Titans drop game two in extra innings thriller to Capitales
AJ Wright had a home run and a double for the Ottawa Titans on Saturday. Photo: Ottawa Titans
September 10, 2022
Official Ottawa Titans News Release
Quebec City, Que. - With a chance to punch their ticket to the FLCS, the Ottawa Titans dropped an 11-inning heartbreaker 4-3 to the Quebec Capitales on Saturday night, evening up the best-of-three at one game a piece.
For the second straight night, the Titans opened up the scoring in the second inning, this time with an AJ Wright solo blast off Codie Paiva over the wall in left. Wright's first homer of the postseason and third RBI gave the visitors a 1-0 lead.
With only one hit against the Titans during the regular season, Mississauga, Ont., native Tristan Pompey's two-run opposite-field homer off Jose Taveras in the bottom half of the second to put the Capitales ahead 2-1.
Trailing for the first time in the playoffs, Jake Sanford (Cole Harbour, N.S.) brought the game level with a monster shot over the wall in right, tying the game at two.
Going back and forth all night, Jonathan Lacroix (Montreal, Que.) broke the deadlock with an RBI single up the middle, giving the Capitales a 3-2 lead in the fourth.
After a one-out triple from Tyrus Greene, the Capitales turned to righty Frank Moscatiello to face AJ Wright. In a two-strike count, Wright laced a double to centre to plate the tying run in the sixth inning, bringing the contest level at three.
Taveras gave way to the bullpen after five innings of three-run ball, surrendering six hits, and taking the no decision. Grant Larson tossed two scoreless innings, then Nelson Gonzalez worked a perfect eighth.
Still in a tie game in the ninth, the first two reached off Gonzalez, turning the lineup over. Matt Valin was brought into the contest and committed a throwing error, pulling Jason Dicochea off the bag at first to load up the bases with nobody out. Valin escaped the jam by striking out Jeffry Parra, TJ White, and Kyle Crowl to send the game to extras.
As the 10th solved nothing, Franklin Parra amazed for four complete innings out of the bullpen, allowing no hits, walking one and striking out five. The Capitales bullpen did not surrender a hit in the final 5 2/3 innings of the contest.
Following two hits in the bottom of the 11th, Gavin Sonnier brought the Titans an out away from continuing the night when TJ White blooped a broken-bat single to left, plating the winning run.
With a 1-1 series tie, the Titans return to Stade Canac for the deciding third game of the East Division FLDS against the Quebec Capitales tomorrow night at 5:05 p.m.