2.
Ivy tied the series at two apiece Saturday with a 10-4 home victory behind another strong pitching performance from Leafs’ Brad Grieveson and a grand slam by Brett Elliott, his second homer of the day.
Back in New Lowell later that Saturday, the Knights rebounded and kept Ivy off the scorecard for a 4-0 win. Allan Brownridge toed the rubber for New Lowell and gave up only four hits, a walk and hit batsman while striking out five.
Chris Greer, Purchase, Brandon Norrie, Sean Thompson had hits for New Lowell with Brownridge helping his cause with a two-run home run.
In the series’ final game, Brownridge and Grieveson were handed the ball. The game went back and forth from the get go. Five times the lead change hands with the fateful seventh inning proving to be the difference. A two-run double cracked by Norrie gave the Knights a 7-5 lead. Norrie struck out the side in the bottom half of the inning to secure the win and New Lowell’s first NDBL championship since 2004.
New Lowell charted hits from Greer, Sean Connor, Gowan, Norrie, Brownridge, Thompson, Dale Lightheart and Brett Millsap.
Ivy’s runs were all scored by way of home runs from Phil Tan, Craig Speers, and Matt Bylow.
In a post-game presentation, league secretary Scott Anderson presented the championship trophy to Brownridge and Kinghan. He also presented the Paul Carruthers Memorial Award for playoff MVP to Brownridge for his pitching and hitting contributions.
Finally, the Knights would like to thank their allegiance of fans who have supported the club through thick and thin. They recognize they couldn’t have had such a glorious season if it wasn’t for their support this year and in previous years.
