Kelly’s Pub Canadians into Junior men’s final

From

BY PAT HEALEY
MEDIA OFFICER

SUMMERSIDE – It took a full team effort, but the Newfoundland and Labrador Kelly’s Pub Canadians pulled it out advancing to the 2007 Causeway Bay Softball Canada Junior Men’s fast pitch championship final with a 6-4 extra inning win over the Scarborough Wolverines.
And it was thanks to energizer bunny, Justin Gill who just seems to keep going and going and leading by example. He appeared to roll his ankle in the game Saturday night, but put the pain he might be feeling aside and stayed in the game leading by example. Gill hit a sixth inning solo home run that rallied the defending champions to the victory. Trailing 3-1 and looking as if they may be on the verge of their first loss, Gill bombed a solo home run in the sixth inning.
However, catcher Stephen Strapp said it was a full team effort, something his teammates agreed with.. “It was a full team effort that have us rolling into Sunday,” Strapp said. “Everyone from 1-to-16 contributed to this win.” It came down to the eighth inning to determine a winner between these two evenly matched teams. With Strapp on second as a result of the International tie breaking rule, Mark Lewis batted hitting a hard single that scored Strapp. Then Ryan Boland (1-4) came to bat with pinch runner Matt Hill on first and Mark Lewis on second.. The all star second basemen then hit a first pitch triple, scoring Hill and Lewis and giving the Canadians a 6-4 lead “It was a great game to be involved in,” Boland said. “We were down and whatever the case was we never quit. Justin’s (Gill) home run picked us up and gave us life back.” As for what they will do Sunday in the final looking to repeat as champions, Boland said the team will just take it pitch-by-pitch. “We’ll see what happens but it’ll be a tough game for sure,” he added.
Lewis once again had the hot bat, driving in three runs with a 3-for-4 batting summary. Gill (2-4, two runs scored, RBI), Brad Ezekiel (1-3, run scored), Jon Kane (2-3) were also tops.
Scarborough was led by Brandon Horn (1-3, run scored, RBI triple), Chris Lewis (1-3, run scored) and Rob Clayton (1-3, run scored). Sean Cleary went the distance, striking out four, giving up four runs on five hits and walking one. Matt Leahy came on in relief, pitching two and two third innings giving up three runs on three hits and sitting down two. Andrew Putnam went five and one third inning allowing three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out three.

The Canadians will now await the winner of the Scarborough-Elmira/Simcoe semifinal, Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The championship is set for 1:30 p.m.

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