Erindale Cardinals Capture 2016 COBA Major Playoff Title

By Dan Estey
Canadian Baseball Network
The Erindale Cardinals captured their second Central Ontario Baseball Association  Major League playoff championship in the last three years in Milton. After taking the short road in 2014, the Cards had to play five games in two days against the Oakville A’s, Burlington Brants, and Niagara Metros to capture the title this year.

On Saturday, the Redbirds started their playoff run with a 3-2 10-inning loss to the Oakville A’s. Oakville opened the scoring in this one putting up a run in the top of the first inning only to have Erindale answer back with two in the home half to take a 2-1 lead. Oakville added another run off of Erindale starter Andrew Mullin in the top of the third inning to knot the game 2-2. After that the pitching took over for both team with Mullin and Oakville vet Gord Robertson trading scoreless innings. Robertson exited the game after six innings and was replaced by Matt Chisamore while Mullin exited after seven and was replaced by Dan Estey. Both relief pitchers continued to roll until the top of the 10th inning when Oakville was able to push a run across when a ground ball hit to third base took a high hop into left field pushing the A’s ahead 3-2. Marc Walton came in to throw a clean 10th to preserve the win for Oakville. Offensively, Erindale was led by Chris Novia who was 1-for-5 with a single and two RBIs. Greg Dodwell was also 1-for-5 with a single while Geoff Cullen was 1-for-4 with a single. Mullin threw seven innings allowing two runs (one earned) on six hits. He walked two while striking out nine batters in taking a no decision. Estey, who took the loss, threw three innings allowing the one earned run on two hits. He walked two and struck out two batters. 

This placed Erindale in a must-win situation now against the Burlington Brants who dropped their opening game of the second weekend 8-0 to the Niagara Metros. Like Game 1, this was a very low scoring game again with the usually potent Cardinals offence sputtering big time today. Brendan Fox drew the start for Erindale while he was opposed by Cam Ryerson for Burlington. Both pitchers were phenomenal in this one as both had not allowed a run after five innings with Fox allowing only two hits to that point in the game and Ryerson four hits. Erindale finally cracked the scoreboard in the sixth when John DeWolfe belted a solo home run to left to make the score 1-0. Fox made that lead stand throwing a clean seventh inning making the final 1-0 Erindale. Offensively, DeWolfe led the Cards going 2-for-3 with a single and a home run. Jay Woodford was also 2-for-3 with two singles while Pip Murray-Smith was 1-for-1 with a single and two walks. Fox was brilliant on the mound going a full seven innings allowing no runs on three hits. He walked two and struck out two batters in taking the win. 

With a 1-1 record, the Cardinals pushed on into Sunday morning with a re-match against the Oakville A’s in the semi-finals. In this game, Oakville once again got on the board first with a run in the first to take an early lead. Erindale’s offence came to play in this one as they put up three in the second, one in the third, and two in the fourth to take a 6-2 lead. The Cards put things out of reach in the fifth inning as they put up another three runs as Erindale won this contest 9-2. Aneil Birsa led the Erindale offence going 2-for-3 with a single, double, run scored and three RBIs. Damien Eccelton was 2-for-3 with two singles, two runs scored, and three RBIs while Cullen, in his COBA farewell tour was 2-for-3 with a single, double, two runs, and an RBI. Ian Bala, who collected the win, went six strong innings allowing two runs -- one earned -- on seven hits. He walked four batters while striking out four as well. Adam Forsey through a clean seventh inning to close the game. 

With the win, Erindale now advanced to the playoff championship game against the Niagara Metros. Because of the Metros 2-0 record, they would have to be beat twice to relinquish the COBA Major Playoff title. In game one, Dan Estey of the Cardinals matched up against Dylan Perego of the Metros. Both pitchers made it through three innings scoreless but Niagara used a hit and a walk along with a Dave Davidson home run to take an early 3-0 lead. Erindale tacked one on in the fourth inning to cut the lead to 3-1. The Cards were able to blow things open in the fifth though throwing up five runs on some Niagara errors and some timely hitting to take a 6-3 lead. Niagara answered back in the sixth with an Evan Baglieri solo home run but Erindale continued to tack on runs adding three more in the sixth to take a 9-4 lead into the last inning. Big Ryan Laird led off the top of the seventh with Niagara’s third home run of the day, another solo shot, to cut the lead again but that is as close as the Metros would get dropping this game by a score of 9-5. Offensively, Eccelton had another good game going 2-for-4 with two singles, two runs and two RBI. Woodford was also 2-for-4 with two singles, a run and an RBI while Jake Eves added a single and two RBI. DeWolfe and Novia both went 2-for-3 with two singles, a walk and two runs. Estey went a complete game for Erindale throwing seven innings and allowing five runs on four hits. He walked two batters while striking out none in taking the win. 

