[Alsfastball] Aurora Sweeps Toronto: Move on to Final

[Al Doran]

To: fastball at pmihrm.com
Subject: Aurora  Sweeps Toronto: Move on to Final
From: paul.papulkas at cantire.com
Date: Fri, 24 Sep 2004 16:38:58 -0400


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Aurora, Ontario.

The Toronto Champion Indians ventured up the 404 to take on the Aurora 
Leghorns
in the highly anticipated second game of the best-of-three semi-final of the
Oshawa City and District League play-offs.  With Aurora having taken game 1 
the
evening before the Indians needed a win to force a third game.

The bleachers were full and the crowd was electric.
The pitching matchup was a re-match from the previous evening.
Grant Patterson, of the ISC's Midland Explorers versus Todd Martin of Farm 
Tavern fame.

In the end, it was deja vu all over again.  Aurora came away with it's 
second 1-0 victory
and a 2 game sweep of the semi-final series.  Martin got the victory, 
scattering 7 hits
and walking no one.  He struck out 7 to bring his two-game total to 25!

With zero run support for the second consecutive game, Patterson lost 
another heart-breaker.
He gave up 3 hits, all singles, walked three, and struck out 7.

The lone run was scored in the bottom of the 5th when RF Dean Begley led 
off with a single.
Pinch-runner Mike Dambrosio promptly stole second and scored on a one out 
bloop single off the
bat of Todd Martin.

Once again the dominant bat in the Indian lineup belonged to Jamie 
Murchison.
He singled twice and flew out to deep left field his other time up.  Tracey 
Woolridge also chipped in
with 2 hits with Mike Wesson, Tom Berube and Norm Estabrooks getting the 
others.

For a low-scoring affair the game did have it's hi-lites.   Steve Kouleas 
almost became too
ugly for TV when Woolridge's screamer past third barely missed his 
head.  No amount of makeup
would've hid that ball mark!  On the play, Rick Green made a fine defensive 
play throwing out
Woolridge trying to stretch the single into a double.  And with one out in 
the 7th and one on,
John Batten drove a ball to deep centre that would have been out of most 
parks but dropped
into the waiting glove of CF Rino Dambrosio at the 270 mark, still 15 feet 
in front of the fence.
On a lighter note, a heckler made life miserable for a couple of veteran 
Indians who actually backed out
of the box to exchange words with the person.  The heckler did have some 
good material!

The Shoeless Joe's Chicken Wing Award for the MVP of the semi-finals goes 
to...

Todd Martin AND Grant Patterson, who both showed why they are World Class 
pitchers.
A bounce the other way in either game could have changed the fortunes of 
both pitchers (and teams).

The Aurora Leghorns would like to congratulate the Toronto Champion Indians 
for a well-played
season and series in their inaugural season in the Oshawa league.

The Leghorns now await the winner of the Bradford Sox - Claremont Rebel 
semi-final.

Regards,
Paul Papulkas

From: paul.papulkas at cantire.com


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