Brock, Guelph and Western are tied atop the OUA standings
After beginning the season with a disappointing 4-4, the University of Guelph Gryphons baseball team, a veteran bunch looking to make good on preseason expectations of an OUA championship, have come alive of late, winning their ninth in a row and sitting tied for first in the OUA with a 13-4 record.
On Thursday, Sept. 26, the Waterloo Warriors visited Guelph for a tilt with the surging Gryphons, who sent senior Brendan Sorichetti (who sports an OUA leading 0.81 ERA a 2-0 record) to the mound. The Guelph bats were slumping in game one but came alive in extra innings when senior Sean Molony earned a walk-off single to give Guelph the 2-1 win.
In game two, Guelph was down 4-2 with two innings remaining. Former OUA player of the year, and this year’s OUA leader in batting average (.553) and RBIs (22), Justin Interisano brought the Gryphons back on an emphatic home run, his sixth of the season, to deep right. After Peter Riccardi stole second after being hit-by-pitch in the bottom of the 7th, Wade Sage’s hit forced a wild throw from Waterloo that scored Ricciardi, sending the second of two games into extras. It was in extras that Kevin Winters roped the first pitch he saw into left field, scoring the winning run.
On Sunday, looking to improve on their 11-4 record, Guelph travelled to Toronto to take on the 2-12 Ryerson Rams. On the hill was senior Lucas Borges who went into the game with a 2-1 record, but after surrendering only five hits over six innings improved on his record for his third win of the season, defeating Rams pitcher Allan Perkins handily in what ended up being a 7-1 win for Guelph.
Game two was business as usual for the Gryphons, as they extended their winning streak to nine, defeating the Rams 7-4. The win was picked up by southpaw Jeff Snelgrove who pitched 5.2 innings, fanning three, while surrendering five walks. Ricciardi performed well in the leadoff spot on the weekend going 3-for-9 with three runs and one RBI and maintaining a dominant average of .400 for the season. Interisano, hitting in the designated hitter’s position, forced four walks, which isn’t all that surprising. No one wants to throw to a catcher hitting .553.
The Gryphons look to extend their league-best winning streak to 10 and beyond when they travel to Laurier on Saturday Oct. 5 to take on the 9-6 Golden Hawks, a team currently sitting fourth in the OUA standings.