BC Orange squeaks past Ontario Black with walk-off win
BC shortstop Jason Willow ranges to his left. Photo Credit: Tyler King
By: J.P. Antonacci
Canadian Baseball Network
The last time Thomas Neal won a game in walk-off fashion, he hit a home run off fellow British Columbia native Jason Willow.
On Saturday afternoon, Neal and Willow shared in the excitement of BC Orange’s 4-3 walk-off win over Ontario Black during Tournament 12 at Rogers Centre.
Boxscore: BC Orange 4 Ontario Black 3
With the score tied at three, Neal came into the game as a pinch hitter in the bottom of the seventh.
The 17-year-old from Vancouver blooped a pop fly to right field that bounced away from outfielder Adam Plouffe.
“I was protecting because I had two strikes. Low-and-away fastball, put the bat on the ball and got lucky – it dropped in,” Neal said. “Soon as I saw it, right away I thought, I’m taking two.”
Neal moved to third after a fastball from Ontario Black reliever Adam Tulloch knocked catcher David Mendham’s glove off.
With runners on the corners and a full count on BC’s Rhys Cratty, another pitch got away from Mendham, and Neal raced home with the winner.
“It’s a thrill. I love it,” Neal said after posing for a team photo with T12 commissioner Roberto Alomar.
“It’s awesome. It’s so chill,” he said. “All these professional scouts, (playing with) a great group of guys. It’s just fun.”
He sees the tournament as a chance to learn from the best.
“Being around Robbie Alomar, Lloyd (Moseby), all these smart, intelligent guys, it’s hard not to learn something.”
Adam Hall, the highly-touted London shortstop playing in his fourth and final T12, was the catalyst for Ontario Black, driving in two runs and stealing two bases while ranging up the middle to take a base hit away from BC catcher Owen Napieralski.
Hall gave Ontario Black an early lead by cashing in Lucas Parente, who sliced a double just inside the right-field foul line to start the game.
BC starter Fynn Chester induced a double-play ball from right fielder Adam Plouffe to limit the damage.
Ontario Black missed the chance for a big inning in the second, loading the bases with no outs after walks to Antonio Cruz and Mendham and a sharp single to right from Leo Markotic.
Kyle Brown hit a broken-bat grounder to second to score Cruz and make the score 2-0. Chester then found his composure, striking out Alex Jones and Parente to snuff out the threat.
BC Orange got both runs back in the bottom of the inning.
Leadoff hitter Damiano Palmegiani beat out a dribbler to pitcher Ben Abram for a base hit, and scampered all the way to third after Abram threw away a pickoff attempt.
He wasn’t there long, as Cratty knocked in Palmegiani on the next pitch with a single to left.
After Cratty tagged and moved to third on a long fly out, Jayden Marsh lined a base hit to right over a leaping Kyle Bryan at first base to tie the game at two.
British Columbia pulled ahead in the next inning, as Willow rifled a leadoff double down the left field line and moved to third on a groundout to short.
Cratty looked to have made the third out on a grounder, but umpire Stephen Gomes ruled that third baseman Noah Naylor’s throw pulled Bryan off the bag, allowing Willow to score the go-ahead run.
BC’s lead lasted just an inning.
Relief pitcher Wesley Moore walked Ontario Black pinch-hitter Tyrell Hebert to begin the fifth.
Herbert stole second and scored standing up on Hall’s base hit to right, which made the score 3-3.
Moore tried to keep Hall close, throwing over twice, but the dynamic shortstop stole second anyway. He then swiped third, but was cut down at the plate when he tried to score on a grounder to the pitcher.
Ontario Black coach Adam Stern said while Hall’s skills are undeniable, it’s the 17-year-old’s intangible contributions that are even more impressive.
“Adam’s a special player – not just for what he brings tools-wise to the field, but the intensity and focus he brings. He makes his teammates better,” Stern said.
“He’s in every game, and he brings guys around him up to another level. If a guy’s tipping a pitch, if a guy’s giving away a sign, he brings his teammates in. Those kinds of small things really show me something about a player’s maturity.
“When the game’s on the line, he’s the kid I want in the batter’s box. He’s the kid I want the ball hit to.”
Ontario Black (1-1-0) will look to bounce back from their first loss when they take on Alberta Red (0-1-1) Saturday at 8:30 p.m.
BC Orange (2-0-0) returns to action Sunday at 2 p.m. versus Prairies Purple (0-2-1).