Trio of triples takes Ontario Black to T12 final
Noah Naylor slides into third base in the first inning. Photo Credit: Nick Ashbourne
By: Nick Ashbourne
Canadian Baseball Network
Due to a symmetrical design that lacks for nooks and crannies, Rogers Centre is an awful ballpark for hitting triples, but you wouldn't know it from the way Ontario Black went to work on Monday.
In Tournament 12's second semifinal, Black ousted Quebec Blue with an offence driven by a trifecta of triples in a 5-1 win that sends them to the T12 final to face BC. Lucas Parente led the attack with two of the three-baggers, driving in outfielder Rashad Collymore twice.
Adam Hall delivered the other big triple as the highly-touted shortstop continued his strong play at T12. After Monday's semifinal action, Hall sits 7-for-14 with five RBI and six steals.
Black did the majority of their damage in a four-run fifth inning where they got four consecutive hits - two singles and two triples - driving Blue starter Conor Angel from the game. By the time the frame was over, all nine Ontario hitters had come to the plate.
To go along with their explosive day at the plate, Black a strong start from start Noah Skirrow who went four innings with only a single unearned run allowed and eight strikeouts. The bearded right-hander had the look of a veteran hurler and pitched like one, mixing mid-80's fastballs with a low-70's breaking ball to keep Blue off balance.
Noah Skirrow delivers to Quebec Blue. Photo Credit: Tyler King
Quebec made things interesting in the bottom of the fifth, loading the bases with none out and chasing Skirrow from the game, but they couldn't solve reliever Tyler Whalen. The right-hander escaped the jam with a pop-up, a strikeout and a sliding catch in right-field from Adam Plouffe.
Black got on the board first in the top of the third as Parente smoked a line-drive triple to right field allowing Collymore to score from first. Angel then mowed through the heart of Black's lineup inducing a sharp groundout off the bat of Noah Naylor and striking out Adam Hall and Tyrell Hebert to end the threat.
Blue scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the fourth when Naylor tried to nab Edouard Julien at third on a stolen base, but airmailed the ball into left, giving Julien plenty of time to score.