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Overcoming a fluke injury to their pitcher in the infield, the ON1 Orioles asserted their dominance on the Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships field to win two games in the final over the ON2 Mizuno Canucks.

Last year’s defending champions, the Alberta Oilmen were defeated in a semifinal game by the Orioles and were awarded bronze.

In the first gold medal game, play was close, with the Orioles leading into the fifth inning when the Canucks tied it up.

Their comeback was short-lived as the Orioles grew their lead going into the bottom of the seventh. They won 27-24 to force a Game 2.

During the short break, players utilized the open field, stretching against the back wall, and doing downward dog in the outfield. The stands filled up as spectators from the women’s final filtered into the stands.

Orioles pitcher John Evans started the second game strong, but after a play in the infield, he and an umpire collided near second base with knee-on-knee contact. Evans went down, while the umpire walked it off, apologizing.

Evans was substituted for Mark Foster and the players who carried Evans off the field vowed to win the game for him.

They did so in a convincing fashion, scoring 16 runs in the second, while not allowing the Canucks any.

The Orioles were bolstered to their win by homeruns from Ron Nadalin, voted the men’s playoff MVP ( 17 runs, five home runs, 20 RBIs) in the first. In the deluge of runs at the bottom of the second, Kyle Knechtel, Curtis Neabel, Wayne Parent, Kevin Bruder and Rob Sich all had homeruns.

The Orioles, who have been playing together for more than a decade, had no trouble staying focused between games and shut down the final early, after the top of the seventh.

ADRENALINE TAKE WOMEN’S TITLE HOME

On the women’s side of the tournament, the defending champs, the Ontario Ladybirds were knocked out in the first round by eventual winners, the Adrenaline. The Adrenaline also beat the third-place team, Manitoba Wild, on the way to Saturday’s final against the Alberta Sparqs.

The Sparqs opened strong, posting five runs with a homer from Kimberlee Paul, Ashley Jackson and Kearstin Solberg earning runs off a Kristen Kitagawa hit and Kiera Lyons and Patricia Simons earning runs off a Carrie Henwood hit.

The Adrenaline answered back in the second, with nine of their own to take the lead.

With bases loaded, Amanda Beitel got a walk and Karri Johnson got the team on the board. More runs came from Tonya Gulbrandsen, Lauren Brem, Ina Gulbrandsen, Melanie Gulbrandsen, Jackie Bates (HR), Amanda Beitel, Tannis Trottier (HR) and Dessa Gottriedson.

The Adrenaline would go on to win the game 24-17.

Their catcher, Jackie Bates, was awarded the women’s playoff MVP with six runs, four home runs and 15 RBIs over the tournament.