[Alsfastball] Hardy pitches Alberton to P.E.I.’s first Intermediat

[Al Doran]

From: "Patrick Healey" <pat_healey at pei.sympatico.ca>
To: "Al Doran" <fastball at pmihrm.com>
Subject: Hardy pitches Alberton to P.E.I.'s first Intermediat
         e 'B' men's EC Ch'ship
Date: Sun, 11 Sep 2005 19:42:16 -0300


Hardy pitches Alberton to P.E.I.'s first-ever Intermediate 'B' men's EC Ch'ship

By Pat Healey

CHARLOTTETOWN - Mission Possible for the Alberton Athletics.

The Alberton Athletics went into the Intermediate 'B' Men's Eastern 
Canadian Championships this past weekend here with one goal in mind - 
winning it as finishing second would be a huge disappointment.

Sunday afternoon, that mission was completed as Mitch Hardy struck out 12, 
allowing just one run - the only one that plated in 29 innings against the 
Larry Profit-coached A's - as the Athletics upended Hoyt Schooners of New 
Brunswick 5-1 to go undefeated and capture the Island's first-ever 
Intermediate 'B' Men's title at City Diamond.

The Athletics beat West Prince rivals the St. Louis Storm 7-0 in the first 
cross over Sunday morning to await the winner of the Hoyt and Pictou 
Extreme winner at noon time.

In the second cross over, it was a see-saw battle until the bottom of the 
seventh when a call that could have went either way went for the home Hoyt 
team and allowed them to plate two runs - including the winner - in a 4-3 
win over the Nova Scotia champion Extreme.

Jeremy Tracy did it all for the Schooners slamming a two-run home run, 
before David Kirkpatrick's RBI single scored brother Dan Kirkpatrick with 
the game winning run in the 4-3 win to advance to the final.

Mike Grant with a home run, John Mailman with a RBI single and Matt Dort 
with a run scored on an error led the Extreme at the plate.

During the three-day championship, a total of five games - the A's gave up 
just one run - in the championship final, and that in the seventh inning, 
while allowing just six hits between Hardy and Manuel. The two rocket 
throwers combined to fan 50 batters in the process with Hardy getting 28 
strikeouts and Manuel sitting 22.

Against St. Louis, top batter Jeff Ellsworth (2-2, triple, home run, three 
runs scored, walk, two RBI), Kyle Fraser (2-3, double run scored), Craig 
Manuel (2-2, three runs scored, double, home run), Jason Rice (1-2, walk), 
Adam Boudreault (1-2, double) and Chad Rennie (1-3) led the way.

For the Storm, Charlottetown Fawcett affiliate Jason MacDonald (2-2) was 
the only hitter to read Manuel, who plays with the Kinkora Hitmen.

In the championship final, it appeared that top pitcher and MVP Hardy and 
Hoyt ace Jeremy Tracey were going to be in a pitching duel. Tracey was 
pitching back to back games after pitching the Schooners in the final with 
a win over the Extreme just moments earlier.

The duel was on as Hardy got out of a first inning jam with a fly out by 
Noel Carr. The A's then went to work.

Kyle Fraser (2-4, run scored) reached base on a single, before the next two 
batters got out. Jeff Ellsworth (1-3, walk) then hit a double that scored 
Fraser with the all important first run of the game in the bottom of the 
first inning.

Alberton threatened to blow the game open somewhat in the second as they 
had the bases loaded with one out, but Tracy escaped by fanning Fraser and 
Chris Avery (.

The third and fourth innings went pretty smooth with Alberton just getting 
one hit off Tracy - that being a two out double by Hardy. He was stranded 
there when Jason Rice flied out to the Hoyt shortstop.

Alberton got the bats going again in the fifth, connecting for two runs on 
two hits and a walk. Avery (1-4, RBI) hit a triple before Jeff Ellsworth 
was intentionally walked by Tracy. Troy Ellsworth (1-3) made the pitcher 
pay for the walk, driving a two-run single to left Centre, plating Avery 
and Jeff Ellsworth.

In the bottom of the sixth, with Alberton ahead 3-0 and wanting insurance 
against Hoyt who beat the A's last year after the sun got in the view of a 
fly out to centerfield and dropped in allowing Hoyt to win 2-1.

Hardy (2-3) reached on a single and moved to second on a Jason Rice (1-2, 
walk) single. Hardy scored on a single from Avery, while an error with 
Manuel at bat allowed Rice to score.

The only time the A's were challenged in this game was in the top of the 
seventh when Noel Carr reached on a single and scored on a David 
Kirkpatrick double. The next two batters got out to end the game and give 
P.E.I. it's first Intermediate 'B' Men's Championship.

Other teams in the tournament were Stewiacke River Rats, East Hants 
Henchman, Moncton Keith's and the host Charlottetown Home for Sales Phantoms.

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