During a rainy and stormy weekend and the final game of the Komox Masters Real Baseball League, the clouds parted long enough for the sun to shine brightly on the Happy’s Source for Sports Indians. Happy’s made it two championships in a row as they knocked off the Dundee Giants 8-1 in a nine-inning tilt at Highland Field.
One-game finals are always exciting because anything can happen. Remember the quarter-final match that saw the Courtenay Plumbing Twins push the Indians to the final out? And the Cubs team that took an aggressive approach and gave the Giants plenty to handle in their semifinal game? A hot pitcher or hitter can make a big difference, as can a defence that plays stellar or falls apart for an inning or two.
On this day, unfortunately for Dundee, the Indians had the hot pitchers, the hot batters, and the stingy defence, Andy Marinus faced just 17 batters over his five innings, yielding only one hit and finishing off a string of 15 innings in the playoffs with no runs scored against him. "Andy, there may still be some scouts in the stands!" a KMRBL spokesperson noted.
Dave Odamura and Mike Caton finished up on the mound, giving up just one more hit (a couple of walks in the eighth leading to the Giant's only run). Tony Powell led all hitters with two doubles and a single, and help also came from Tim McDonald, Jeff Murray and Marcel Matte.
"During the off-season, the not-so-young Indians will likely look after some hips and knees and eyes in preparation for a run at a third title," the league spokesperson quipped.
"So we can all look forward to next April, when you can drive to the end of Torrence, park near the Town yard, and walk about 500 feet west ..."