Giant and Knights head into the NDBL final

September 9, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Brian Lockhart

The North Dufferin Baseball League’s senior championship final is underway between the Orangeville Giants and the New Lowell Knights.

The first two games of the best of seven series got underway on Saturday, August 27, and Sunday, August 28, and resulted in the series being tie at one after the opening weekend.

The Knights dominated the first game of the series on their home diamond after scoring four runs in the second inning then adding one more in the third to take a five run lead.

The Giants responded in the fourth inning, scoring three runs. The O-ville team managed to cross home again but the run was appealed by the Knights as the runner failed to touch third base on the way home.

The Knights managed to score two more runs in the fourth and another three in the fifth to win game of the series 10-3.

New Lowell’s Todd Gowan stepped up with a three-run home run in the game.

Game Two of the series was at Princess of Wales Park in Orangeville.

Orangeville opened scoring two runs in the first inning and hanging on to the lead for the next two innings.

The game was tied at two in the top of the fourth when New Lowell brought in a couple of runs.

The Giants were back in the lead in the fifth when they plated two more runs to end the game 4-2.

Nick Hodgson was on the mound for the Giants for the entire game and allowed two runs on four hits over his seven innings.

“That’s the difference when you get into the finals. There’s a lot better pitching, catching, fielding,” said Giants coach Nathan Drury. “You can’t make running errors on the bases. That’s the worst thing you can do, is get someone thrown out. You got to rely on the bats at this point.”

New Lowell entered the final series after knocking out the Bolton Dodgers in the first round and dispatching the Aurora Jays in the second round.

Orangeville made the finals, winning their playoff series over the Clearview Orioles and the Ivy Leafs.

The series will take a break over the Labour Day long weekend to allow teams to compete in provincial championships.

Nine other NDBL teams will also be taking part in that tournament.

The final series between the Giants and the Knights will resume on Saturday, September 10, in New Lowell.

Game four will be back in Orangeville on Sunday, September 11.

The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m.