© 2024 Hometownplay.ca
Hits return extending Storm
season
St. Thomas wins game three of final 8-5, now trail two games to one
September 16, 2024
By Rob J. Ross
FINGAL, Ont. - Finding their bats has extended the St. Thomas Storm season.
After dropping the first two games of the South Middlesex Men's fastball league final, 3-2 and 8-1, the Storm kept their season alive with a 8-5 win against the Chippewa Chiefs Sunday.
Paul Grasby batted three-for-three, including a crucial fifth inning home run, to lead a 14 hit attack that included four triples.
"It shows this team's resilience. We're a veteran group and we were able to come back when it mattered and make a series of it," said Grasby, who put the Storm up 6-2, in the bottom of the sixth inning. "You never know what's going to happen. We're going back there (game four), come out and throw the bats at them."
St. Thomas took a 2-0 lead in the first inning and scored at least a run in all but the second inning, never trailing in the game.
"It's always more comfortable to play with a lead," Grasby said. "It's better on our pitchers. It's better on our hitters. You can play the defensive strategy a little bit different. It gave us some confidence to know that we can play with them."
Tyler Annett was three-for-four, a home run short of hitting for the cycle. Mitch Roy had a pair of triples and was hit by a pitch. Chris Wismer knocked out a double and triple, while Jason Dawdy drew a pair of walks.
Chippewa was without their ace Pami Mazulugwa, pitching at a tournament in Manitoba. The man behind 32 strikeouts in games one and two, will be back for game four.
Dawdy picked up the win in relief of starter Dan Beecroft, striking out four batters over the final three innings.
"I knew I had to get some ground balls on those guys. They've got great hitters. So I tried to hit my spots and let the infield do the rest of the work," said Dawdy. "I felt like everything was moving. Brady (Stafford) behind the plate was framing very well."
Triples by Mitch Roy and Tyler Annett, followed by a RBI single from Randy Gray had the Storm up 2-0. Annett doubled in Chris Wismer for a 3-0 lead in the third.
The teams traded runs in the fourth inning, the Storm with a Dawdy RBI, following a double by Grasby.
Trailing 6-2, after five innings, Chippewa cleared the bases on a single, aided by an error in the outfield, to pull within a run, at 6-5.
Back to back triples by Roy and Wismer and double from Annett, gave Storm breathing room for the top of the seventh.
"It was nice to see our guys respond. When Pami is not there, it's a different game, but we still had to execute," Storm manager Tom Edie said. "I like to see tighter defence. I like zero errors and I like zero walks. You can't defend them (walks)."
Game four is 8 p.m. Wednesday in Muncey.
"We know what we have to do next game. Score runs. Their main pitcher (Pami) will be there," said Dawdy." We have to get to them early again. We have to score early and keep them there. It was the same in game one, but we lost a nail-biter there. It could easily be a two-one series for us."
Grasby understands the Storm have to figure out Mazulugwa, to have chance of a game five, Monday, September 23, in Fingal.
"He's obviously a difference maker for them. He's a really good pitcher," said Grasby. "We have to work hard to try to make Pami throw a lot of pitches and to cash runners. We've had base runners every time that he has pitched and we have to do a better job of scoring those base runners."
A Canada East International Softball Congress (ISC) Ontario Challenge Cup tournament is this weekend, September 20-22, in Fingal. Several of the Storm and Chiefs will be playing. t 7 p.m.
More images on Instagram - hometownplay