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Creekside in NABF title game
By Kevin Connelly
STRUTHERS
Creekside Fitness had to wait nearly five hours to learn who its opponent would be for a National Amateur Baseball Federation semifinal, but the delay was worth it.
The game started two hours late because of a rain delay, but Creekside defeated Team Ontario, 6-2, on Saturday night to advance to today’s NABF championship game.
Brandon Ritchie threw a complete game and made the play of the game to get the final out on a sharply hit ball back to the mound. He gave up 11 hits, but limited Team Ontario to just two runs. He also struck out eight without walking a batter.
“I told [manager Terry Landis] before the game that I don’t care how many pitches I throw, I’m probably going the whole game and I’m not coming out,” Ritchie said. “I told these guys, ‘Just get me some runs and I’ll do my job.’ ”
Ritchie threw more than 120 pitches and worked out of a number of jams. The biggest happened in the top of the seventh with his team leading, 5-2. Team Ontario was threatening and had the bases loaded for their cleanup hitter Adam Darraugh. Ritchie induced a groundout to second base and kept the three-run lead intact.
“I tell you what, that was the turning point,” Landis said. “Once we got them out, I think that team’s morale went down.”
Ritchie celebrated with an emphatic fist pump as he ran back into the dugout after leaving the bases loaded. He was energetic from the start and stayed focused through a slight drizzle early in the game. Neither rain nor his coach was going to stop him.
“He told me, ‘I want nine innings and I’m going to stay there nine innings,’ ” Landis said. “I said, ‘If you want it, it’s yours.’ ”
Ritchie’s teammates helped him out early, as Creekside took a 3-0 lead in the first inning thanks to a two-run double from cleanup hitter Dan Ferguson. Scott Pierce doubled home Ferguson two batters later.
Team Ontario pulled starter Zack Danielewitz after recording just two outs in the first inning. Devin Bougner replaced him and worked 71/3 innings of relief.
“That was a big thing for us,” Landis said. “Because I’ll tell you what, that team was pressuring and they had to come back and they were pushing.
“My pitcher was pitching a hell of a game. That’s what kept us in the game.”
Despite being down 5-0 after the first two innings, Team Ontario battled back and scored once in the fourth and once in the sixth — both both times on RBI singles by Andrew Peddle.
Creekside manufactured one more insurance run in the bottom of the seventh inning to extend its lead to 6-2. That was all Ritchie would need on the night.
“I feel comfortable every time these guys give me a lead,” Ritchie said. “I just go out there and try to do my job to the best of my abilities.”
The Maryland Monarchs defeated Troy (Mich.), 15-1, to advance to today’s final against Creekside. The two teams did not face each other in pool play of the tournament.
“I figure if we execute, I don’t care who we play,” Landis said. “If we throw strikes and hit the ball, it doesn’t matter who we play.”
Creekside beat Martin Oil, 11-0, in its first game Saturday behind a one-hit shutout from Eli Flynn.
The first pitch of today’s final is set for 11:30 a.m.