The Wilfrid Laurier Golden Hawks’ men’s baseball team advances to the first round of playoffs this weekend where they will take on the McMaster Marauders.
The Hawks head into the series having defeated Mac 3-0 in regular season match-ups.
“All three games we’ve won by one run,” said head coach Scott Ballantyne. “It should be a good series; we are two very evenly matched teams.”
The Hawks hosted their final regular season game of the year at Bechtel Park on Sunday, losing to the Guelph Gryphons 4-2.
The Hawks fell at the hands of the Gryphons, who robbed the team of setting a Laurier baseball season record in wins, as well as home field advantage for the playoffs.
Laurier now finishes off their season with 10 wins and eight losses, matching their previous team record from 2005.
Gryphons’ starter Colin Calvert shut-out the Hawks for the majority of the game, and the Gryphons took a 4-0 lead into the final inning.
“I don’t think we adjusted to their pitcher,” said Hawk’s starting pitcher Matthew Hall.
“He had a strong start and pitched a really good game.”
The Hawks mounted a late game comeback in the last inning of the game, when centre fielder Elliot Shrive reached base on a fielder’s choice, and went on to steal second.
Third baseman Ryan Panas singled to advance Shrive, who was brought home off an RBI single from first baseman Brian MacDonald. Panas would come home on a passed ball earning Laurier’s final run of the game.
“We didn’t come out strong enough from the get-go,” said MacDonald. “We weren’t into the game mentally, I think we left it too late and we should’ve won.”
The Hawks will play their first semi-final game against McMaster on the road on Friday, but will host game two Saturday at 1:00 p.m. at Bechtel Park.
“It would’ve been better if we had won this game,” said MacDonald.
“We would’ve had a bit more momentum going into the play-offs, but I think we’ll do fine.”
