The Coquitlam-Moody Reds may have just squeaked out a spot in the under-11 B.C. Minor Baseball Provincial Tournament but that was all they needed to win a championship banner.
The team took down an undefeated North Langley squad in a dramatic come-from-behind victory that saw the Reds trailing 11-5 heading into the sixth and final inning.
With two outs and two strikes against Coquitlam-Moody’s Elliot Howker, the game appeared to be over when he managed to smack a single that sparked the rally.
Reds runner Deaglan Sheriff was later able to steal home and fire up his team, which quickly loaded the bases and tied things up with runs from Kai Rawnsley, Jake Brown and Jack McLeod on a Matthew Phillips triple. When Phillips touched home plate, the game was tied at 11-11.
That’s when Nicki Moise hit a single that sent home Aden Chorner for the go-ahead run and added an insurance marker when Moise circled the bases and stole home plate.
When the dust finally settled, the Coquitlam-Moody Reds were provincial champions following a 13-12 victory over Langley and a strong performance on the mound from Charlie Dragan helped the club secure the victory.
However, the tournament did not get off to a strong start for the Reds.
The club lost by one run in the opening game against Aldergrove, but were able to rally and defeat Penticton, Campbell River and Ladner on the way to the semifinals. In the semis, the team rallied in the fifth inning to defeat Tsawwassen 6-4 and punch their ticket to the finals.
The Reds formed in June and immediately suffered three straight regular season losses — two of which came at the hands of Aldergrove. However, the team was able to finish the regular season with a 6-4 record, which was good enough to secure the final berth in the provincial championships in West Kelowna last week.
