Baseball Champions
John Abbott Victorious in RSEQ Playoffs
by Alex Cole (Sports Editor)
The John Abbott men’s Baseball team was victorious in their playoffs this past weekend in Longueil. After 11 years of less than stellar play in the university league, the team won the inaugural RSEQ CEGEP championship. The Islanders qualified for the playoffs after a three game winning streak that saw the team receive great play from their pitchers.
The pitching success continued into these playoffs when pitcher Scott Grafton started the semifinal game against Lionel-Groulx. Grafton pitched a complete game
and only allowed three runs while striking out four Lionel-Groulx batters. The game started with Lionel-Groulx jumping out to a 3-2 lead after two innings. The Islanders stayed with it and managed to score five runs in the top of the third to take a 7-3 lead. With the help of the defense, the Islanders were able to keep the score the same and move on to the finals. Catcher Matthew Majeur went 3-4 in the game while Brendon Watt went 2-4 and recorded a double.
In the final game, the Islanders beat out the host team Edouard-Montpetit by a score of 10-0 to take home the championship. Pitcher Shane Mullen recorded a shutout and mirrored his teammate Scott Grafton by playing a complete game. Catcher Matthew Majeur played another impressive game by playing solid behind the plate and going 2-3 at bat. Overall the team played well offensively and defensively which ultimately proved to be the deciding factor in winning the finals.
When asked about the success of the Islanders season, relief pitcher Tristan Kilbertus said “the team played well together as a whole; we didn’t have a single weak link on the team”. Even with a five game losing streak in the middle of the season, the team didn’t give up and were able to make it to the end. This is something Kilbertus attributes to the fact that “the team bonded throughout the season and became a family”. He also went on to say that the Islanders were “the best team off the field as well as on the field”.
Compared to the last
11 seasons, it seems as if the Islanders have found their footing in the RSEQ league. The upcoming seasons will prove whether or not this team will become a force to be reckoned with for years to come