The Red Arrow Duncan Tigers won a wild one against Longwood Brewery at Glenora’s Waldon Park on Tuesday.
The latest episode of the Nanaimo Senior Men’s Fastball League’s Battle of the Breweries was a roller-coaster of lead changes that required extra innings to decide, but ultimately went to the Tigers in the end.
Longwood held a 5-0 lead after three innings, but the Tigers got to work in the bottom of the fourth. Marty Steen singled and Craig Snyder walked, and Kevin Kolk brought them both home with a single. Nearly the same thing happened in the fifth when Kyle Wanless and Trevor Gicas singled, and Steen brought them home with another base hit.
Still trailing by a run, the Tigers got going once again in the bottom of the sixth. Dave Wylie singled and Tanner McQuarrie walked before Wanless was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Trevor Gicas put the ball in play, but Longwood booted it and Wylie scored on the error. Steen was up next with another RBI single, then Snyder scored Wanless on a sacrifice fly, putting Duncan up 7-5 after six.
Longwood tied it at 7-7 in the top of the seventh, and the Tigers were held scoreless in the bottom, so the game went to extras.
The NSMFL uses international rules in extra innings, starting each inning with a man on second base. Longwood capitalized with a run in the top of the eighth. Duncan answered back in the bottom when Jamie Gicas started on second, McQuarrie got him to third on a sacrifice bunt and Wanless brought him home on a 6-3 putout, so the score was 8-8 after eight.
Longwood managed another run in the top of the ninth, and once again the Tigers responded. Trevor Gicas started on second, then Steen and Snyder both walked to load the bases, possibly with Longwood hoping for the putout at home. Instead, Darrell Rodgers connected for a walk-off, two-run single.
“You can’t ask for a better game than that,” Tigers manager Joe DiLalla said.
Steen finished the game 3-for-4 with two runs and three RBIs, and Jamie Gicas was 2-for-4 with one run. All seven other players in the Duncan lineup had one hit apiece. Both pitchers, including Snyder for Duncan, kept their teams in the game even if their final stat lines weren’t particularly remarkable.
The Tigers improved to a league-leading 6-1 with the win, while Longwood continues to search for their first victory of the season after nine straight losses.
The Tigers visited Wheatsheaf in Cedar on Thursday night, and will play at home again next Tuesday, hosting Longwood again at Waldon Park at 7 p.m.