(KENTVILLE, NS) The UNB REDS won their fourth consecutive Atlantic Collegiate Baseball Association championship last weekend, emerging as the top team in a tournament that featured the Saint Mary’s Huskies, Holland College Hurricanes, and the host Acadia Axemen.
The REDS were the tournament’s No. 2 seed, after finishing the regular season with a record of 10 wins and six losses.
Rain forced the cancellation of Sunday’s championship game, that was to have featured UNB and Holland College, and the REDS were declared champions because of their 3-and-0 record during the round-robin portion of the tournament.
"We came together as a team at the right time, like we always try to do every year,” said veteran RED Jack Ryan. “The second weekend of October is the time we know we have to have our best effort, and when we do that, the championship is ours for the taking.”
Champions in the end, but things did not look good for UNB early on.
In their opening game, against Saint Mary’s, the REDS had to score five runs in the bottom of the seventh inning to tie the Huskies 6-6.
In the eighth inning, Nick Rushton’s single drove in the winning run as UNB earned a 7-6 triumph.
In game two, against the No. 1 seeded Hurricanes, Owen Lohnes threw seven strong innings, allowing just one run, and the REDS rallied from a run down in the sixth before winning 2-1 in eight innings.
“Our coaches, we can’t downplay what they do,” said Ryan. “This is the only staff that could have pulled out a fourth consecutive championship. They are quality coaches.”
In UNB’s final round-robin game, the REDS scored a 6-2 win over the Axemen.
Rylan Matchett pitched a complete game, striking out 10 Axemen batters.
As the top two teams following round-robin play, he REDS and Hurricanes were to have met in a championship game, Sunday, but field conditions wouldn’t allow it.
UNB, unbeaten during round-robin, was declared champion.
“Even though we were a bit of a younger squad this season, the level of talent, top to bottom, was great,” said Ryan. “It’s been a complete honour to be one of the older guys on this team and help pass along the tradition of playing for the championship.”
PHOTO: Submitted