Streaking White Rock Tritons take BC Premier League title
BC Premier League champs … the White Rock Tritons include: Devin Wood, Caleb McFarlane, Jaxon Mosher, Max Edwards-Ryland, Vasya Seymour, Gage Macri, Lucas Wheeler, Matthew Hughes, Connor Cox, Sajan Kooner, Luke Thomas, Cannon Nyline, Anderson Tordiffe, Ekansh Billing, Kadyn Armtiage, Matty Ng, Ben McKinnon, Walker Kokotalio, Smyan Billing, Ryan Connell, Mason McCleary, Sam Persaud, Carter Leith.
July 23, 2024
Away back in 2003 the season was unfolding which would see the Florida Marlins upset the New York Yankees to win the World Series, thanks to manager Jack McKeon using Josh Beckett on short rest.
In July of that summer -- shortly after the American League beat the Nationals 7-6 at U.S. Cellular Field in Seattle -- the White Rock Tritons won the British Columbia Premier League championship.
Since then ... well White Rock’s championship drought was similar to the Toronto Blue Jays post-season drought (1994 to 2015). That all changed on the weekend when White Rock held off the Langley Blaze to win the title 5-3 in Surrey, B.C. The Tritons won thanks to relief work of Ben McKinnon and Devin Wood.
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White Rock got out to an early lead in the top of the first inning of the final. Kadyn Armitage led off with a single and later scored on a McKinnon single.
By the bottom of the third, Langley was up 3-1, with runners on first and second with none out. White Rock coach Tyler Lawson went to reliever Wood. Wood escaped the jam by not allowing a run. He then went onto pitch an additional two scoreless innings.
Tritons OF Gage Macri led off the top of fifth with Langley still holding the 3-1 lead. And then a four-run rally was underway. Sajan Kooner singled as Macri scored on a subsequent throwing error. Kadyn Armitage then singled and Kooner later scored on a wild pitch to tie the game.
McKinnon drove in the go-ahead run and the eventual game winner with his second run-scoring single of the day. Tritons C Vasya Seymour also added an RBI single to plate the fourth run of the inning.
McKinnon took over in the sixth -- asked to get the final six outs. He delivered on short rest after throwing six innings Thursday in a win over the Abbotsford Cardinals.
Langley threatened with the bases loaded and two outs in the bottom of the seventh. The old diamond saying is that the last out is always the most difficult to get, but McKinnon got the final out thanks to fine play by 3B Matty Ng as 1B Kooner held onto the ball after a collision at the bag, ending the 23-year drought since the last time the program had been Premier champs.
The win went to Wood, while McKinnon recorded the hard-earned save. The pair combined to pitch five scoreless. Each allowed one hit.
McKinnon went 3-for-4 knocking in two runs, with Armitage adding two hits. Seymour, Macri and Kooner also had hits.
White Rock ended the regular season on a 14-game winning streak to finish second the league with a 27-13 record. They carried their win streak into the playoffs and after winning their first three games, had won 17 straight and were on a roll heading into championship Sunday.
Langley walked off White Rock in the first game 3-2, but White Rock bounced back like a bad cheque.
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_ In the opener, McKinnon picked up the win pitching six innings in an 11-5 win over Abbotsford.
_ Wood made his tourney mound debut pitching five innings for the win in an 8-3 win against the UBC Thunder. He won that game and the final, where he pitched three scoreless.
_ Walker Kokotalio and Luke Thomas were impressive -- allow three hits -- in a 3-2 win over Langley in the semis.
_ Sam Persaud pitched six innings giving up two runs against Langley in the 3-2 loss.
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Also performing well on the weekend, for the Tritons and assistant coaches Ryan Kaplanis, Brayden Carpenter and Craig Mosher, were
_ EK Billing was a run producer, driving in five in four games.
_ CF Matt Hughes was in the middle all weekend hitting .385 while driving in three.
_ Besides the six-out save in the final, McKinnon hit .545 in four games.
_ SS Armitage, a Grade 10 played short for all five games. He did not make a single error and hit .476 with two doubles driving in five runs.
_ C Seymour was behind the plate all weekend with clutch hits.
_ Kooner batted .308 driving in five runs on the weekend. Four of his RBIs came in the semi-final against Langley.
All 11 of the graduating seniors will be moving on to play college ball across North America come fall.