July2014

Alvinston Indians, The Streak Lives On

July 25, 2014

Alvinston, ON

THE STREAK LIVES ON... 
The Alvinston Indians hosted the Glanworth Gators for their final home game of the regular season on Thursday night.  A win would make them a perfect 12-0 on home turf for the 2014 season. 
 
Glanworth was very much so up to the task of not allowing Alvinston the perfect record on home turf, and what would be their nineteenth consecutive win.  The Gators showed up to play, and fans were in for a real treat of a game.
 
Alvinston sent Jeff Lyons to the mound, while Glanworth countered with their ace, Jake McKillop. 
 
Glanworth started the scoring in the opening inning, when leadoff hitter Brent MacPherson lead off with a single, and MacPherson would end up scoring on a throwing error by the Indians second baseman, for a 1-0 lead in Glanworth's favour.
 
Both pitchers would keep each offence at bay through the second and third innings, before Alvinston was able to square matters in their half of the fourth inning.  Jeff Lyons was hit by a pitch to lead off the inning for Alvinston.  Lyons then stole second, and Stocking tried sacrificing Lyons to third, however an error allowed Stocking to be safe at first, while Lyons advanced to third base and then home as the ball squeaked away after the error.  The game was knotted at one's through 4 innings.
 
Both pitchers retired the side in the fifth inning, before Glanworth exploded in a big way in the top of the sixth inning.  MacPherson was at it again, when he tripled into the gap.  Wright then walked for Glanworth.  Kyle Crawford then replaced Lyons on the mound, with no one out and runners at first and third. The next hitter was McKillop and he hit a sharp ball at the second baseman that squeaked through his glove to score MacPherson for the go ahead run. Crawford retired the next two batters, before intentionally walking Derek Stafford to load the bases.  Beenackers for Glanworth was then able to hit one at Indians shortstop Stocking, who made a nice diving play on the ball, but was not able to get the force at second base, and two runners scored on the play.  Glanworth now held a commanding 4-1 lead.
 
In the sixth inning, McKillop went back to work for Glanworth, and would have had two outs, but Cooper reached first via catcher's interference for Alvinston.  Then, Alvinston's next batter struckout for the second out.  Young Bryan Johnson came to the plate and did not disappoint.  Johnson singled up the middle to advance Cooper to third, but the centre fielder bobbled the ball enough for Cooper to plate the Indians second run on a close play at the plate, while the speedy Johnson hustled around the bases all the way to third on the error. Devin Triest would then score Johnson for the get-close run, when he put a good sting on the ball, and earned himself an infield single and an RBI. After six innings, Glanworth still held a 4-3 lead, and were three outs away from winning. 
 
Crawford retired the first Gator swinger via a strikeout, before MacPherson singled again, for his third hit in the contest.  He stole second base, but that was as far as he would make it, as Crawford retired the next two batters.
 
That set the scene for the dramatic seventh inning.  Jamie Shields walked for Alvinston, and stole second base.  The next batter Craig Lyons then came through in the clutch, when he smacked a walk off two run homerun to seal the comeback victory for Alvinston.  The final score was 5-4, and the Indians improved to 20-1 on the season, including a 12-0 record on home turf, and nineteen consecutive wins in league play. 
 
The winning pitcher was Kyle Crawford, who relieved Jeff Lyons in the sixth inning. Lyons went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (1 earned), 3 hits, 1 free pass, and striking out seven.  Crawford would allow one run (none earned) in two innings of work, with one hit allowed, one intentional walk, and five strikeouts.
 
The Indians had only six hits in the win, but managed to comeback thanks to the Craig Lyons two run bomb.  Johnson was the only Indians player to record 2 hits in the game.  McKillop threw very well for Glanworth, and was the hard luck losing pitcher. McKillop had eight strikeouts and scattered the six hits over 6 official innings of pitching.  Only three runs of five allowed were earned.
 
Next up for Alvinston are back to back games in Glencoe on Monday evening, and Springfield on Tuesday evening.
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