Stingers baseball bounced in opening round of provincial playoffs
The McGill Redbirds swept the series in two games to advance to the final against UQTR
The McGill Redbirds eliminated the Concordia Stingers baseball team in a best-of-three series on Oct. 5. They lost to their cross-town rivals by scores of 8-7 and 7-5 in the semi-final round of provincial playoffs.
Gary Carter Field played host to the double-header, and in repeat fashion from last season, saw McGill sweep their opponents. Both teams stayed competitive throughout the day, with plenty of offence sparking at the right time.
“Everybody knows that what happened today is not where Concordia is gonna be in the next couple of years,” said Stingers designated hitter Bobby Fraser, who went 2-for-5 with three RBI on the day. “When we show up and we have depth and a full bench, we can put up two very competitive squads in a doubleheader.”
Game one saw the Stingers start hot. Redbirds starting pitcher Gabriel Braun allowed the first hit to the lead-off batter and then surrendered four consecutive singles. Two errors followed, providing a 5-0 lead to Concordia in the first inning. The Redbirds plated one runner to make it 5-1 after one, but they sought more revenge two frames later.
“It was a dream start to game one,” said Stingers head coach Casey Auerbach. “To be able to score five runs in the first [inning], executing the plan to a tee. We did a really good job and came out with some punch.”
In the bottom of the third inning, Stingers starter Connor Melanson went from cruising to bruised up. Redbirds shortstop Brad Marelich drilled a home run on the opening pitch before the next three batters notched two doubles and a single. Melanson got out of the frame still on the mound, but not before McGill tied the game 5-5.
Both teams traded a run, making it 6-6 heading into the bottom of the sixth. With Stingers relief pitcher Adrian Cookson on the mound, the Redbirds’ lineup mustered three singles, the last a slap-hit line drive that scored the two lead runners. Despite Concordia narrowing the lead by plating a runner in the top of the seventh, McGill took game one by a score of 8-7.
On the brink of elimination in game two, the Stingers led off in a similar fashion to their opponents in game one, with centre fielder Alex Ramsay smacking a home run over the right-field fence in the opening at-bat. The Redbirds responded in a big way in the following two innings.
Stingers starting pitcher Milo Auslander-Padgham needed more time to settle into the game, walking four batters, hitting another, and surrendering three doubles in the opening two innings. This quickly changed the momentum in McGill’s favour and garnered them a 4-1 lead.
The Stingers made it a game in the top of the sixth. Working with six outs remaining in their provincial season, Ramsay singled with runners on, cutting the lead to 4-2. Stingers veteran third baseman Kyle Hazel then slapped a hard ground ball that stayed just fair down the first base line and made its way to the outfield fence. The triple and following single from shortstop Ben Powell gave Concordia back the lead, 5-4.
The Redbirds spoiled the comeback. Stingers relief pitcher Riley Clahane took the mound, and despite retiring the first batter via strikeout, surrendered a walk, a single and a 2-RBI-double, handing McGill the lead once again. The Redbirds capped off the frame by plating another run and held on to a 7-5 advantage until the final out.
“It’s definitely not the outcome we wanted, especially [when] we have lead in both games,” Auerbach said. “We talk as a group about learning to win and hating to lose, so hopefully there will be some lessons that we can take away from those two games.”
McGill moves on to the final round where they will take on the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières Patriotes.
“I think the guys wanted it like crazy,” said Redbirds head coach Christopher Haddad. “You could see, they fought really hard. They didn’t want to lose this game, so they poured everything they had even when we were down.”
The Stingers will prepare over the next week for the Canadian University National Invitational Baseball Tournament starting Thursday, Oct. 17.
