14-The Canadian Champion, Tuesday August 27, 2002 TH*AAINCAPO USA UUT2,20 Senior Red Sox pitcher Brent Kostai delivers an incredible 12-inning performance while teammate (inset) hits into a double play during Milton's 17-inning 1-0 Ioss to St. Catharines Saturday afternoona The Red Sox rebounded the following day to win 7-6 and take the first-round series in three games. at Brian Best Park. -/Senior Red Sox stan favoured St. Catharines Shake off iii effects of extra innings loss to take series By STEVE LeBLANC The Champion The Senior Red Sox are second-round bound. Punctuating a memorable weekend with a huge exclamation mark in St. Catharines Sunday, Milton advanced beyond the open- ing stage of its league playoffs for the first time in several years by cclipsing the Metros 7-6. The Bob's Auto Service- spon sored crew played spoiler in the best-of-three series- winning the first and final games on hostile ground. Rebounding from an incredible I 7-inning I -0 loss at Brian Best Park Saturday aftemoon (see column on page 16 for more details), the emerging Red Sox rediscovered their scoring touch io erase an early deficit and upsci their favoured hosts Sunday. -Afier Saturday. I think they (St. Catharines) îhoughî we were dead,' said manager George Moore, whose ieamn is in the midst of a breakthrough season. "But this teamn is bloody resilient. Ih was jusi a good team effort.'* Milton's bopes for firsi-round victory were threatencd in the sixth inning when both Moore and third-baseman Pat Mastro were thrown oui for arguing a called-back double play. Mastro was 3-for-3 upon exiting the game, and some probably felt bis removal would swing the momentum in Si. Caharines' favour. However. pinch hitters Kevin Wilson and Taylor Lawîon - the latter a part of the provincial-champion junior squad came througb with tbree RBI singles between them, while deliv- ering a two-run double in the eighth was sporadic-hitting outficld- er Jef Sommer. This was enough to counteraci the visitors' defensive miscues -five in ail- and put ihem ahead 7-3 going into the bottom of the nintb. Then Josh Campbell came in from shoristop to prese Dan Fiorita's victory. working two-thirds of an inning and cement- ing the wîn witb a huge strikeout. -Josh bad Io come in because we mistakenly forgot to put Ian Zettie on the score sheet,' recalled Moore. "But it worked out okay because they were have trouble hitting junk and Josh bad bis curve bail working.- Fiorita gave up just one earned mun in a near complete-game effort, scaitering nine bits and two walks over the aftemoon mub- ber match. Sunday's wîn should give the Red Sox the final boost of confi- dence needcd in tbeir quesi for a second straigbt provincial titie. Tbey took the OBA's 'D' division crown lasi year and will look to upgrade thai this weekend at the 'C'cbampionsbips in Creemore. From there. tbey'll likely wrap up the league playoffs in a tour- namnent formnat September 6 to 8. Dniving Range e and Practice Facility 0 HiALTON HI1LLS EARN DOUBLE STAMPS * 4~ .. L F> towards a free Masters Bucket or Golf Cf inic ACADEMY Ends Sept. 15/02 * Ver 25005 Side Roade * .Ft. of .t, just west of Hwy 25, 2 ights north of Hwy 401 e bout frits, 905-878-3290 www.hhga.ca