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~The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, May 16,2000 - 25 t. enjoy nt bil le Md"Y 876.WIN Winds wreak havoc on EC in semifinals By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Saying E.C. Drury'>s basebali teamn was blown away might suggest to somne that they played poorly or faced seriously superior opposition. However, being blown away took on a much more literai meaning for the Spartans Sunday - during semnifinal action ai the annual Corbeti's Toumament. Especially high winds did wondera for the oppoaing Nelaon Lords - who snuck mbt the final four round when Mion's Bishop Reding couldn't field a team - whose hits were eiiher unreachable or taken oui for home runs. Drury wasn'i nearly as suc- cessful in taking advaniage of the blusîery momning and wa. eveniually massacred 21-6 in a mercied four-inning clash. A shoriened lineup, due 10 work and personal commiîmrenîs, was also a coniribuiing factor in the blowoui. Nelson's embarrassmeni of riches began wiih seven runs in the opening frame and jusi snowballed from ihere. Oddly enough it was Sparian Mike Austen - normally behind the plaie and arguably the least experienced pitcher of the bunch - who had the closesi ihing t0 a respectable effori on the mound. Coming in îo, finish ihings up in the fourih inning, he gave up jusi îwo oins on as many hiis and ended off wiih a big sirike oui. T Bearing the bruni of the Lords' assauli were James MacDonald and Peter Nikolichuck - who gave up 10 and six oins respeciively. Jed Cosby and Ryan Harper each had îwo RBIin the losing cause. Drury was a whole loi more impressive in qualifying play Thursday. They opened wiih a 13-2 roui of White Oaks. MacDonald goi the win wiih ihree solid innings on the hill while Jordan Jeans belied a homer and ended the game wiih four RBI. Froru ihere the local boys bombed Waierdown 9-0. Nikolchuk, Bian McComb and Kevin Sales combined for the shuioui. Standing oui ai the plaie wiih ihree doubles and four RBI was Cosby. Meanwhile, Biahop Reding also swepî iheir qualifying campaign wiih viciories over Sherwood (7-2) and York Milîs (7-6). in each case, ihey siaked ihemselves io an eaely lead and held on wiih solid piîching. Chris Dumencu was the hemo of the dloser game, working his way oui of sixih and sevenih inning jams io secure the win. Offensively iî was David Lajeunesse who led the way wiih a iwo-run homer and ihree RBI overaîl. He and Taylor Lawion - who guard ihird and second base respectively - were etceptional in the field. Conan O'Brien and Andrew Coe combined 10 beai Sherwood. Neiiher of ihemn sllowed any eamed oins while Coe also kepi ihemn hiiless over the lasi four frames. Coe also coniribuîed ai the plaie wiih iwo hiis and iwo RBI while Lawion was a per- feci 4-for-4, including ihree doubles. Unforiunaiely the Royals had ioo many guys unavailable for the semnifinals - pushed back because of Friday's ihunder- siorru thai left Burlingion's Milîcrofi diamonds unsafe io play on Saiurday - and had 10 forfeii. "Ii's a bummer, especially the way we were playing," said coach Joe Jurus.