Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart – The Lambrick Park Royals received a complete game, three-hit, shut out performance from pitcher Andrew McGarvey and a two-run home run from Dave Wight to secure a 3-0 win over the Carnarvon Dodgers Tuesday night and claim the 2014 Greater Victoria Baseball Association, South Island Junior Baseball League championship at Lambrick Park in Victoria.
Royals second baseman Kyle Wight turns one of two double plays on the evening, this time in front of a sliding Jordan Louis of the Dodgers (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
The win, combined with the Royals 8-4 win over the Dodgers on Monday night, gave the Royals a sweep of the best-of-three series and capped off the last of the spring season championships within the GVBA.
Both McGarvey and Dodgers starting pitcher Colin Perry were on their game early, as the teams were both scoreless through the first three innings.
The Royals Andrew McGarvey would throw a complete game, three hit shut-out against the Dodgers on Tuesday to secure the GVBA Junior championship for his team (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
The Dodgers did have the best chances to score in those innings, putting a pair of runners on in each of those first three innings, but McGarvey would pitch his way out of first and second inning jams and then get a big double play in the third to snuff another Dodgers threat.
Simillarly in the top of the fourth, McGarvey would give up a one-out single and then a walk, before retiring the next two batters, the last on a strikeout, to end the inning and get out of another threat.
The Dodgers Colin Perry would throw three scoreless innings against the Royals, before giving up a 2-run home run in the 4th and an RBI single in the 5th (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
Meanwhile, the Royals offence, who to that point were only able to put two runners aboard – one on a walk, another that reached on an error – finally got to Dodgers starter Perry in the bottom of the fourth, when Mark Posten would rip a leadoff double and then come in to score on a two-run home run over the left field fence from Dave Wight.
The Royals Mark Posten would get the offence started with a double to lead off the 4th inning (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
The Royals were denied the chance for more runs when the Dodgers turned an inning-ending double play that was aided in part by an obstruction call at second base by home plate umpire Ralph Belvedere, who ruled that the runner, by not sliding, interfered with the throw to first, and as such, the batter was also ruled out.
Lambrick Park's Dave Wight watches his 4th inning home run sail toward the left field fence. Wight's home run would give the Royals a 2-0 lead (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
The Royals did not let that call bother them however and in their next at bat in the bottom of the fifth, Everett Fisher would lead off with a bunt single and then move to second on an errant throw from the Dodgers third baseman. Fisher would then come home to score on an RBI single from Sean Filan to make the score 3-0.
Home plate umpire Ralph Belvedere gestures in order to explain his obstruction ruling to Royal's Manager Steve Gaskin after a double-play ended the Royals' at bat in the 4th inning (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
That would be the end of the night for Perry and he would be replaced by reliever Ryan Elborne, who would shut the Royals down the rest of the way, retiring the five batters he faced in the fifth and sixth innings.
The Dodgers Ryan Elborne would retire all 5 batters he faced to close out the pitching duties against the Royals (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
That would not matter to McGarvey though, as after the single and walk surrendered in the fourth, he would retire the final eleven batters he faced, helped in part by another double play in the sixth, to close out the complete game win.
GVBA President Fraser Campbell (left) presents the South Island Junior Baseball League championshp trophy to Royals Manager Steve Gaskin (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
The 2014 South Island Baseball League Junior Champion Lambrick Park Royals (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / ISN)
