By: Andrew Steutz
SCARBOROUGH, Ont. — The Durham Lords capitalized on multiple throwing and fielding errors to dismantle the Centennial Colts 15-8 in the second game of the team's afternoon doubleheader on Saturday afternoon at Neilson Park.
Lords' Roy Charles tossed five innings allowing five runs, and Cole Cote led the way offensively with three RBIs, two runs, and two walks. Nick King delivered a solo shot late to put the final exclamation point on the game.
Colts' starter and Game 1 hero Liam Oates laboured through 2.2 innings allowing five runs, forcing Centennial to use four total pitchers in the game.
Lead-off hitter Owen Nichols and outfielder Kevin Akiyama each had two RBIs while infielder Robert Salerno added an RBI in the losing effort.
Lords let loose
Durham wasted no time against Colts' starter Liam Oates, who took the mound after playing hero earlier in the day by driving in the game-winning RBI to walk-off the Lords in game one of the doubleheader.
After outfielder Zach Rivers hit a single and was thrown out trying to steal second base, Cole Cote worked a walk to put the early pressure on the Colts.
That brought up third baseman Jacob Mahoney who gave the Lords an early 1-0 lead on an RBI single before advancing to second base after a dropped would-be fly out by the Colts' left-fielder.
After being called for a balk in the second inning, Oates showed continued command issues for the third consecutive inning again walking Cote and allowing Mahoney to advance to first on a hit-by-pitch that got him on the left elbow.
Cote scored to make it 2-0 on a dropped ball by Colts' second baseman Aethan Ballen, loading the bases for utility man Aaron Sprague. Another wild pitch made it a 3-0 game before another fielding error by Ballen allowed two more runs to cross the plate, making it a 5-0 game.
Relief pitcher Keito Shimabukuro came in to replace Oates who lasted just 2.2 innings, but wouldn't fare much better, immediately being welcomed into the game by a big two-RBI swing by Ryan Mattes and another two-run single by Cote to make it 9-0 after three innings.
Centennial response short lived
After falling into an 11-0 hole, the Colts showed some fight in the bottom of the fourth inning as Josh Lavoie and Salerno had RBIs between a run-scoring hit-by-pitch to make it 11-3.
Centennial lead-off hitter Nichols was the next Colt to crack Charles, delivering a two-run single that cut into the Lords' lead, making it 11-5 before the inning ended on a Riley Briggs' fly out to right field.
After Mason Wright and Nolan Hartley each hit RBI singles, Cote returned to the dish for his fifth plate appearance, roping another RBI single to make it 14-5 Durham.
Lords' relief pitcher Robbie Whalley came into the game in the bottom of the sixth and gave up three runs courtesy of Nichols and Akiyama before being relieved quickly by third baseman Mahoney who got Ciavoliello to strikeout looking to end the inning.
Durham's Nick King put the final nail in the Colts' coffin with a solo shot in the top of the seventh to put the Lords ahead 15-8.
Next game for the Colts comes Friday October 6th in Ajax as the Colts play host to the Humber Hawks.