The New Brunswick Senior Baseball League championship trophy was last seen on a bus bound for Prince Edward Island.
The Charlottetown Gaudet's Auto Body Islanders, playing in the final for the first time in their six-year history, surprised the Fredericton Peterbilt DQ Royals 7-2 in the seventh and deciding game Monday night.
The defending champion Royals were trying to win their eighth title in 11 years, but were down 4-0 before some of the 1,500 fans were even inside Royals Field.
Fredericton righty Jake Waugh, rocked for 10 hits and seven earned runs in five innings in a 10-0 Game 2 loss, lasted just five batters.
Dylan McKenna drew a full-count walk, Morgan MacLean lined a single up the middle and Andrew Macdonald walked on four pitches to load the bases.
Dillon Doucette unloaded them by taking Waugh's 0-1 hanging curve over the fence in left centre for a grand slam.
Doucette was 5-for-9 in the first three games but 0-for-7 in the next three. His mini slump ended with a bang.
"I wasn't going to go 0-fer again," said a grinning Doucette, who later singled and doubled to cap a 3-for-4 night.
"Boys, we wanted this bad. We knew we had the team to do it and we weren't going to back down from those guys," Doucette said. "They're a great ball team, don't get me wrong. Even when we beat them the first two games, we knew they weren't going to let us just take it.
They made us earn it."
Charlottetown ace Jordan Stevenson scattered seven hits and struck out six.
"Definitely the biggest game I've ever pitched in, for sure," Stevenson said. "From past years, getting put out in four games, this is quite a turnaround.
"When Dillon hit that shot, I was so jacked," Stevenson said. "To get a four-run lead against those guys, in a (small) ballpark like this, was huge. My arm feels fine. I'm sure it'll be sore (today) but I've got all winter off."
"I'm just out of this world proud," Charlottetown skipper Keith Craswell said. "After we won (4-2) Saturday, the boys were very confident. A lot of hard work went into this and we beat a very, very good team."
Dave Barr was 2-for-3 for the Royals.
"Jordan was a horse for them. He threw in four games in this series - complete games to start and end it. We couldn't find the answers," he said.
"They played great tonight," Barr added. "They played better than us, so they deserve it."
Sean Corcoran (2-for-4) plunked a single to left to chase Waugh in favour of junior affiliate Colby Lyle, who silenced the Islanders with a four-hit shutout in Game 4 in Charlottetown.
Lyle, who allowed six hits over seven innings, retired the first seven batters he faced in damage-control mode.
Both teams will be back at Royals Field for the 2016 senior nationals - Fredericton as host and New Brunswick champ; Charlottetown representing Prince Edward Island.
– By Bruce Hallihan, The Daily Gleaner
Series recap
Game 1
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 3.
Game 2
Fredericton 0 at Charlottetown 10.
Game 3
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 9.
Game 4
Fredericton 3 at Charlottetown 0.
Game 5
Charlottetown 2 at Fredericton 4.
Game 6
Fredericton 2 at Charlottetown 4.
Game 7
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 2
Champs
A look at the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League champs for the last 11 seasons.
2015 Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders
2014 Fredericton Royals
2013 Chatham Ironmen
2012 Fredericton Royals
2011 Chatham Ironmen
2010 Fredericton Royals
2009 Fredericton Royals
2008 Fredericton Royals
2007 Fredericton Royals
2006 Fredericton Royals
2005 Moncton Mets
The New Brunswick Senior Baseball League championship trophy was last seen on a bus bound for Prince Edward Island.
The Charlottetown Gaudet's Auto Body Islanders, playing in the final for the first time in their six-year history, surprised the Fredericton Peterbilt DQ Royals 7-2 in the seventh and deciding game Monday night.
The defending champion Royals were trying to win their eighth title in 11 years, but were down 4-0 before some of the 1,500 fans were even inside Royals Field.
Fredericton righty Jake Waugh, rocked for 10 hits and seven earned runs in five innings in a 10-0 Game 2 loss, lasted just five batters.
Dylan McKenna drew a full-count walk, Morgan MacLean lined a single up the middle and Andrew Macdonald walked on four pitches to load the bases.
Dillon Doucette unloaded them by taking Waugh's 0-1 hanging curve over the fence in left centre for a grand slam.
Doucette was 5-for-9 in the first three games but 0-for-7 in the next three. His mini slump ended with a bang.
"I wasn't going to go 0-fer again," said a grinning Doucette, who later singled and doubled to cap a 3-for-4 night.
"Boys, we wanted this bad. We knew we had the team to do it and we weren't going to back down from those guys," Doucette said. "They're a great ball team, don't get me wrong. Even when we beat them the first two games, we knew they weren't going to let us just take it.
They made us earn it."
Charlottetown ace Jordan Stevenson scattered seven hits and struck out six.
"Definitely the biggest game I've ever pitched in, for sure," Stevenson said. "From past years, getting put out in four games, this is quite a turnaround.
"When Dillon hit that shot, I was so jacked," Stevenson said. "To get a four-run lead against those guys, in a (small) ballpark like this, was huge. My arm feels fine. I'm sure it'll be sore (today) but I've got all winter off."
"I'm just out of this world proud," Charlottetown skipper Keith Craswell said. "After we won (4-2) Saturday, the boys were very confident. A lot of hard work went into this and we beat a very, very good team."
Dave Barr was 2-for-3 for the Royals.
"Jordan was a horse for them. He threw in four games in this series - complete games to start and end it. We couldn't find the answers," he said.
"They played great tonight," Barr added. "They played better than us, so they deserve it."
Sean Corcoran (2-for-4) plunked a single to left to chase Waugh in favour of junior affiliate Colby Lyle, who silenced the Islanders with a four-hit shutout in Game 4 in Charlottetown.
Lyle, who allowed six hits over seven innings, retired the first seven batters he faced in damage-control mode.
Both teams will be back at Royals Field for the 2016 senior nationals - Fredericton as host and New Brunswick champ; Charlottetown representing Prince Edward Island.
– By Bruce Hallihan, The Daily Gleaner
Series recap
Game 1
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 3.
Game 2
Fredericton 0 at Charlottetown 10.
Game 3
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 9.
Game 4
Fredericton 3 at Charlottetown 0.
Game 5
Charlottetown 2 at Fredericton 4.
Game 6
Fredericton 2 at Charlottetown 4.
Game 7
Charlottetown 7 at Fredericton 2
Champs
A look at the New Brunswick Senior Baseball League champs for the last 11 seasons.
2015 Charlottetown Gaudet’s Auto Body Islanders
2014 Fredericton Royals
2013 Chatham Ironmen
2012 Fredericton Royals
2011 Chatham Ironmen
2010 Fredericton Royals
2009 Fredericton Royals
2008 Fredericton Royals
2007 Fredericton Royals
2006 Fredericton Royals
2005 Moncton Mets
