Local fans had plenty to cheer about Sunday at Royal Athletic Park, as B.C. brought home the gold at the Baseball Canada Men’s National Championships.
The Burnaby Bulldogs built a 5-1 lead through six and-a-half innings, then put down a New Brunswick rally in the last of the seventh to win the title 5-3.
The Bulldogs’ Scott Webster hit a two-out, three-run home run off Fredericton Royals left-hander Jay Johnson in the top of the inning to give his team some breathing room.
But the New Brunswick team wasn’t done. Blake Gallagher and Dave Barr hit back-to-back singles to start the frame, and two batters later Mark Phillips smacked a two-run double to centre.
B.C. closer Shawn Schaefer of Pitt Meadows, who started the inning, settled down after that. He fielded a grounder himself for the second out then struck out the final batter to record the save. Shawn Anderson of Burnaby picked up the win, scattering six hits over four innings and allowing one run. New Brunswick starter Pascal McCarthy lasted just three innings and was handed the loss.
Team B.C. went 3-1 in round robin play and defeated Tecumseh, Ont. 11-3 in the quarter-finals Saturday, before downing Red Deer 7-1 in the semifinal on Sunday morning.
