Ken Johnston
The Rainy River District Fastball League’s annual all-star game was all it should be last Thursday evening in Rainy River.
It featured stars, dominant pitching, and a come-from-behind finish!
Team Gemmell, who included Jeff Morrison, Guy Arpin, Ryan Windego, Linden Indian, Chris Jack, Vaughan Wilson, Brad Wakefield, Chad Smith, Mike Anderson, Nick Hunter, Kyle Copenace, and Pearce Jackson, was named the visiting team.
Their manager was Kevin Gemmell.
Team McKinnon, meanwhile, featured Travis Tom, Murray Armstrong, Sean Comegan, Joe Letander, Kurtis Wepruk, Jesse Tom, Duane Carlson, Dakota Andy, Andrew Easton, Matt Sweigart, Ryan Smith, Rob McGinnis, and Marcel Pagee.
Their manager was Derek McKinnon.
After a 1-2-3 top of the first, Pagee started things off for Team McKinnon by cracking a double off Morrison.
Jesse Tom then followed with a two-run blast for the early 2-0 lead.
Travis Tom remained strong on the mound for Team McKinnon, notching another three up, three down inning in the second.
McKinnon’s bats, meanwhile, continued to hit
Morrison in the second.
Carlson started things off with a single. Then after Morrison fanned a pair, Pagee smacked another double to score Carlson to make it 3-0.
Andy then singled and stole second before Morrison ended the threat by striking out Jesse Tom.
Gemmell’s crew almost broke through in the third when Copenace singled. Wakefield followed with a double but Copenace was thrown out at third on the play.
Travis Tom then struck out two to stranding Wakefield and kept Gemmell’s gang off the scoreboard.
Team McKinnon added a pair of runs in the bottom of the third to grab a commanding 5-0 lead.
Travis Tom’s double plated Wepruk, who had singled. Tom then scored on a Carlson single.
But Team Gemmell refused to roll over. Wilson stepped to the plate to start the fourth and belted a solo homer to erase the goose egg.
Arpin, who had entered the game to relieve Morrison, then hit a single before being brought home by Jack’s double.
Two batters later, Jack scored off a Copenace double to draw Team Gemmell within 5-3.
Arpin took the mound in the bottom of the fourth and made quick work of McKinnon’s batters.
After Hunter was stranded in the top of the fifth, Wepruk singled off Arpin in the bottom half and later scored on a double by Armstrong, who came in to relieve Travis Tom, to widen the lead to 6-3.
In the top of the sixth, Coach Gemmell came into the game for Windego and he promptly hit a solo homer to bring his team back within two.
Arpin was strong again in the bottom of the sixth, facing only four batters while stranding one of them.
Then it was time for Team Gemmell’s last-inning heroics.
Wakefield opened the seventh with a single, then stole second and third. But Jackson registered an out on a pop fly before Hunter fanned.
Down to their last out, Wilson then hit a single and stole second to set the stage for Indian, who worked the count full.
The crowd was on the edge of their seats when the next pitch came. Linden swung with all his might and put the ball over the fence for a go-ahead, three-run homer.
Arpin followed with an insurance solo homer before Armstrong recorded the final out.
Suddenly trailing 8-6, Armstrong led off the bottom of the seventh with a single.
He was replaced by Travis Tom on the bases, but Tom was forced out at second on Carlson’s hit.
Arpin then struck out the next two batters to clinch the comeback win for Team Gemmell!
