October 20, 2009 Sports

Stingers headed to nationals

Baseball team beats out Ottawa for the division championship

by Steven Myers

Stinger Scott Airey heads for second base PHOTOS JOHN DYER

Mark Nadler warms up on deck

Nadler scores the game winning run

First baseman Andrew D’Iorio awaits a pick-off

Concordia 8
Ottawa 0

Concordia 6
Ottawa 5

Andrew D’Iorio’s seventh-inning single drove Mark Nadler in with the winning run in one of the most thrilling come-from-behind wins in Concordia baseball history last Saturday, in a doubleheader at Trudeau Park.

As Nadler crossed home plate inches ahead of the tag, the Stingers bench ran onto the field and swarmed Nadler in celebration of the Canadian Intercollegiate Baseball Association Northern Division Championship and a trip to the Nationals in Oshawa, Ontario.

“In all my years in baseball,” said Stingers coach Howard Schwartz, “that was the most spectacular finish I’ve ever seen.”
Trailing 5-1 heading into the bottom of the seventh inning of game two, Concordia’s lower end of the batting order reached base, setting the stage for Matt Langton, Nadler, and D’Iorio’s heroics.

The Stingers brought a 16-3 win-loss record to championship play beginning Friday.
“There will be no bus ride to Ottawa tomorrow!” chanted players after completing a playoff sweep in an improbable game two comeback. “Howie, Howie, Howie,” echoed from behind first base in honour of Schwartz, followed by the ritual dousing of Gatorade over the manager’s head. Schwartz seemed unfazed by the icy shower.

“I was so charged up” he said. “I didn’t feel the cold until climbing into my car an hour later.”
In the opening game, pitcher Julian Tucker continued his late season dominance despite a debilitating flu and fever. The veteran allowed only a first inning single en route to an 8-0 shutout.

“My fast ball was not humming today,” he said. “But when my slider is working for a strike, and it was working today, no one can hit that.”
Tucker struck out nine batters, never faced any real danger, and has yet to give up an earned run in post-season play. The Stingers provided Tucker with an early first inning lead, scoring three times before an out was recorded.

D’Iorio, still recovering from a nagging shoulder injury, demonstrated patience at the plate, fouling off four pitches before hitting a solid sacrifice fly to centre. The left-hitting first baseman walked, scored a run, singled and drove in a second run with another sacrifice fly. Nadler smacked two singles and scored three times, and Langton earned two base hits, scored a run and drove in two.

Concordia’s bench brought the game’s atmosphere to life. The “Bench Brigade” entertained fans with their own renditions of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” and “La Bamba” when outfielder Ahmed Bamba stepped to the plate.

Measuring the effect of bench chatter on the outcome is not as simple as computing batting averages, but it’s hard to imagine opposing teams not being slightly intimidated. Even the umpires walked over to the Stinger dugout to encourage the pumped-up players to calm down.

And while the Stingers celebrated before, during and after the games, Ottawa prepared for the second one in the hopes of forcing a third and decisive contest Sunday in Ottawa.

“That first inning really put us on our heels,” said Gee-Gees manager Larry Belanger between games. “Tucker’s a great pitcher, but we simply needed more base runners. Our game is all about getting people on base.”

The Gee-Gees executed Belanger’s strategy in the fifth inning of game two. With the bases loaded, Matt Emery hit a single off Stinger starter Matt Langton giving Ottawa their first lead in the series, 3-1.

Marc-Olivier Paul came on in relief and forced the final batter to ground out to short. But the Gees scored two more runs in the seventh making it 5-1 and setting the stage for the spectacular comeback.

Pinch hitter Eddie Evans led off the inning with a high chopper to third for an infield single. Kevin Shelton followed with a line drive to the second baseman who fumbled the ball. The error left runners on first and third, but Emilio Pampena’s subsequent hit kept the rally alive. Nadler, Langton and D’Iorio followed with three solid ropes leaving the Gee-Gees in disbelief at what just happened.

The unbelievable finish is not only a fitting way to end the regular home season, but a potent launch pad to the national championship.

“It doesn’t matter who we play,” said Schwartz. “To us, it will be another team wearing another uniform that we can defeat.”

Schwartz is no stranger to the Nationals. In 2007, he guided a handful of his current players all the way to game three of the national championship final against New Brunswick. Tucker pitched a two hitter only to be outdone by the opposing starter who threw a perfect game.
“I think the players who were there in 2007 will carry us even further this time,” Schwartz said. “We want that ring!”

The Stingers leave for Oshawa this Thursday and begin weekend championship play the following afternoon.