This set up a winner take all game between Niagara and Erindale for the COBA Major playoff championship. In this contest, Niagara struck first with a run in the second off of Cardinals starter DeWolfe. Both DeWolfe and Niagara lefty Brandon Beattie settled in after that with both pitchers cruising through the game. Niagara pushed another run across in the top of the seventh on a passed ball and took a 2-0 lead to the bottom of the seventh inning which looked like more than enough for Beattie but the resilient Cards picked away and were able to get a run and get runners on the corners with two outs chasing Beattie from the game and now had to face Justin Ayles. Novia was able to come through in the clutch off Ayles hitting a dribbler between first and second base and tie the game 2-2. Each team had some chances in the eighth inning but got nothing across and after DeWolfe shut down the Metros bats in the ninth Erindale got a rally going in the home half of that inning. The lead off batter reached followed by Woodford and Novia both reaching base to set up the heroics for Cullen who pushed a line drive off of Laird’s glove at first base and into right field for the walk off winner and a 3-2 final score. Woodford was 2-for-5 with two singles and an RBI to lead Erindale at the dish. Novia was 1-for-4 with a single, a walk, and an RBI while Cullen was 1-for-5 with a single and the championship RBI. DeWolfe was spectacular on the mound going all nine innings allowing two runs  -- one earned -- on six hits. He walked two and struck out five Metros batters in collecting the win. 

COBA Playoffs
First Weekend
Saturday, Aug. 20th
Milton Field R   H   E
8th – Oakville A’s    11    9    3
1st – Etobicoke Rangers    9    12    2
Winning Pitcher – Alex Hawley. Losing Pitcher – Tyler Whealy
HR – Mike Kennedy, Tomas Biskup (Oakville)

Milton Field R   H   E
5th – Milton Red Sox    2    5    0
4th – Niagara Metros    8    10    0
Winning Pitcher – Justin Ayles. Losing Pitcher – Damian Clarke
HR – Dave Davidson (Niagara)

Milton Field R   H   E
6th – Brampton Royals    5    7    2
3rd – Erindale Cardinals    11    14    1
Winning Pitcher – Brendan Fox, Losing Pitcher – Steve Hough
HR – Chris Novia, Jay Woodford (Erindale)

Milton Field R   H   E
7th – Burlington Brants    1    0    0
2nd – Mississauga SW Twins    0    0    0
Winning Pitcher – Cam Ryerson. Losing Pitcher – Jordan Petruska

Milton Field R   H   E
5th – Milton Red Sox    4    5    0
1st – Etobicoke Rangers    0    6    3
Winning Pitcher – Ian Zettle. Losing Pitcher – Kyle Breitner.

Milton Field R   H   E
6th – Brampton Royals    2    0    0
2nd – Mississauga SW Twins    3    0    0
Winning Pitcher – Paul McKenna. Losing Pitcher – Joe Ferreira

Milton Field R   H   E
8th – Oakville A’s    5    9    2
4th – Niagara Metros    9    8    2
Winning Pitcher – Geoff Strong. Losing Pitcher – Gord Robertson

Milton Field R   H   E
6th – Burlington Brants    5    8    0
3rd – Erindale Cardinals    0    1    1
Winning Pitcher – Franco Pace. Losing Pitcher – Andrew Mullin

Sunday
Milton Field R   H   E
5th – Milton Red Sox    2    4    0
3rd – Erindale Cardinals    3    6    0
Winning Pitcher – Dan Estey. Losing Pitcher – Liam Tennant

Milton Field R   H   E
8th – Oakville A’s    8    9    1
2nd – Mississauga SW Twins    5    5    2
Winning Pitcher – Matt Reagan, Losing Pitcher – Tomas Rincon

Second Weekend

Saturday, Aug. 27th
Milton Field
Oakville A’s 3, Erindale Cardinals
Winning Pitcher – Matt Chisamore. Losing Pitcher – Dan Estey
Save – Marc Walton

Niagara Metros 8, Burlington Brants 0
Winning Pitcher – Justin Ayles. Losing Pitcher – Franco Pace
HR – Dave Davidson (Niagara)

Erindale Cardinals 1, Burlington Brants 0
Winning Pitcher – Brendan Fox. Losing Pitcher – Cam Ryerson
HR – John DeWolfe (Erindale)

Niagara Metros 15, Oakville A’s 0
Winning Pitcher – Geoff Strong, Losing Pitcher – Mike Vanderlaan

Sunday
Erindale Cardinals 9, Oakville A’s 2
Winning Pitcher – Ian Bala, Losing Pitcher – Alex Hawley

Erindale Cardinals 9, Niagara Metros 5
Winning Pitcher – Dan Estey, Losing Pitcher – Dylan Perego
HR – Evan Baglieri, Ryan Laird, Dave Davidson (Niagara)

Erindale Cardinals 3, Niagara Metros 2
Winning Pitcher – John DeWolfe. Losing Pitcher – Justin Ayles