Victory for Knights
A back and forth championship series in the North Dufferin Baseball League ended Saturday with the New Lowell Knights crowned champions winning 3-2 over the Bolton Brewers in Game 7.
The Knights and Brewers ended the regular season as the top two teams and needed all seven games of the series to decide a winner for the prized Strother Cup.
The final game remained scoreless until the third inning when the Knights plated a run. Immediately, the Bolton squad answered with a run in the top of the fourth to even the game again.
In the sixth inning New Lowell scored two runs to retake the lead. Bolton in a last-ditch effort mustered a single run with two out in the seventh inning on an Amin Juorez single to bring the game within one. A strikeout ended the game with a runner left on base.
Bolton had 12 hits including three singles from Chris Fafalios and Juorez, two singles from Mike Wallace and John Hutchinson, and hits from Carson Burns and Carter Burnside.
New Lowell’s Steve Bowman hit two singles while teammates Tanner Zeggil, Sean Connor, Jake Nicholson, and Chris Greer singled. Kurt Roy hit a double, which brought in the two runs for the Knights in the sixth frame.
Toeing the rubber for the Brewers was Victor Moguel. He pitched five innings, allowed two runs on five hits, walked two batters and struck out seven. Brendan Lyons came in relief for an injured Moguel and pitched one inning giving up one run on two hits and struck out two.
Veteran pitcher Steve Baldry was given the nod again for the Knights and over his six innings of work gave up two runs on 11 hits, walked two and struck out three. He started the seventh inning but lost feeling in his pitching arm and was relieved by Nicholson.
Nicholson finished the inning with one hit allowed and one strike out to end the game.
For his outstanding pitching performances in the series and playoffs, Baldry was named the most valuable player. He received the Paul Carruthers Memorial Award presented by league treasurer Dan Gowan.
League secretary Scott Anderson presented the Strother Cup to Todd VanLieshout, Zeggil and Greer in a post-game presentation.
David Anderson photo: The New Lowell Knights won the North Dufferin Baseball League’s Strother Cup Sept. 24 – Back row, from left: coach Peter Kinghan, Gord Zeggil, Dale Lightheart, Brandon Norrie, Sid Beelen, Sean Connor, Chris Rettie, Mack Morrish, Nic Guthrie, Brett Millsap, Jesse McIntyre. Front row, from left: Brett Elliott, Steve Bowman, Kurt Roy, Chris Greer, Steve Baldry, Jake Nicholson, Tanner Zeggil, Trevor Martin, Todd VanLieshout.
