SPORTS

16 & over baseball tournament played

Monday, July 19, 2004

Gatorade/LeBleu improved to 2:0 and remained the only unbeaten team in the CILL/CISF double elimination tournament as they edged Watler’s Metal 3:2 on Monday evening. It marked the third of four tournament games to be decided by a one run and illustrating the excellent parity of the young league. 

Starting pitchers Johnny Johnson Jr. for Watler’s Metal and Joshua Ebanks for Gatorade/LeBleu, both fresh out of CILL play, turned in completed game performances. Josh Ebanks set the stage for the evening when he retired Watler’s Metal in the top of the 1st inning on only 5 pitches. Johnny Johnson Jr. on the other hand got off to a rocky start walking 2 hitters, giving up a pair of base hits and yielding 2 runs while throwing 27 pitches to get though the bottom of the first. Joseph McField and Eddie Torres provided the base hits with Eddie knocking in both runs.

Josh continued his crafty mixing of his pitches and by the end of the third inning had been through the Watler’s Metal lineup while throwing only 21 pitches, 18 of them for strikes. His teammates gave him another run to work with as Paul Chisholm led off the bottom of the second with a base hit, stole second and scored on a double by Charlie Thompson. It would be all that they would get off Johnny Johnson Jr. for the rest of the game however.

In the top of the 4th inning, Johnny Johnson Sr. ruined Josh’s bid for a no-hitter as he hit a high and outside delivery that was clearly a ball deep to left centre for a double. The disappointment showed as Josh yielded consecutive hits to Bradmir Robinson and Braudillo Robinson scoring Johnny Johnson Sr. and putting runners on 1st and 3rd. He settled down to get the final 2 outs but not before Bladamir Robinson scored the second run of the inning on a pass ball.

Both pitchers were in command over the final 3 innings and the hitters were unable to deliver another run for either team.

Johnny Johnson Jr. took the tough loss having pitched 6 innings, walked 4 and given up 7 hits and 3 runs, only 2 of which were earned. Josh Ebanks grabbed the win, throwing 7 innings, walking none while giving up 3 hits and 2 runs, only 1 of which was earned. They both struck out 8.

The loss dropped Watler’s Metal to 1:1 and they will next face KPMG with the same record on Wednesday at 7:00 pm. The loser of Wednesday’s game will be eliminated by virtue of their second loss. The winner will play Gatorade/ LeBleu on Friday at 7:00 pm in what could be the deciding game of the tournament if Gatorade/LeBleu can continue their winning ways. If Gatorade/LeBleu loses, the final and deciding game will be Monday at 6:30 pm. 

Admission is always free and anyone interested in seeing a good level of baseball is welcome to come out and enjoy the games at the CILL Field of Dreams.

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