Joey Payeur
A most memorable series concluded with one winner but no real losers.
John Desaulniers struck out the side in the seventh to close out a 4-3 victory as the Sight & Sound Wolves dethroned the defending champion Barwick Blue Knights in the third-and-deciding game of the Rainy River District Fastball League final last night at the Rodrick and Telford Bruyere Ball Field (Couchiching).
It was the first championship for the Wolves since they won three-straight from 2009-11.
More than 150 spectators crammed the bleachers to watch the Wolves and Blue Knights play the third of three one-run thrillers that neither the teams nor the fans will soon forget.
“The energy of the crowd takes you to another level,” said Desaulniers, who fanned Mike Anderson and Brandan Pratt after the Knights had put two runners in scoring position in the bottom of the seventh—with a base hit likely giving them a repeat title.
“There’s nothing better than that,” he added. “You’re playing and it’s like your feet aren’t even touching the ground.
“We appreciate the crowd so much.”
Even the vanquished Blue Knights knew they had been part of something special—despite having a remarkable season (24-2 overall) end one win short of their quest.
“It felt like you were playing in Yankee Stadium,” said Barwick shortstop Vaughan Wilson, who also tipped his cap to Desaulniers.
“John is in the Hall of Fame at NAFA [North American Fastpitch Association] for a reason,” he noted.
“Our team has so much depth and can hurt you one through nine in the lineup,” Wilson added.
“John just turned it up at the right time.”
Matt Cheetham delivered the game-winning hit—hammering an RBI double off the base of the right-field fence with one out in the sixth to score Matt Sweigard from first after Sweigard had beaten out an infield hit by a whisker.
“I saw the ball right from [Knights’ pitcher JJ Landry’s] hip and I pulled on it and it worked out,” Cheetham grinned.
“I felt a bit late on the pitch but it did the job.”
Cheetham saluted the former champs, who had extended the series with a 3-2, 11-inning victory in Game 2 on Thursday night.
“[Barwick] is a great squad, well-developed, and put up a good fight,” he lauded.
As they did in Game 2, the Wolves took a 2-0 lead—this time in the first inning when Matt Dunne belted a two-run double to centre that hit the fence on the fly to score Kurtis Wepruk and Desaulniers.
The Blue Knights, who decided against playing Game 3 at their home park of Oltsher Field to take advantage of the lights at Couchiching on what would be another post-sunset finish, nearly struck right back in the bottom of the frame.
Wilson mashed a lead-off triple to centre but then wrongly tried to score on Ryder Woolsey’s bouncer back to the mound, with Desaulniers gunning the ball to catcher Duane Carlson.
Wilson was called out for leaving the baseline while trying to dance around Carlson’s tag.
Barwick pulled within 2-1 in the third when Woolsey scored on Kevin Gemmell’s high chopper to third.
The Blue Knights then tied it in the fourth on Landry’s RBI single to centre that cashed in Pratt from second base.
Desaulniers doubled in Wepruk with a shot to left-centre in the top of the fifth for a 3-2 edge.
But the Blue Knights refused to go away, with Gemmell singling home Wilson in the bottom of the frame to square things once again.
Barwick had golden opportunities to score in both the sixth and seventh innings but couldn’t push across the equalizer.
In the sixth, Pratt and Landry walked to bring up Wilson with two out, but Desaulniers froze the Barwick captain with a fastball down the pipe.
Then in the seventh, Gemmell singled to left and then went all the way to third when Dunne threw Pearse Jackson’s grounder past Paul Visser at first.
Nick Wepruk made the defensive save of the game, though, sprinting in from right field to cover the wayward toss and keep Gemmell at third.
Brett Mann pinch-ran for Jackson and promptly stole second, but Desaulniers fanned Anderson and Pratt to seal the victory.
“The best part is this is the team we were supposed to play,” Desaulniers said about a Barwick team that didn’t lose a game all season until the final.
“All three games could have gone either way and you couldn’t play against better guys,” he added.
“You know you earned it.”
