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16-The Canadian Champion, Tueaday, Auguat 27, 2002 Plftease fax your team reports and sports story ideas ta Steve drop them off anytime at The Champion, 191 Main St. E. Master Baik's Tae Kwon Do Acadeniy The Best Total Martial Arts e Winning Your Lite Men - Womnen Children e Family Classes *Tae Kwon Do *Taek Gyeon - Self Discipline Over Mnd & Body - Physical Fitness - Self Defense . Reduces Stress 4~~I - Professional Instructor SAFETY *EXCITEMENT Open 6 Days a Week 905878994 41*5 4-41 C l 781 Main St. E. #24, Milton (Across fromn GO Station) Red Sox and Metros offer endless W.P. Kinsella would bave lovec l. In what would bave provided sufficient material for a sequel to bis masterpiece Tbe Iowa Basebaîl Contederacy- a less- er known tollow-up Io Shoetess Joe that centres around a sceernngly irnaginary minor league and an encless garne between its al-stars andI the 19018 Chicago CubIs - Miltonos Setnior RedI Sîx and Iieir St. Catharines COuIntetparts staget a modemn day version 1)1 the eternal showtossn. In Iront of' a srnall but appreciative crowd at Brian Best Park Saturday afier- noon, the hosts finally tellin the l7th inning -just shy otfisur-and-a-haIt hours, abter the first-rounid playotT clash began. It stands second only to a 1998 Mlton Merchant-Rayside Baltour Sabrecat triple overttrne tilt- eventually won by Milton 5-4 - as the longest garne played on local soif in recent nernory. And while there was no cbarnpionship îrophy at stake and fan support arnounted to only a few dozen loved ones and truc basebaîl enthusiasts, tl was a monumental event aIl the sarne anct worthy of rave reviews. Perhaps the best indication otjust how long the garne was centered around Nate Perrott. The junior affiliate slugger -atsd recent standout during provincial champi- onship play witb the younger Sox- came in as a pinch itter tn the I1lth inning and still had tirne to getltfour at-bats. The tbird of these was met witb the irst wooten bat bit of is career, a stsarp single tbat destroyed is stick. But that was just the tip of the iceberg in terrns of notable side stories on the day for the hornetown Sox. The !ii<st impressive svas ssithout qiies- lion the ironmani performuance of starting pitcher Brent Kostal- who worked a (to/en scoreless trames to outlasi St. Catharines' Brian Essery and corne about as close Io beating sheer fatigue as is humanty possible. -Yeah, we usualty stop him ai about 200,- quipped teammate Dan Fiorîta. referring to Kostal's pitch count some- wbere around theI 11h. His 12 inning cam- paign was one frarne better than bis longest effort, delivered four years ago as a juve- nîle-age hurler. Then there was Milton's detense exceptional from the stari and downrigbt mastertul ai limes, especially sbortstop iosb Campbell's lôtb inning tbrow-out ai borne that capped a double play and kept the garne alive. Catcher Ryan Davîson impressively gunned down two runners- and desers cd a medal for aIl tbe abuse bts knees look over four-plus bours - wbile second base- man Kurt Mitchell and centre tîcîder Nick Aalbers were poster boys tor coinsistent ielding, eacb mnaking a dozen outs. And few. 17-inning gamnes (flot that there are manyl corne witbout ai least a hlte contios'eisy. Saturctay's Milton St. Catharines showdown baîl its share ss tI a questionable interterence cal against Davismn in the seventb andI a shal- low i-igbht-l'ietd lit by Mitchell in the 1t Ot that alipeaiec to ibe caugbt by just about es eryone but the uimpice. Es en Nathanl Tarnss tfour innings of* e &,lssascuite i eSpeCtable -althouIgh bis eltoiis set nearly as mnernorable as tbecy 5W0111(1have been on another day wh en flic telense aitd staniung pitcher wsere less tIsaisspectaculai. Aisd ss'en il cornes I sheer excitement. Iess local bal gaines il any -rneasure up tii ibis one . Milton bad a runner on ibirît base in the seventb. ninth and I 3tb wbile Campbell's l6tb inning tbrow-ouI at home narrossly quasbed the vîsitors' best chance of scoring to tbat point. Tbe garne finally ended when the Red Sox faîled to erase St. Catharines' 1-0 lead. establishect with a Rocco Spaîîo RBI dou- bIc. But by then. tlie score ssas alrnost sec- ontary. Sure ssinning is alssays sweeter than fice alternative, but gUsI being part of an epic cucouInter ike Ibis -no) ratter what sicle yîîu s. md up on- bas to bc tltilling. And like princîple character Gideon Clarke in W.P. Kînsellas îtten uinder-appreciated classic. I vas dam geratelul îo be there (or tile sîov. Also lîke The lowa Basebal Conitcderaceý. Saturclays gaine is sure to bc questioncd by skepiics in corning years. I local) 17 inniings n îtb tjustone ion scored ,,ents unbetievable. riglît? Well il bappenied -tbis is no work of fiction. 91 i As we observe the first anniversary of the attacks on New York & Washington we would like to hear how this event affected you. Send us your thoughts, comments or observations & they will appear in our Local Heroes Feature, Tuesday, Sept. lOth. Please include your namne, along with your comments. Deadline for submissions is Wednesday, Sept. 4th. You can fax us at 905-876-2341, e-mail champion(haltonsearch.com or drop off at our office 191 Main St. E. Milton QZnabuùmlm" mmpn