Down by six runs with more than half the game already done, the Burnaby Braves could have easily checked out in what was a tough bantam exhibition test.
Instead, the 15-under AAA baseball team countered and shocked the Coquitlam prep Reds 7-6 Monday at Kensington Park.
Although it won’t count in the standings, the victory carries weight when it comes to confidence, manager Kyle Williams said.
“It was a big confidence booster for our guys, and an important win for the program,” the second-year Burnaby coach said.
“There’s kind of a debate growing over whether bantam AAA or prep programs are better, and this one felt good to win.”
What was most impressive is how past exhibition struggles at the plate were all forgotten, as the Braves strung together a series of clutch hits when it mattered.
Heading into the fourth inning down 6-0, Burnaby’s hopes against the 13-1 Reds was to pour on the baserunners – and that’s what the team did.
Singles by Sam Van Snellenberg, Brendan Wang and Kaz Kada loaded the sacks with none out, but Coquitlam got the next two batters without any damage. Lucas Grant singled in the team’s first run. With two out and three on, Michael Briglio delivered a three-run double, giving him 12 RBI in just 14 games to make it a two-run game.
Williams Camacho-Soto followed that with an RBI double to make it 6-5, and the next inning Van Snellenberg tied it on a daring steal of home plate with two out.
The decisive run came on a series of defensive miscues, as Kyle Kochi got on base on what could have been a routine ground-out. He proceeded to steal second and third. The throw to third on the last steal flew into left field, allowing the fleet runner to trot home.
Completing the victory was Wang, who tossed four innings of relief and retired the side in order in the seventh as Burnaby picked up its second straight win
After starting the regular season with three losses, the Braves collected its first official win of the year by blanking Victoria Red Eagles 11-0 in the second half of a doubleheader on Saturday.
On the heels of a 10-5 loss in the opener, Camacho-Soto tossed a complete-game two-hitter as the Braves cruised to its first win of the regular season.
Camacho-Soto needed just 72 pitches to silence Victoria over six innings and did not walk a batter for his first bantam victory.
Jack Yaremko opened the scoring for Burnaby with an RBI double in the first, followed by Van Snellenberg’s two-run double in the second. The score remained 4-0 until the sixth when the Braves scored seven unanswered runs. Recording multiple hits were Briglio, Yaremko and call-up Luke Pierce, with four hits on the day.
“We didn’t pitch well in the beginning of the doubleheader,” remarked Williams. “But by the end of that game our guys were throwing strikes and that carried over to (Game 2).”
In the opener, walks proved to be the culprit as Burnaby gave out five free passes over the first three innings and fell behind 7-0.
Reliever Daniel Martin turned in a stellar job, shutting down the Eagles over 4-2/3 innings without surrendering a run or a walk. The bright light offensively was Kochi’s two-run single in the fifth.
Burnaby hosts the Vancouver Mounties tonight, 5:30 p.m. at Kensington Park.
