Knights Knock Out Titans in Semifinal Nail-Biter
By Larry Moko
Seems like an awesome opportunity for Grady Aussem of the St. Thomas More Knights.
On back-to-back days this week he'll be competing for two separate high school championships -- in golf and baseball.
Aussem is a member More's Hamilton-Wentworth Catholic foursome that takes on Halton's best for the Golden Horseshoe Athletic Conference golf title at Piper's Heath in Milton Wednesday. Then, on Thursday, he'll attempt to hit a bigger ball when the Knights face the St. John Henry Newman Cardinals for top honours in HWCDSB baseball.
"It should be fun," Aussem said.
Fourth-place More punched its ticket on the diamond with a 3-2 semifinal victory Tuesday over the first-place Bishop Tonnos Titans. Aussem scored one of the runs and was responsible for knocking in the winning run.
With the score 2-2 in the top of the seventh and final inning, leadoff batter Carter Hand of the Knights drove a pitch to deep right-centre field for a double. He then advanced on an infield out and crossed the plate when the Bishop Tonnos second baseman couldn't handle a hard-hit ground ball by Aussem.
Hand, who pitched the final three innings without allowing a hit, got into a jam after retiring the first two batters in the seventh. At that point, however, Jack Bar was hit by a pitch and Jacob Knell walked.
A strikeout by the More lefthander -- his fifth -- ended the contest.
"It was a nail-biter, but Carter finished it off perfectly," More coach Nick Memme said. "We couldn't have asked for a better ending."
Said Aussem: "Carter hit a clutch ball to right field and he was really good on the mound, too."
The result snaps a two-year run as league champions by Bishop Tonnos. The Titans defeated More, 6-1, during the regular schedule.
"Those guys (Titans) are amazing," Memme said. "They have such a good baseball team. We were the underdogs. But I told our guys that just like Kansas City and Detroit in MLB, underdogs can win."
The Knights scored their only other runs in the first inning, helped by four stolen bases. After Adam Poole was hit by a pitch to lead off, Aussem drew a walk. Brandon Tunstead's single drove in Poole and Marcus Smith's ground out enabled Aussem to cross the plate.
Bishop Tonnos replied with two runs of their own in the second inning. A two-out double off the centre-field fence by Julian Sabourin chased home Jackson Lloyd, who had walked, and Josh Jurus, who reached base on a single.
"It's all about hitting," Bishop Tonnos coach Chris Davis said. "Today we didn't have it.
"No doubt we have a really talented team. We have a lot of kids who are rated really high. One of our boys is rated No. 1 in the province."
More's starting pitcher Marshall Schwoob struck out eight, walked four and allowed just two hits in four full innings. The Bishop Tonnos pitching duo of Matt Low and Jayden Pavao yielded four hits and they fanned 11.
Aussem, who plays baseball for the U18 elite Hamilton Cardinals, believes the Knights golf team can do well at the GHAC tournament.
"If our top players Colton Cheeseman and Marco DiFrancesco play their game we have a good chance," he said. "It's a hard course. Hopefully, we can make it to OFSAA."
Third-place Newman advanced to the final with a 6-5 decision over the second-place St. Jean de Brébeuf Braves.
During the regular season More topped Newman, 10-4.
Recent quarter-final playoffs saw Newman defeat the Bishop Ryan Celtics, 9-2 and More down the St. Mary Crusaders, 11-1.
Photos by Bob Butrym
More Photos on the HWCDSB Athletics Facebook page here
