Vancouver Mustangs new national champs

Page 10

Finally! After all these years of playing bridesmaid, Earl LaForte made it with a winner as the Vancouver Mustangs dethroned the reigning Canadian Native men's fastball champions, the McKay United, in an early morning thriller by a score of 3-2.

LaForte's played with teams from Saskatchewan, Alberta, Manitoba and finally British Columbia before finally striking gold with the Vancouver Mustangs.

The Mustangs didn't have it easy, either, as they had to play seven games on Sunday to win the championship. Their first me Sunday was a 1-0 win against the B.C. Arrows at 9 a.m. and then a 1:30 game which resulted in a 4-3 loss to the Ochapowace Thunder.

This put the Mustangs on the B side where they had to play back-to-back for five games, defeating the Nova Scotia team 7-2; B.C. Arrows 3-2 and avenged an earlier loss to the Ochapowace Thunder 30.

The first game against the McKay United team started at midnight and since the tournament format was true double knockout, the Vancouver Mustangs had to defeat the McKay United team twice to win the championship.

In the first game, there was no scoring until the bottom of the fifth inning when Kerry Wale of the Mustangs singled. Lloyd Eli then drove a triple to deep right field to score. Kerry then scored himself on a single by the catcher, Zeko Flett.

This gave the Mustangs a 2-0 lead and although the McKay boys did threaten

in the top of the seventh inning on a run by Ray Breland, it was all the Mustangs needed

as LaForte shut down the McKay United team 2-1.

The championship game started at 2 a.m. exactly like the first game until the bottom of the second inning when LaForte's ankle gave out on him. He lay on the pitching mound for 45 minutes until the ambulance arrived and he was carried off on

a stretcher.

It looked like a serious blow to the Mustangs, because their second pitcher, Grant Bennett, was struggling in the first championship game. Bennett answered the call with two strikes to end the inning.

In the top of the fourth inning Ken Gerard singled and then scored on a double by Darrell Eustache to give the Mustangs a 1-0 lead.

In the top of the fifth inning, the Mustangs increased their lead by one more run when John Lyle tripled. He scored when Kerry Wale hit to the McKay shortstop and he overthrew first base.

In the bottom of the sixth inning the McKay United team started to mount a comeback after Bernie Morrisseau singled. The Mustangs decided to intentionally walk

a dangerous Rick McKay. Darrel McKay singled to score Bernie to make it 2-1 with runners at first and second. Barry McKay then drove one off the pitcher's glove to load the bases with two out.

The Mustangs had to pull Grant Bennett, but with LaForte out, they had no choice but to go with an unknown Rick Bruyere, who came off the bench and gunned down Marty Fleury with three straight strikes.

In the top of the seventh inning, John North singled and then stole two bases as McKay catcher Ray Breland lost sight of a passed ball. Rick Bruyere then singled to give the Mustangs a two-run lead.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, Lionel McKay scored but that was as close

as it would get and the Mustangs were crowned the new 1992 Canadian Native Men's Fastball Champions.

Around the sixth inning, LaForte made a surprise appearance on the Mustang bench. During the victory celebration, he forgot the pain of his sprained ankle, threw down his crutches and hobbled out to celebrate with the Mustangs.

LaForte was named the tournament's most valuable player and after the game, he attributed his success to being sober for a year and a half. Finally, after all those years of being so close, yet so far. LaForte made it!