The Burnaby Minor Blue Jays peewee A baseball team won the Western Lower Mainland Tier 1 championships in a close 9-7 win against second-seeded Vancouver Blue Thunder at Nanaimo Park on June 19.
Blue Jays led the Bue Thunder 2-1 after two innings despite not having home field advantage, but fell behind 5-3 after four. Jake Rattenberry hit a crucial two-run single assisting in a 6-5 lead in the fifth, but the Thunder would not go away.
Both teams went into the seventh and final inning tied at 7-7. Jays continued their hard fight bringing in two runs and shutting the Thunder down winning 9-7.
With the close win, the Blue Jays remained undefeated throughout the playoffs following a 9-5 victory over the Vancouver Giants and a decisive 11-1 mercy win over number one-seeded Sunshine Coast Athletics.
Catcher Tony Guo's strong performance kept home plate tightly secured. Pitchers Matteo Mazzucco, Matthias Vaid and Matthew Chiang gave up only 13 hits between them down the stretch.
"The Blue Jays were focused throughout the playoffs, respected the game, and supported each other like brothers all the way. Their hard work and countless hours of practice on an off the field made a critical difference in such a close game," said Blue Jays co-coach Mat Prasad.
