Dadson, Grills contribute to Titans' walk-off win
The Ottawa Titans celebrate their walk-off win on Saturday. Photo: Ottawa Titans
August 6, 2022
Official Ottawa Titans News Release
Ottawa, Ont. - Clay Fisher's walk-off double in the bottom of the ninth, secured an Ottawa Titans’ 6-5 victory over the Sussex County Miners on Saturday night.
After a narrow defeat a night ago, the Titans sent left-hander Evan Grills (Whitby, Ont.) to the bump for the middle game of a crucial series with the Miners, who tacked on two runs in the top of the first.
Jawuan Harris' one-out double came across to score as Juan Silverio singled to open the scoring. next up, Martin Figueroa wasted little time with a base hit to right, sending Silverio across the diamond to third. David Maberry lifted a sacrifice fly against his old 'mates, making it 2-0.
For a second-straight game, the Titans got a pair of singles to open up the bottom of the first against southpaw Michael Mediavilla, as AJ Wright and Tyrus Greene reached. After a sac bunt from Jackie Urbaez, a sac fly to left from Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) put the Titans on the board. After Fisher reached, Brendon Dadson (Bowmanville, Ont.) lined a single to right, scoring a pair to make it 3-2.
Both starters settled down for a scoreless second when Harris belted a solo shot to centre off Grills to tie the game at three in the third.
The Titans shrugged off the Harris homer to put two on in the bottom half against Mediavilla when Kai Moody laced a two-run single to right-centre, putting the Titans back ahead at 5-3.
Grills would go on to allow just one hit, an Oraj Anu double in the fourth, over the following three innings to keep the Titans ahead.
After Anu's second hit of the night, a leadoff single in the seventh, Yanio Perez blasted a two-run shot to centre, knotting the game up at five.
As the Titans could only garner one hit over five innings, the Miners could not tack on the go-ahead run as two reached against Grills in the top of the eighth.
The lefty would get the hook after 7 1/3 innings of five-run ball, as Grills allowed 10 hits, and struck out eight in a no-decision. Gavin Sonnier would retire Maberry with a fly-out to centre to end the threat and to close the line on the Titans' starter.
Kevin Escorcia surrendered a one-out hit in the ninth and struck out a pair, giving the Titans a chance in the bottom half.
After James Mulry plunked Greene with one out, the lefty got a big strikeout of Urbaez for the second out and had the ballgame on the verge of heading to extras. Sanford lined a base-hit to centre, setting up Fisher's RBI double down the right-field line to plate the winning run.
The walk-off heroics put the Titans one game ahead of the Miners for second in the East Division, on Fisher's second game-ending knock in the span of two weeks.
The Titans are back in action Sunday afternoon to face the Sussex County Miners at 1:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium in the rubber match of their three-game series.