Redbirds knocked out by Gee-Gees in baseball semifinal

(PHOTO BY ANDREW DOBROWOLSKYJ)

MONTREAL - What started so promising with a playoff road victory for the McGill men's baseball team last Saturday, did a complete reversal as the Redbirds dropped two straight games to the Ottawa Gee-Gees and lost their CIBA Northern Division best-of-three semifinal series 2-1.

McGill, which finished third in the division with a 9-7 record, also had a difficult time with the second-place Gee-Gees (12-4) during the regular season, losing three out of four meetings.

McGill opened the series in the nation's capital with a thrilling 3-1 victory in extra innings, but the Gee-Gees roared back to force a rubber match with a convincing 6-1 decision in Saturday's doubleheader nightcap. The series moved back to Montreal on Sunday and Ottawa came away with a 7-3 win to out a sudden end to McGill's season.

"They got timely hits and we didn't," said Redbirds co-captain Alex Day, a fifth-year arts & science major from Toronto, who went 3-for-9 at the plate, with three walks a run scored and an RBI in the series. We gave up too many walks (7) in the final game and stranded too many runners (11) on base."

McGill starting pitcher L.J. Aguinaga, a sophomore from Dollard des Ormeaux, Que., was tagged for six runs on six hits in three innings of work. He walked three batters and struck out two. The Redbirds had three runs on eight hits, including two apiece by first baseman Casey Aurebach of Westmount, Que., rookie third baseman Chan Arndt of Yarmouth, Me., and catcher Chris Haddad, a freshman from Pierrefonds, Que.

In Friday's series-opener, the Redbirds got an eight-inning complete-game gem from right-handed starting pitcher Anthony Carbone, a chemical engineering senior from Montreal. The teams were tied 1-1 in the first extra inning when Day, the shortstop, led off with a walk and scored on a double by cleanup-hitter Adam Gordon of Dollard des Ormeaux. First baseman Casey Aurebach of Westmount followed with an RBI double to cash in the insurance run.

Right-hander Conrad Hill, a junior from Pointe Claire, Que., started the nightcap but only lasted 4.1 innings as the Gee-Gees scored a run in each of the first three innings. They added three more in the fifth before McGill got on the scoreboard with an RBI single by designated-hitter Ted Davis of North Andover, Mass.

McGill will have the bulk of a solid team back next season as only five veterans are expected to be lost to graduation. Day, the third-place hitter who batted .302 on the season with 16 hits in 16 games, and Steven Hersch (.321, 18 hits, 16 runs), a senior from Toronto will be the toughest to replace. Other anticipated losses include Carbone, Aaron Besner of Montreal and Oren Tessler, all pitchers.

GAME 1: WON 3-1 at Ottawa (8 inn.)

WP: Anthony Carbone, McGill

LP: Shane Riley, Ottawa

BATTING ORDER

RF  Steven Warsh (0/4, RBI)

LF  Steven Hersch (1/4)

SS  Alex Day (1/3, BB, R)

CF  Adam Gordon (1/4, 2B, R, GW-RBI)

DH  Ted Davis (0/4)

1B  Casey Aurebach (2/4, 2B, RBI)

3B  Chan Arndt (0/3)

C  Chris Haddad (0/3)

2B  Josh Gordon (0/1, 2BB, R)

GAME 2: LOST 1-6 at Ottawa

WP: (not available), Ottawa

LP: Conrad Hall, McGill

BATTING ORDER

RF  Steven Warsh (0/4)

LF  Steven Hersch (2/4, R)

SS  Alex Day (1/3, BB)

CF  Adam Gordon (2/4, 2B)

1B  Casey Aurebach (1/4)

DH  Ted Davis (1/3, BB, RBI)

3B  Chan Arndt (0/4)

2B  Josh Gordon (1/2, HBP)

C  Michael Kolodny (0/3)

GAME 3: LOST 3-7 vs Ottawa

TEAM  R-H-E-LOB

OTT     7-10-2-9

McG     3-8-0-11

WP: Maxime Caron, Ottawa

LP: LJ Aguinaga, McGill

BATTING ORDER

RF  Steven Warsh (0/2)

ph/RF  Rob Garven (0/2)

LF  Steven Hersch (0/3)

SS  Alex Day (1/3, BB, RBI)

CF  Adam Gordon (1/4, R)

1B  Casey Aurebach (2/3, BB, R)

DH  Ted Davis (0/4)

3B  Chan Arndt (2/4)

C  Chris Haddad (2/3, R, RBI)

2B  Max Tierno (0/1)

ph  Josh Gordon (0/1, 2BB, RBI)

SOURCE:

Earl Zukerman

Communications Officer

Athletics & Recreation

McGill University

514-398-7012 (Tel.)