Staff
Two teams have their playoff lives on the line tonight as the race for the 2011 Rainy River District Fastball League crown comes down to the wire.
The Big Grassy Braves, who finished in second place in the 10-team league during the regular season, will host the fourth-place Rainy River Royals at 6:30 p.m. (weather permitting).
The winner earns a berth into next Tuesday’s semi-final against the third-place Sight & Sound Wolves, the defending RRDFL champs, while the loser is eliminated.
The Braves advanced this far by beating Barwick 6-2 this past Tuesday, helped by a home run from regular-season leader Roy “Jesse” Tom.
The Royals, meanwhile, kept their title hopes alive Tuesday by hammering Big Island 13-3.
Murray Armstrong went the distance to earn the victory.
The other game Tuesday saw first-place Beef’s Warriors clinch a berth into the final with a 4-1 win over Sight & Sound.
Sheldon Kelly earned the win while Kevin Gemmell chipped in offensively with a homer.
The final is slated for next Thursday (Aug. 25), when the Warriors will take on the winner of the game between Sight & Sound and Big Grassy/Rainy River.
If the Warriors win, the league crown will go to the first-year team.
If they lose, they’ll have a second chance to hoist the trophy on Tuesday, Aug. 30 since the playoffs feature a double-elimination format.
