Canadians Win 2nd Straight NWL Championship

C's Come From Behind Twice To Defeat Boise 12-9

Corey Basso September 9, 2012 9:48pm PST

The Vancouver Canadians brought home their 2nd straight NWL Championship Sunday night as they defeated the Boise Hawks 12-9 in an encounter for the ages.

After splitting home-and-home games, both teams were left to settle their differences at Memorial Stadium in Boise, Idaho in a winner-take-all Game 3.

Vancouver got out to an early lead in the 1st inning after Art Charles brought in Kellen Sweeney who had been walked. Shortly after, Matt Newman repaid the favour to Charles, batting him in to give the C’s an early 2-0 lead.

However, the lead would not last. In the bottom of the 1st, Boise showed their offensive prowess as they got one run back before Daniel Vogelbach jacked a 3-run dinger to give the Hawks a 4-2 lead.

The reigning 2011 NWL Champs looked dismal for the next few innings but came back to life in the top of the 4th to regain the lead. Tucker Frawley picked the perfect time to slug his first homer of the year, a 2-run shot that tied the affair.

Top 4 – Frawley Home Run 4-4

Jorge Flores would later single to bring home D.J. Davis and re-establish Vancouver’s lead at 5-4.

Once again Boise were quick to respond, batting in 3 runs to steal the lead back at 7-5 in the bottom of the 4th.

It looked as if the C’s were dead in the water before a wild and unpredictable 8th inning sealed Vancouver’s comeback.

After loading the bases, Jorge Flores was hit by pitch to score one runner, bringing the C’s to within one. The very next batter was Kellen Sweeney who spanked a single to bring around 2 runners and put Vancouver ahead 8-7.

Balbino Fuenmayor then added to the cushion with a single that brought around Flores to make it 9-7.

Art Charles blew the contest wide open when he then launched a single up the gut to score 3 runs, including an in-the-park homer for himself following a misthrown ball. The C’s had a 12-7 lead at that point.

Top 8 – Charles Single, 3 Runs Score 12-7 VAN

In the end, despite adding on another two runs, the Hawks were left to rue that 7-run top of the 8th that killed off the game. The Canadians comfortably closed out the game to bring home their 2nd straight NWL Championship.

Final Call – 2012 NWL Champions

The scenario was similar to last year where Vancouver needed all three games to take care of the Tri-City Dust Devils.

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2 Comments

Choixy Noix says:

September 10, 2012 at 8:38 am

We are the champions 2012!!!!!!!
Paul Matthew St. Pierre says:

September 11, 2012 at 6:25 pm

Liked when Rob Fai observed after Canadians scored seven runs to take a 12-7 lead, “Even if the Canadians go on to lose, this will be a game for the ages.” That Boise could have come back from a five run deficit was not inconceivable then, given the tremendous ebb and flow of the game, which Fai had described earlier as two middle weights trading punches. It was an intense, exciting, and memorable game, in part for me as a radio listener because of Fai’s astute and inventive play by play. Congratulations to all the Vancouver Canadians players, managers, and staff on a thrilling victory and a hard fought season.