Last weekend at Bill Moore Park in Courtenay, the Happy’s Source for Sports Indians swept both divisions (19+ and 40+) in the Yew Bat Baseball Tournament. In its eighth year, the event hosted 12 men’s teams from Vancouver Island and Vancouver.
Happy’s were the defending champs in the 40-plus division. Looking to repeat, they rolled through the round robin stage behind their offence, led by Jerry Williams (.714 avg), Don Smalley (.538 avg) and Jeff Murray (.500 avg).
In the final, the Indians met the Burnaby Buzzards. The Indians had a strong start after a 3-run homer from Joe Murray in the first inning. The Indians’ pitching staff (Jerry Williams 3IP, Randy Alexander 2IP and Andy Marinus 2IP) slowed Burnaby’s offence the rest of the way, allowing only two earned runs. The Indians tacked a few more runs en route to their second title in as many years with a final score of 5-2.
The 19-plus division proved a bit tougher on the younger Indians team. The first game put them up against the Brian Maclean’s Yankees of Courtenay. The Indians offence started strong, led by Dallas McDonald (3-3, 2RBI) and Bob Cripps (2-3) at the plate. The Indians kept the Yankees on their heels all game throwing seven-shutout innings (Scott Judson 3IP, Bryce Stromquist 2IP, Will Drewery 2IP), allowing only two hits all game. Final score was 10-0 Indians.
Happys were in tough in their next game versus the Nanaimo Coalminers. Drewery (2-2, RBI) singled in Dennis Barna (1BB, 1RS) to score the game’s first run in the second inning. After Nanaimo tied it in the fourth it was the Indians’ Adam Berkenstock (1-2, RBI) singling home Tim Parsons (2-2, 1RS) with the winning run in the fifth. Again the Indians’ pitchers were tough on the opposing batters as the Indians won 2-1.
Looking for the #1 seed heading into Sundays’ playoffs, Happy’s faced the Victoria Red Sox Saturday night. The Red Sox’ bats came out hot in the first for three runs. The Indians’ bats replied. Cam McDonald (2-3, 2RS) singled to start the inning with Chris Mckague (2-3, HR) hitting a two-run homer to pull the Indians within a run. The Indians pulled ahead for good when they put up a five-run third inning with Dennis Barna (1-3, 2RBI) and Wyatt Strachan (1-3, 2RBI) each singling with the bases loaded. Berkenstock (2IP, 2Ks) and Cripps (2IP, 3Ks) shut the door the rest of the way as the Indians cruised to a 7-3 final.
Happy’s faced the Campbell River Blue Jays in the semis. The Indians put up four runs in the first three innings, but it was the Blue Jays that warmed up as the game got going - scoring eight runs total in the 4th, 5th and 6th innings. The Indians scratched back to within two runs (8-6) heading into the bottom half of the seventh. Needing a miracle the Indians didn’t quit. Dennis Barna (2-3, 2RS) and Scott Judson (2-3, 2RS) each singled to give the team a glimmer of hope. That hope was Nate Easterbrook (3-3, HR, 4RBI), who hit a three-run walk-off homer to propel the Indians into the Sunday night final by a score of 9-8.
The final was a rematch of 2016: Happy’s vs Victoria Mavericks — who beat the Indians in dramatic fashion last year. This ime around, the Mavericks scored two in the top half of the first, and the Indians replied with a run of their own as Easterbrook (1-3, 1RBI) singled home Chris McKague (2-3, 2B). The Indians tied it up in the second after Tim Parsons (1-1) singled following a Dennis Barna walk. Wyatt Strachan (1-2, RBI) singled in Barna to tie the score 2-2. The Indians’ pitchers ( Judson 3IP, Strachan 2IP, Cripps 2IP) took control from there throwing five scoreless innings. The Indians took the lead in the fourth after a Cripps (1-3, HR) homerun. The Indians tacked on another run from a Judson (1-2, HR) homer.
The Mavericks scored one run in the seventh but the Indians held onto the lead by a score of 4-3 to win the tournament.