Story and Photos by Christian J. Stewart – The Triangle Bullets scored runs in each of their at bats and used four scoreless innings by four different pitchers to cruise to a 12-8 win over the Carnarvon Mustangs in the Greater Victoria Baseball Association (GVBA) Mosquito Championship game Friday evening at the Juan de Fuca Fields in Victoria.
There is an old adage in baseball that good pitching beats good hitting every time and nowhere is that more the case in the world of Mosquito aged baseball (9-10 year olds), where a team with hurlers that can consistently throw the ball over the plate will hold a distinct advantage over the batters, many of whom, even this late in the season, are still adjusting to hitting off real pitching after moving up from the Novice division where they hit mainly off of a pitching machine.
Carnarvon starting pitcher Reid Thompson would take a 4-3 lead into the second inning but his team would ultimately fall 12-8 to Triangle in the Mosquito championship Friday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
In the GVBA Mosquito Championship game Friday evening, the Triangle Bullets used this to their advantage, with four separate pitchers – Justin Robinson, Joel Mavretic, Carson Hamilton and Jordan Bond – all throwing scoreless innings to help their team to a 12-8 win over the Carnarvon Mustangs to claim the 2013 championship.
Triangle pitchers Justin Robinson (top left), Joel Mavretic (top right), Carson Hamilton (bottom left) and Jordan Bond (bottom right), would all throw scoreless innings to help the Bullets to a 12-8 win over Carnarvon on Friday (Photos: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
Things did not start out so well for the Bullets however, as the Mustangs came out swinging on starter Robinson in the first inning, scoring all four of the runs they are allowed (there is a 4-run limit per inning in Mosquito baseball), highlighted by a 2-RBI opposite field inside the park home-run by John Horwood.
Carnarvon's John Horwood begins would stroke a 2-RBI opposite field homerun to help his team to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning on Friday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
That would be all the runs the Mustangs would score until the fifth inning however, as Robinson would settle down in his second inning of work and Mavertic (third and fourth innings) and Hamilton (fourth) would come on in relief to shut Carnarvon down through those middle frames.
Triangle's Jordan Bond slides home safely on a wild pitch, just ahead of the throw to Carnarvon pitcher Chris Horwood during the Mosquito final on Friday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
Meanwhile the Triangle offence responded with three runs in the bottom of the first inning thanks to hits from Hamilton, Bond, Jack Hardy and an RBI from Alex Orr. A nice play by the Mustangs at home plate for the third out of the inning kept the Bullets fourth run off the board and the Mustangs led 4-3 after one inning of play.
Triangle's Jack Hardy slides safely into second base, while Carnarvon shortstop Chris Horwood awaits the throw during action in the GVBA Mosquito Championship on Friday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
The Bullets offence would continue to plug away with two runs in each of the second and third innings and then they would blow things open with four runs in the bottom of the fourth inning to jump into a 11-4 lead heading into the fifth inning. Doing the bulk of the damage for the Triangle squad was Hamilton, who would single and score in the third, and have a 2-RBI single in the fourth.
Triangle's Layton Munro heads to first after stroking a base hit during the Bullet's four-run fourth inning on Friday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
In the top of the fifth, the Mustangs would regroup and finally hit the scoreboard, getting to Triangle pitchers Hamilton and reliever Kairo Smythe for four runs, thanks in part to hits from Marek Gorman, Reid Thompson, and Horwood, making the score 11-8.
Carnarvon's Marek Gorman slides safely into third base, as Triangle third baseman Alex Orr has trouble coming up with the ball during action in the Mosquito Championship on Friday evening (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
The Bullets would add another insurance run in the bottom of the fifth, as Hardy would walk and then come around to score on an RBI single from Orr. That would be all they would get in the inning however, as Carnarvon reliever Horwood would strike out the final two batters to end the inning.
Carnarvon pitcher John Horwood would hold the Bullets to just a single run in the 5th inning, but his team could not rally and fell to Triangle 12-8 in the GVBA Mosquito Championship (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
Triangle then sent closer Jordan Bond to the mound for the top of the sixth inning and he was lights out, inducing a pop out to third base and then striking out the next two batters to retire the side in order and preserve the 12-8 victory.
Triangle's Carson Hamilton (left), Jordan Bond (right) and Joel Mavretic (rear) accept the GVBA Mosquito Championship trophy after their 12-8 win over Carnarvon on Friday (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
The 2013 GVBA Mosquito Champion Triangle Bullets (Photo: Christian J. Stewart / Island Sports News)
