It’s sometimes said that it’s better to be lucky than good. But the Jarvis (Ont.) Travelers were both on Saturday night.
The Travelers won their third straight ISC Men’s Fastpitch World Tournament, beating Six Nations (Ont.) Hill United Chiefs 8-6 in eight innings at Currie Stadium.
Jarvis rightfielder Ben Enoka hit a go-ahead RBI double in the top of the eighth inning. He was also involved in a wacky play in the bottom of the seventh that could have handed the championship to Hill United.
With two outs in the bottom of the seventh, the score tied 6-6 and the potential winning run on second base for Hill United, Jason Hill hit a deep fly ball to the warning track in right-center field.
Enoka and Jarvis centerfielder Freddy Terkelson converged on the ball.
But neither seemed ready to make the catch.
The ball looked as though it might drop for a game-winning hit before Terkelson knocked it back upward with his glove and then grabbed it for the final out of the inning.
“I was right under the ball and I thought that Freddy (Terkelson) caught my ball because I was sitting right under it,” Enoka said. “I heard him call something (during the play) and I thought he said, ‘my ball,’ but he actually said ‘got room.’
“I came off thinking that he was under it and I’m glad he caught it because that could be (Hill United) over there cheering, not us.”
“I couldn’t believe it,” Jarvis manager Steve Kooser added of the bobble in the outfield. “It would have been a terrible way to end a game. A little bit of excitement goes a long ways.”
Jarvis also won the first of its three straight ISC titles in Midland, two years ago.
Jarvis had to battle back all day Saturday to win its third straight title, winning two games in the losers’ bracket before reaching the championship game of the 47-team tournament.
“That’s definitely one of the most exciting games that we’ve ever been involved in,” Kooser said. “To win three (ISC championships) in a row is a modern miracle. It’s unheard of for modern-day softball. It was a great week and a fantastic day.”
Jarvis needed to overcome a strong start from Hill United, which was 5-0 heading into the championship game. Hill United second baseman Nick Shailes hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the first to give the Chiefs a 3-0 advantage. Hill United made it 4-1 in the third inning when Jeff Ellsworth clobbered a home run to centerfield.
But Jarvis never gave in.
“We battled back,” Kooser said. “Our hearts were in our stomachs after the first inning, but we fought hard and it was a great win.”
Jarvis gained the lead with two, two-run homers in the top of the fourth inning.
After Hill United ace pitcher Adam Folkard walked the first batter of the inning, Donnie Hale connected on a two-run homer to cut the lead to 4-3. Three batters later, catcher Ryan Boland hit a two-run shot of his own to give Jarvis a 5-4 lead.
Hale’s two-run homer gave him 17 runs batted in for the ISC Tournament, a new record.
“He’s incredible,” said Enoka, who, like Hale, is from New Zealand. “He was swinging a hot stick from the start of the tournament.”
Brad Rona added a solo homer in the fifth to make it 6-4 Jarvis, but Hill United fought back to tie it up. Mark Arsenault hit a solo home run in the sixth to make it 6-5, and the Chiefs scored on a passed ball by Boland in the bottom of the seventh.
Paul Koert earned the victory for Jarvis, pitching the final five innings and striking out six. Folkard, who has pitched for Jarvis in the past, took the loss, going all eight innings and allowing 13 hits, eight runs and striking out nine.
“Adam played with us the last two years and he was hurt, and he was kind of on a mission in this tournament, but our guys were, too,” Kooser said. “Our guys really stuck together. We have guys from all parts of the world. We are here for a week and we win a softball tournament.”
“I’m overwhelmed,” Enoka said. “It’s three times for us (as a team) and for some of us (individually) on the team. It’s a big achievement. I can’t describe the feeling right now.”