COBA Major Week XVI Recap

By Dan Estey

The Etobicoke Rangers had a good week in the COBA Major League as they were able to win two of their three scheduled match-ups during the week. The wins locked up the Anson Buck Trophy emblematic of the COBA Major League regular season championship. This is the fourth year in a row the Rangers have won the Anson and the sixth time in the last seven years.

Etobicoke kicked off its week on the road with a visit to Milton to take on the Red Sox. The Rangers got things rolling early as they plated a pair of run in the first inning for an early 2-0 lead. Milton cut that lead in half in the bottom half as it was 2-1 after three innings.

The Etobicoke bats got rolling in the fourth as they pushed across four runs to take a 6-1 lead. The Red Sox tried to keep pace as they scored two of their own in the home half to trail 6-3 but another big inning in the fifth saw the Rangers plate four more runs for a 10-3 lead.

Milton managed a run in the home half to cut that lead to 10-4. In the seventh and eighth, the teams traded runs in both frames. Etobicoke then shut it down in the 9th inning as they took this contest by a final score of 12-6.

Veteran OF Daniel Murphy led the 17-hit attack for the Rangers as he went 4-for-6 with a pair of triples, four runs, two RBIs and a stolen base. Mark Capone was 3-for-6 with four RBI and a stolen base while Michael Ferracuti of the famous Ferracuti Family, was 2-for-6 with a double, a run and an RBI.

AJ Iafrate was 2-for-4 with a walk, an HBP, a run and an RBI while Tyler Randa and Adam Raithby each had a pair of hits with a run and an RBI. Kyle Bowers had a double and a run while Marco Bandiera had a hit while scoring two runs and collecting an RBI.

Kyle Angelow drew the starting assignment in this game and was brilliant as he went six innings in collecting the win. He allowed four runs while scattering nine hits. He walked four batters while striking out five. Tyler Whealy collected the save tossing three innings and allowing two runs –one earned—on two hits. He walked two and struck out two.

On Friday, the Rangers returned to the friendly confines of Connorvale Park as the Niagara Metros were in town on this night. Etobicoke struck first in this on with a run in the bottom of the 1st inning. Niagara would even things up in the 4th plating a run of their own to tie the game 1-1.

The Rangers broke things open from there as they cashed in four runs in the home half of the fourth for a 5-1 lead. The Metros would get one back in the fifth but Etobicoke pushed across two more runs for a 7-2 lead. Niagara would cut into the lead with single runs in the sixth and eighth but couldn’t creep anything closer than that as Etobicoke won this game by a score of 7-4.

Capone led the way in this game as he went 2-for-5 with a double and a pair of RBIs. Iafrate was 2-for-4 with a double, a run, an RBI and a stolen base while Randa was 2-for-3 with a double, a walk, a run and an RBI. Patrick Thompson had a hit and an RBI while Bandiera also had a hit while scoring a run and collecting an RBI.

Southpaw Brad Crone got the start on the hill in this and went a strong seven innings to collect the win. He allowed three runs – two earned - on five hits while walking one and striking out seven. Brendan Lyons tossed the last two frames allowing a run on a hit while walking one and striking out six.

Etobicoke wrapped up its week as it took on the Burlington Brants at Greg Cranker Field in a make-up game from a previous rain out. The teams traded runs in the first as they were knotted at 1-1. The Brants would take the lead in the third as they plated a pair of runs for a 3-1 lead.

The Rangers would tie the game up in the seventh as they scored two runs of their own for a 3-3 game. They would continue to tack on runs as they added single runs in the eighth and ninth to carry a 5-3 lead to the bottom of the ninth.

The Brants wouldn’t go quietly though as they chipped away at the Etobicoke lead and managed to get two runs and tie the game 5-5 forcing extras. Burlington kept Etobicoke scoreless in the 10th and used a one-out double from Max Von Gemmingen to plate the winning for a 6-5 Burlington win.

Iafrate led the way for Etobicoke going 3-for-5 with a home run, a run and a pair of RBIs. Robin Fox-Pappas was 2-for-4 with a double, a walk and an RBI while Matt Stoddart was 2-for-4 with a walk and a pair of runs. Ferracuti was 1-for-4 with a double and an RBI while Whealy was 2-for-5 with an RBI as well.

Andrew Hyde was the starting pitcher for Etobicoke in this game and had to settle for a no decision after seven strong innings of work. He allowed three runs – two earned — on three hits while walking two and striking out seven. Mike Asta took the tough loss as he went 2 2/3 innings allowing three runs – two earned — on four hits. He walked two batters while striking out one.

The rest of the COBA Major Week XVI results:

Monday

Brampton Royals 14, Oakville A’s 7

WP–Steve Hough; LP–Mitchell Over

HR–Blake Donaldson

Niagara Metros 8, Milton Red Sox 5

WP–Justin Ayles, LP–Shawn Miller

Erindale Cardinals 3, Mississauga SW Twins 0

WP–Kevin Lucas, LP–Tomas Rincon

Wednesday

Etobicoke Rangers 12, Milton Red Sox 6

WP–Kyle Angelow; SV–Tyler Whealy; LP–Chris Cloes

Brampton Royals 6, Burlington Brants – 5

WP–Joe Ferreira; LP–Cam Ryerson

HR–Joe Ferreira (Bram.)

Thursday

Brampton Royals 11, Milton Red Sox 10

WP–Brad McLaughlin; SV–Steve Hough; LP–Ian Zettle

Oakville A’s 8, Erindale Cardinals 2

WP–Curtis Braun. LP–Andrew Mullin

Friday

Brampton Royals 9, Mississauga SW Twins 0

Etobicoke Rangers 7, Niagara Metros 4

WP–Brad Crone; LP–Dylan Perego

Saturday

Burlington Brants 6, Etobicoke Rangers 5

WP–Trevor Woodjetts; LP–Mike Asta

HR – AJ Iafrate (Etob.)