Jays sweep heated series with Angels to advance to second round of NDBL playoffs

August 14, 2014 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte

Tempers flared in the first round of the North Dufferin Baseball League playoffs in a series between the top-seed Aurora Jays and the Barrie Angels.
Kicking off the series at home, the Jays cruised to a rather uneventful 8 – 4 win on Tuesday to lead the best-of-five series 1 – 0.

However, Game Two took a much more heated turn when the Angels returned to Aurora Friday night.

The Jays began the game not looking like the season-winning team that they are, allowing Barrie to take the lead through a series of walks and errors. Emotions began running high when a member of the Angels team began to trash-talk and criticize Jays players.

“We were down, and they were chirping, yelling, screaming,” said Jay Ryan Lewis. “Bloomer (Chris Bloom) almost fought him, got in his face. It got all heated. We just came in and thought ‘we’re a better team, just keep doing what we’re doing”.

Down 7 – 2 in the bottom of the seventh, the Jays scored six runs for a comeback 8 – 7 victory to take a stranglehold on the series. Lewis gives credit to his team for maintaining composure, a move he says turned the tide in the game.

“A comeback win is obviously wicked, but because some individuals were being so disrespectful and classless to get on top, for us to just play our game and bite our tongues and beat them in the end was great. We celebrated, we had a good time. We were loving it.”

The Jays’ momentum continued into game three on Sunday in Barrie, jumping out to a 6 – 0 lead in the top of the first.

“It was nice to see all the energy that the guys came to the park with,” said Wilson. “Sometimes you get high emotion like that and come out and do nothing and it turns inward, which can get dangerous. Today it went right through our bats into their field.”

Taking into account the seventh inning of Game Two, the Jays had picked up twelve runs over the last three outs.

Pitcher Brent Owen continued his winning ways into the playoffs, pitching a complete game and allowing only five hits while throwing a mere 65-70 pitches.

Owen went 5 – 0 through the season, allowing only sixteen runs during 35.0 innings.

“He had good stuff, he was pounding the zone,” said Wilson. “They were swinging, but I don’t think there was a really hard hit ball today. Even on the five hits they weren’t anything dangerous. He kind of settled in as he went along, but ultimately when you can send a guy like that out who’s in cruise control with a six run lead in the first, it’s easy to build some confidence.”

The game would be mercy-ruled after the sixth inning, with the Jays ahead for good 12 – 2. The win gave the Jays the series, and now allows the team a much-needed rest before the start of round two on Aug. 15.
For playoff schedules and stats, visit www.ndbl.ca.