Beethoven’s Fifth was something to remember. Rainy Lake’s fifth was one they wish they could forget.
Sight & Sound broke open a close affair with a six-run explosion in the fifth, aided by three Rainy Lake errors, to earn a 9-1 decision and capture the Rainy River District Fastball League championship at Vanjura Field last night.
Rainy Lake, who could have extended the final to an extra game Thursday night with a victory, trailed the regular season champions 2-1 heading into the bottom of the fifth before the league’s home run champion added to his resumé and ignited his team’s attack.
Sight & Sound’s Don Copenace, who led the circuit with 10 round trippers this year, lifted pitcher Sheldon Kelly’s first offering of the frame into deep centre, and the rainbow-like shot eventually drifted over the fence to give Sight & Sound a 3-1 cushion.
Ed Vold followed with a single, before hurler Warren Voth helped his own cause with a double to the gap in right field. Centre fielder Randy Morrisseau had difficulty picking up the ball at the fence, allowing Vold to score and Voth to advance to third.
Duane Carlson then smacked an RBI single to left to score Voth to make it 5-1, and took second when left fielder Alain Tanguay had the ball roll past him and all the way to the fence.
Shane Bliss, who took over for starting second baseman Derek McKinnon in the fifth, continued the assault with a single to centre. Morrisseau came up throwing wildly in vain to gun down Carlson at the plate, and when the ball skipped past catcher Clayton Windigo, Jr., Bliss moved to third and eventually scored on Andy Watson’s sacrifice groundout to boost the advantage to 7-1.
Grant Swire then turned on a Kelly pitch and crushed it over the centre field fence for a solo homer and an 8-1 lead.
Voth singled in Copenace in the ninth to close the scoring, then struck out Chris Morrisseau to end the game, finishing the night with 11 strikeouts.
The offence came early for Sight & Sound, as they jumped on Rainy Lake in the first inning for a 2-0 lead.
Copenace cracked a leadoff single and after Vold struck out, Voth doubled to left on a ball that Tanguay broke the wrong way on as it shot past him on a line to the fence.
Carlson hit an RBI sacrifice fly to left to score Copenace, and Voth trotted home after McKinnon’s sinking fly ball to right bounced off the glove of a sliding Chris Morrisseau.
Kelly, who had nine strikeouts himself, pounced on Voth in the fourth with an opposite-field shot over the right field fence to provide his team with its only offence of the evening.
One out later, Joe Bruyere reached on an error to Copenace after a softly hit grounder to short. But Voth responded by striking out Windigo, Jr. and Tanguay to end the threat.
The Sight & Sound pitcher held Rainy Lake to just four hits and a walk in going the distance, never allowing more than one man on base in any other inning besides the fifth.
Sight & Sound was not quite as fortunate during the five-team Labour Day tournament held here, finishing second to the Pinewood Bears after losing 6-0 in the final.
Pinewood imported ace pitcher John Desaulnier in from Dryden, a former star in the Rainy River league, and the fireballer’s presence made all the difference.
Desaulnier shut down Sight & Sound 6-2 in the round robin, before Sight & Sound bounced back for a 9-0 shutout of Big Island, followed by a 7-5 win over Rainy River.
But Desaulnier was too much to handle in the final for Sight & Sound, who couldn’t manufacture any runs against the Pinewood ace.
Barwick also took part in the annual affair.
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
