Redbirds knocked out by Gee-Gees in baseball semifinal
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(PHOTO BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)
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MONTREAL - What started so promising with a playoff road victory for the º«¹úÂãÎè men's baseball team last Saturday, did a complete reversal as the Redbirds dropped two straight games to the Ottawa Gee-Gees and lost their CIBA Northern Division best-of-three semifinal series 2-1.
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º«¹úÂãÎè, which finished third in the division with a 9-7 record, also had a difficult time with the second-place Gee-Gees (12-4) during the regular season, losing three out of four meetings.
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º«¹úÂãÎè opened the series in the nation's capital with a thrilling 3-1 victory in extra innings, but the Gee-Gees roared back to force a rubber match with a convincing 6-1 decision in Saturday's doubleheader nightcap. The series moved back to Montreal on Sunday and Ottawa came away with a 7-3 win to out a sudden end to º«¹úÂãÎè's season.
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"They got timely hits and we didn't," said Redbirds co-captain Alex Day, a fifth-year arts & science major from Toronto, who went 3-for-9 at the plate, with three walks a run scored and an RBI in the series. We gave up too many walks (7) in the final game and stranded too many runners (11) on base."
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º«¹úÂãÎè starting pitcher L.J. Aguinaga, a sophomore from Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., was tagged for six runs on six hits in three innings of work. He walked three batters and struck out two. The Redbirds had three runs on eight hits, including two apiece by first baseman Casey Aurebach of Westmount, Que., rookie third baseman Chan Arndt of Yarmouth, Me., and catcher Chris Haddad, a freshman from Pierrefonds, Que.
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In Friday's series-opener, the Redbirds got an eight-inning complete-game gem from right-handed starting pitcher Anthony Carbone, a chemical engineering senior from Montreal. The teams were tied 1-1 in the first extra inning when Day, the shortstop, led off with a walk and scored on a double by cleanup-hitter Adam Gordon of Dollard des Ormeaux. First baseman Casey Aurebach of Westmount followed with an RBI double to cash in the insurance run.
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Right-hander Conrad Hill, a junior from Pointe Claire, Que., started the nightcap but only lasted 4.1 innings as the Gee-Gees scored a run in each of the first three innings. They added three more in the fifth before º«¹úÂãÎè got on the scoreboard with an RBI single by designated-hitter Ted Davis of North Andover, Mass.
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º«¹úÂãÎè will have the bulk of a solid team back next season as only five veterans are expected to be lost to graduation. Day, the third-place hitter who batted .302 on the season with 16 hits in 16 games, and Steven Hersch (.321, 18 hits, 16 runs), a senior from Toronto will be the toughest to replace. Other anticipated losses include Carbone, Aaron Besner of Montreal and Oren Tessler, all pitchers.
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GAME 1: WON 3-1 at Ottawa (8 inn.)
WP: Anthony Carbone, º«¹úÂãÎè
LP: Shane Riley, Ottawa
BATTING ORDER
RFÌý Steven Warsh (0/4, RBI)
LFÌý Steven Hersch (1/4)
SSÌý Alex Day (1/3, BB, R)
CFÌý Adam Gordon (1/4, 2B, R, GW-RBI)
DHÌý Ted Davis (0/4)
1BÌý Casey Aurebach (2/4, 2B, RBI)
3BÌý Chan Arndt (0/3)
CÌý Chris Haddad (0/3)
2BÌý Josh Gordon (0/1, 2BB, R)
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GAME 2: LOST 1-6 at Ottawa
WP: (not available), Ottawa
LP: Conrad Hall, º«¹úÂãÎè
BATTING ORDER
RFÌý Steven Warsh (0/4)
LFÌý Steven Hersch (2/4, R)
SSÌý Alex Day (1/3, BB)
CFÌý Adam Gordon (2/4, 2B)
1BÌý Casey Aurebach (1/4)
DHÌý Ted Davis (1/3, BB, RBI)
3BÌý Chan Arndt (0/4)
2BÌý Josh Gordon (1/2, HBP)
CÌý Michael Kolodny (0/3)
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GAME 3: LOST 3-7 vs Ottawa
TEAM ÌýR-H-E-LOB
OTTÌý ÌýÌýÌý7-10-2-9
McGÌý ÌýÌýÌý3-8-0-11
WP: Maxime Caron, Ottawa
LP: LJ Aguinaga, º«¹úÂãÎè
BATTING ORDER
RFÌý Steven Warsh (0/2)
ph/RF ÌýRob Garven (0/2)
LFÌý Steven Hersch (0/3)
SSÌý Alex Day (1/3, BB, RBI)
CFÌý Adam Gordon (1/4, R)
1BÌý Casey Aurebach (2/3, BB, R)
DHÌý Ted Davis (0/4)
3BÌý Chan Arndt (2/4)
CÌý Chris Haddad (2/3, R, RBI)
2BÌý Max Tierno (0/1)
ph ÌýJosh Gordon (0/1, 2BB, RBI)
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SOURCE:
Earl Zukerman
Communications Officer
Athletics & Recreation
º«¹úÂãÎè
514-398-7012 (Tel.)
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Northern Conference |
Ottawa Gee Gees at º«¹úÂãÎè Redbirds - October 11, 2009 |
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