This weekend the Warriors Baseball team proved that they can hang with the giants of the OUA, splitting weekend double-headers on the road with Toronto and Queens.
The Warriors got off tough start in the first game as a loaded Toronto lineup touched up the Warriors starting pitcher for 6 earned runs in the first two innings.
The bullpen didn't fare much better, as the Varsity Blues offence was unrelenting and the Warriors were unable to recover in a 17-1 loss. One bright spot for the Warriors came in the form of rookie pitcher Kennedy Strong (Mississauga), who made his OUA debut and pitched the Warriors only clean inning in relief.
Game two saw the Warriors completely flip the script, as they pounded out 17 hits and 13 runs in a total team effort, sinking the Blues 13-5. Rookies Varun Kuo (Mississauga/) and Mackenzie Strong (Mississauga/) paced the offence, combining for seven hits, two doubles, six RBIs, four runs scored, and a stolen base. This proved to be the breakout game the Warriors had been looking for, as every spot in the lineup accounted for at least one hit and one run scored. Ray Singh threw three shut-down innings in relief, to secure the save for starter Jasper Henry (Sunnyvale/).
Head Coach Ben Norris (Waterloo) was understandably pleased with his group, in what was a first win that was a long time coming.
"This was the game we were looking for. We played a complete team game on offence and defence. We ran the bases well and our pitching did a tremendous job. We've played in a lot of close games this season, and it's nice to see that our hard work is beginning to pay off. Clearly we're capable of beating anyone in the league, and now that our guys have gotten a taste of winning - especially knocking off the defending champs - I expect that we'll continue to play great baseball and have a strong second half of the season."
On Sunday in Kingston, things continued to click for the Warriors, as they pushed a talented Queens team in both games. Waterloo took the first end of the double-header 7-6, thanks to a three hit game from Athlete of the Week, Stephen Whalen (Heidelberg/), and a timely 3-run home run from catcher and team captain Daniel Inglis (Hamilton/). On the mound, the Warriors got great showings from veterans Jorden Carthy (Kitchener/), Sam Goindi (Elora/) and Stephen Gade (Guelph/).
Game two saw Gade return to the mound and throw another complete game gem, giving up one earned run in a 3-2 loss that saw the injury bug bite the Warriors. With outfielders Mackenzie Strong (Mississauga/), Michael Kritz (Hanover/) and Varun Krishnammagaru (Kitchener/) all on the shelf, rookie pitcher Nick Levinski started in right field and hit his first career home run at a time when the Warriors really needed a jolt of energy. The Warriors had the tying run on base in each of the last two innings, but were unable to score.
"On the whole, I think we had a very successful weekend. Our guys recognize that we can compete, even when faced with injuries," explained Coach Norris. "We've shown a lot of character this year, and our players deserve credit for sticking with things and pushing themselves to achieve the level of success that we all expect of our group."
The Warriors will look to continue their recent surge with four games at home this weekend. Ryerson will come into town for games at 1 and 4:30pm on Friday, and Laurentian arrives for a double-header on Saturday, at 12 and 3:30pm.
