It took nine innings to break the stalemate, but in the end the Veitch’s Ultramar Hawks took another step towards yet another Corner Brook Molson Senior Baseball League championship on Friday night.
A Perry Alexander double in the top of the ninth inning brought Mike Simms and Fred Prosper across the plate, which would prove to be enough as the Hawks outlasted the Veitch Physiotherapy Aces by a 2-1 score at Jubilee Field to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five league final.
Rob George doubled in the bottom of the ninth to score Ryan Park, but that was all the offence the Aces could conjure up.
The two teams played a scoreless seven regulation innings, then an extra inning of zeroes before everything happened in the ninth.
Frank Humber was the winning pitcher, going a little over eight innings and allowing nine hits. He allowed the one run and walked two batters. Colin Wood picked up the save, giving up one hit in his brief appearance.
Brian Bennett went the distance for the Aces, surrendering two runs on 10 hits, with four walks and five strikeouts.
Darren O’Quinn stood out as the best batter for the Hawks on this night, going 3-for-5.
Park’s 2-for-4 effort with a run scored was tops for the Aces.
The series could wrap up on Sunday when the two teams clash again at 4 p.m. at Jubilee Field.
