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McGill sweeps the national
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
by BillMartin
McGill faced its closest opponent in the opening game of the tournament, a 1-0 squeaker over Atlantic Baptist from Moncton, NB.

McGill took a 1-0 lead on Friday but could not close the game till Saturday. Rain delayed the contest in the top of the 4th when ABU was challenging with runners at second and third and nobody out. When they resumed on Saturday, the steam had escaped from the engine.

The Redbirds went on to double their arch rivals, Ottawa U, 4 to 2. They completed the round robin with an 8-2 preview over Dalhousie.

The semi final saw the Durham Lords attempt a last inning rally that fell one run shy as the Birds prevailed for the 8-7 win. McGill broke the game open with a seven run fourth, all unearned and with two out. With bases loaded, Durham pitching walked in two runs then McGill's Zack Schwartz hammered a grand slam. Durham earned a berth in the semi by ousting the UNB Cougars in a tie breaker.

Meanwhile, in the other semi final, Dalhousie eliminated Ottawa from further play with a 5-2 decision. Both clubs finished the round robin at 2 and 1, both having lost to McGill.

The final was marred by cold, cold rain but both teams soldiered through it. The Birds grabbed a 2-0 lead in the third on a towering home run from Mike Tomasetta, the Northern Conference batting champion. Tomasetta tossed a one-hitter, keeping Dal off the board. McGill added a huge cushion with six more runs in the fifth. Dal batted without success in the top of six and the game was called due to very poor field conditions, a decision supported by all.

Tomasetta's performance earned him the championship MVP award.

It was the first appearance in the championship round for the Redbirds and they made the best of it. They had participated in three previous tournaments but this one was "sweet".

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