On Thursday evening (August 8th) Team Nova Scotia was looking to continue their winning streak at the 2019 Baseball Canada Cup. They were facing Team New Brunswick for the third time this year.

Taking the mound for Nova Scotia in this game was Ethan McLellan. He got off to a good start in the 1st inning, giving up only an opposite field bloop double by Max Grant. In the bottom of the 1st Nova Scotia managed to score two runs without the benefit of a hit, going up 2 to 0 by way of a hit batter and two New Brunswick errors.

McLellan took that lead with him into the 2nd inning and ran with it, striking out the side. He then proceeded to serve up 3-up 3-down innings in both the 3rd and 4th.

For their part New Brunswick and starting pitcher Jordan Fortin settled things down, managing to allow 0 additional runs all the way to the end of the 5th inning and stranding six NS runners in the process.

The top of 5th inning was a bit of a turning point in the game with NB taking the lead. Owen Lohnes led off the inning with a double. Connor Hill then walked and Nick Ruston sacrifice bunted Lohnes and Hill to 3rd and 2nd. Lohnes then scored on a sacrifice fly by Brayden Allain. Pinch hitter Olivier LeBlanc then hit a triple to drive in Hill. At that point Nova Scotia brought in Layton Cuvilier to replace McLellan. Cuvilier gave up one more hit to Grant to score Leblanc and give NB a 3 to 2 lead. Parker Hanrahan replaced Cuvilier in the 6th and held NB without any additional runs.

That NB lead held until there was 1 out in the bottom of the 6th. At that point Duncan McLaughlin hit a line drive double to get things started. Ryan Fitzgerald then hit a double of his own, a line drive that one-hopped the left field fence. Fitzgerald’s hit scored McLaughlin and tied the game.

In the 7th inning, for the third game in a row, Timmy Mann took the mound for Nova Scotia to close out the game. Brayden Allain led off the inning for NB with a single and moved to 3rd on a missed pickoff attempt. After a ground out, a hit batter and an intentional walk loaded the bases for NB. Kaden Sock then hit a single to score a run and put NB ahead again. NS then had a chance to get out of the inning with a potential double play but they could not complete it, getting only the out at second and allowing a run to score. The throw to first bounced past the first baseman, allowing a second run to score on the same play. Mann was then able to settle things down, getting Logan Walsh to ground into a Fielder’s Choice, and then struck out Lohnes to end the inning.

Heading into the bottom of the 7th down 6 to 3, Nova Scotia had some work to do. Fortin, still on the mound for NB, kicked things off by hitting Noah Boutilier and walking Cam Rendell. Fortin temporarily got things back on the rails with a strikeout. Coach Kevin Richardson then brought in Shane Cowan as a pinch hitter and with the pressure on, Cowan delivered a single to load the bases. At that point Joey Boudreau came on to pitch for NB and quickly committed a balk to score Boutilier. Michael Short then proceeded to hit a line drive Triple over the Center Fielder to score Rendell and pinch runner Tyler Boudreau and tie up the game at 6 to 6. New Brunswick then walked McLaughlin and Fitzgerald to load the bases, bringing up Pitcher Timmy Mann for his first at bat of the tournament with game on the line.

On the first pitch of the At Bat, Mann fouled off a Suicide Squeeze Bunt attempt. He then worked the count Full and finally took a ball low for a Walk which scored Short for the Walk Off win.

Nova Scotia pitchers McLellan, Cuvilier, and Hanrahan combined to hold New Brunswick to 3 runs over 6 innings but Mann was awarded the comeback Win.

Nova Scotia had 8 hits in this game but Michael Short’s game tying Triple was the most important hit of those and Short was accordingly awarded Player of the Game.