SUMMERSIDE – There was no lack of excitement – and or nervousness – at Queen Elizabeth Park on Sunday afternoon.
The Capital District Islanders from Charlottetown and Fredericton Royals battled in an entertaining gold-medal game of the Baseball Canada 2018 Atlantic 13-and-under championship before a big and boisterous crowd on the Very Important Volunteer Field.
The marathon final was not decided until the bottom of the 14th inning. That is when the Jack Rowell singled home Luke Coughlin, who led off with a triple to centre field, with the game-winning run to give the Islanders a 10-9 victory.
Click here for story on bronze-medal game:
The teams entered extra innings tied 8-8, and exchanged unearned runs in the ninth inning. Caleb Rice, who reached on an infield error, scored the go-ahead run on another infield miscue off the bat of Tyler Stewart to give the Royals the lead. The Islanders answered in their half as Luke Coughlin reached second base on an infield error, and scored on Graysen LaPorte’s single to centre field.
Pitching win
Jack Burke, who recorded the final out in the top of the 14th inning, was credited with the pitching win. Burke, the Islanders’ fourth pitcher of the day, relieved Wil White after 6 1/3 strong innings of work. Sam Gallagher, who went 8 2/3 innings, took the loss.
Coughlin swung the hot bat for the Islanders, going 4-for-6, including a walk, and scoring four runs. Owen Blacquier had three hits to lead Fredericton.
Click here for story on host Summerside Chevys playing in placement game:
The Royals were rewarded for coming out swinging and playing an aggressive style as they jumped out to an 8-2 lead after 2 ½ innings. However, the Islanders began to claw their way back, scoring once run in the third, two in the fourth and tying the game with a three-run fifth.
Overall, Capital District outhit Fredericton 14-10 and committed nine of the game’s 17 errors.
The Islanders completed the eight-team, four-day tournament a perfect 5-0 (won-lost) while the Royals were 3-2. Both of Fredericton’s losses came to the Islanders, including a 9-0 decision in a round-robin game Friday morning.
Final Placings
Baseball Canada 2018 Atlantic 13U championship’s final placings:
1. Capital District
2. Fredericton
3. Halifax, N.S.
4. Kennebecasis Valley, N.B.
5. Truro, N.S.
6. Summerside
7. St. John’s, N.L.
8. Mount Pearl, N.L.
Scores
Baseball Canada Atlantic peewee championship scores:
Sunday’s Results
Gold-Medal Game
Capital District 10 Fredericton9 (14 innings)
Bronze-Medal Game
Halifax 9 Kennebecasis Valley 1
Saturday’s Results
Seventh-Place Game
St. John’s 18 Mount Pearl 2
Fifth-Place Game
Truro 10 Summerside 7
Semifinals
Fredericton 7 Halifax 3
Capital District 13 Kennebecasis Valley 0
Friday’s Results
Capital District 9 Fredericton 0
Truro 11 Mount Pearl 0
Halifax 16 St. John’s 6
Kennebecasis Valley 9 Summerside 8
Thursday’s Results
Fredericton 13 Mount Pearl 2
Capital District 11 Truro 1
Summerside 8 St. John’s 4
Halifax 3 Kennebecasis Valley 2
Capital District vs. Mount Pearl
Fredericton 3 Truro 2
Halifax 17 Summerside 7
Kennebecasis Valley 11 St. John’s 5
