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The Canadian Champion, Tuesday, June 8, 2004 - 23 _Soorts seachattonsearch.com ,Baseba11 Royals off to SkyDome Reding rallies to secure last semifinal berth By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion Next stop, SkyDome. In a testament to the 'it ain't over tilI it's over' adage - one that would have impressed even Yogi Berra himself - Bishop Reding's basebail teamn battled back fromn the brink to secure the fourth and final berth to the ail- Ontario Prentice Cup semnifinals. 0Opp o sin g H e r mn a n Secondary School of Windsor likely viewed it as grand thefi larceny. With a three-n cushion and juat ' one out away regional play- down finale in Guelph Friday moming, the Green Griffins no doubt were already Iooking ahead to playmng on the artificial turf in T.0. The Royals celel But that's when finals wln and advanc a wild do-or-die showdown got even wilder. Following a fielder's choice chopper by surprise pinch hitter Will Hunter, Marcas Gray and Reg Taylor were both hit by pitches to load up the bases - which Liamn Tennant promptly cleared with a triple to deep left centre. Then Nick Mazzarato capped the clutch rally with a bard liner to shallow right field - driving in Tennant to punctuate a 6-5 Reding win and touch off a huge 'We're going to SkyDome' celebration. "This is the greatest feeling in the world," blurted out a jubilant Mazzarato, moments after his teamn-leading 2Oth RBI of the season. -After Liam tied things up 1 just thought I've got to find any hole possi- ble and just get it through." Added complete-game winning pitcher PJ. McColl, "Our clutch hitters really camne through today. This is great." Complementing McColl's endurance with some topnotch fielding, the Royals caught their Windsor rivaIs in two mun- downs and were generally the more focused of the two squads Friday. A prime example of that camne in the opening frame when Herman's lead runner failed to touch home plate on what would have been an RBI double. Instead, M a z za rato touched him for the third out to minsmize the damage of an early rally. InfielIde rs Matbé aIl made huge outs to keep victory hopes alive. Friday's win was especially sweet for Reding's veter- ans, wbo came within a mun of making it to SkyDome last spring. TMe Royals now rate their reglonai have thse some- cernent ta SicyDome. what unenviable task of playing at 8:30 tomorrow morning at SkyDome, againat the powerhouse Birchmnount Park Panthers. If victorious, they'll return to 1.0. Tlhursday at noon to take on either King City or Mississauga's Lome Park, who square off in tomorrow 's second semnifinal at Il a.m. 'Me 2004 Royals are thse second local teamn to make it to SkyDome, following the I1996 Milton District Mustangs, who won the whole shebang with an 8-0 champi- onship whitewash of Mississauga's Woodlands Rama. -ýFMi ic