In a season that brought the UFV men’s baseball club so many highs, last year’s loss in the championship to the Okanagan College Coyotes stuck out as a major challenge left unaccomplished by the relatively new team.
As it turns out, the team battled postseason struggles early this season and advanced only to meet their rivals in the finals yet again. This time they did not disappoint; the Cascades defeated the Coyotes 2-1 in the championship series. However, much like after their loss in the first game of the postseason, the team realized the win would not come easily, especially against their championship-level rivals.
Game one began with adversity as Okanagan College started strong. The Cascades had to rally from a deficit just three innings into their series, which for many teams would be difficult to say the least. Proving that their roster is as deep and as talented as any, ufv rallied with notvone or two of its all-star selected players, but rather from three others: Markus Gregson, Liam Campbell, and Alex Deluca, and UFV won, 6-4.
Game two was tough; UFV not only had to beat Okanagan College in back-to-back games, but also had to defeat a team that was playing with their season on the line. In a game as close as could be, with the score at 5-5, the ninth and deciding inning went to Okanagan College, meaning UFV would have a winner-take-all game as their final game of the postseason.
Game three could have been the end for their championship run, but the Cascades completed their season by winning the Canadian College Baseball Conference (CCBC) title in a landslide victory over the Coyotes. With a score of 13-2 and the championship won, UFV achieved what they could not last season. UFV had grown, had adapted, and had achieved much since their previous title loss.
Coach Jordan Lennerton, leader of the up-and-coming team, had a better view than anyone when it came to seeing the squad grow and adapt after a disappointing end to their previous season.
“This group of guys rallied together and battled for their life. Their grit, their passion to play, and their unity is what got us this championship,” Lennerton said.
With a loss on day one of their postseason campaign and the game two loss in their championship series, the Cascades proved their talent and skill have finally been matched by their experience. The championship title only further validates their run in 2019, which proved to be the best so far in the club’s history.
Image: UFV Cascades Flickr
