The Sabaskong Cubs’ Cinderella run ended abruptly last night at VanJura Field as the Sight & Sound Wolves pulled a 12-7 win.
That’s not to say they didn’t put up a fight. Sight & Sound just always had an answer.
They challenged the Wolves throughout the game, getting things started early by parlaying a leadoff walk to a run off two errant throws. Pitcher Bob Andy settled in, and Sight & Sound shortstop Don Copenace led off his team’s hitting with a rare inside-the-park home run.
“It was nice to get that, ’cause down one run right off the top, and just to get that right away seemed to pick everybody up,” Copenace said after the game.
“It was a good game. Kind of fun ’cause I’m from Sabaskong. Play against the boys from home, take a little ribbing here and there,” he added.
Copenace contributed to the scattered offence with a single and a walk as the Wolves found ways to tack on runs through singles and doubles, earning a 9-1 lead in the bottom of the fourth inning that seemed secure.
The Cubs, however, got on a roll in the fifth inning, and took advantage of a dropped ball by first baseman Grant Swire with two out that allowed a run to score and raise the score to 9-3. They followed up on the error with a single and to doubles to pull within three runs.
“Our guys defensively were sound, they were just putting the bat on the ball at the end, kinda put a scare into us,” said Marcell Pagee of the Wolves about the opposition’s run in the fifth.
Sight & Sound managed a tear of their own in the sixth, adding three insurance runs. The Cubs managed a run scoring double in the seventh but little else as the Wolves secured a 12-7 victory.
“The boys played good there when they started warming up out there,” Sabaskong assistant manager Brian Shebagegit said. “Instead of trying to kill the ball, they did what Sight & Sound was doing, just slapping the ball around.”
It was a credit to both teams’ pitching that no one knocked the ball out of the yard in the match.
Andy’s pitching was strong, and his change-up baffled Sabaskong all night. So effective was it that Andy threw three consecutive offspeed pitches to earn a strikeout to end the sixth inning.
The Cubs’ Brian Indian handled himself more than capably after being called to the line of duty on short notice. Starter Gus Copenace—who earned Thursday’s 6-5 win over the Rainy River Royals—tweaked his calf early in the first inning and after pitching ineffectively, turned the ball over and limped off the field.
The loss to the Cubs—while not unexpected to the team with the best season record in the RRDFL—was disappointing. Sabaskong had previously upset the third-seeded Royals 6-5 in their last game after winning just one game during the regular season.
“It was very big for them to do that, ’cause people think they’re gonna get overrun,” Shebagegit said of the Royals upset. He added that the win was a real source of momentum for the Cubs coming to Fort Frances last night.
With the loss, Sabaskong will play the winner of last night’s match between the Big Island Huskies and Stratton Eagles. Sight & Sound knew who they’d be welcoming for tomorrow night’s game before they even left the park—the Barwick Blue Knights, who beat the Big Grassy Lightning in a close 1-0 match.
Barwick may have the second-best record in the RRDFL but they’ve had the Wolves’ number, handing Sight & Sound their only two losses of the season and besting them in the playoff championships last season.
Pagee insisted they’ll be ready. He said the team is “priming up” for the North American Fastpitch Association World Series tournament in Des Moines, Iowa next weekend and will be in top shape for their rivals.
