CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. - Never a dull moment was the theme in the P.E.I. 50s 11-6, extra inning victory over the Braumeisters in the 50-plus division Tier 2 title game Monday at the national oldtimers championships Monday in Charlottetown.
P.E.I. had a 6-3 lead going into the bottom of the seventh when the Braumeisters pushed across three runs to tie it 6-6 and send it into extra innings.
Two frames later, P.E.I.’s Mark Rooney spearheaded a five-run ninth with an RBI single that proved the game-winner.
“We were a little discouraged when we let in three, but we knew we had the guys who could hit,” said Rooney. “Just a had good weekend, just lucky to put it in play… the team played great. That’s a big part of it, having fun and playing with guys you used to play with (when you were younger). It never gets old.”
P.E.I. got the jump early with two runs in the first inning. It added another in the second and a fourth run in the third stanza and took a 4-1 lead into the fourth inning.
The Braumeisters from Ottawa, Ont., though, closed the gap to 4-3 with a pair of runs in the sixth. But P.E.I. added two more in the seventh for a 6-3 edge going into the Braumeisters last at bats.
That’s when the fireworks started as the Braumeisters wouldn’t go away and burst out for three runs and sent things into extra time.
The eighth inning passed quietly as neither team generated much offence, P.E.I. sending four men to the plate and the Braumeisters went 1-2-3.
Then the 50s exploded in the top of the ninth for five runs with two out, going through three Braumeisters pitchers. Then P.E.I.’s Joe Ryan closed out the bottom of the frame with a three-up three-down inning.
For the Braumeisters Hank Beelen, the game was a matter of his squad of not taking advantage of its chances.
“It’s always frustrating when you play a game like that. Cost us the game when we didn’t get any in in the first innings,” Beelen said. “We thought we had it when we had two out and none in, but you’ve got to execute and make the plays. They hit everything and you’ve got to tip the hat to them, a frustrating tip of the hat.”
Ryan earned the win and drove in two runs, while Larry Koughan had two RBIs, a double and a run scored.
P.E.I. finished 2-1-2 in the tournament overall while the Braumeisters, which had Victoria West resident Dave Michaud on the roster, finished 1-3.
More at www.cnobf2018.ca.