Wright knocks in two to help Titans to Game 1 Atlantic Conference championship win
Left-fielder Taylor Wright (North Vancouver, B.C.) knocked in two runs to help the Ottawa Titans to a 6-0 win over the New York Boulders in Game 1 of the Frontier League’s Atlantic Conference Championship Series on Tuesday. Photo: Ottawa Titans (file photo)
September 15, 2026
Official Ottawa Titans News Release
Pomona, N.Y. - Opening the second round on the road, the Ottawa Titans got off to an early lead and were backed by eight scoreless innings from Alfredo Villa to blank the New York Boulders 6-0 on Tuesday night, taking Game 1 of the Atlantic Conference Championship Series.
With a pair on in the first inning, Jake Steels kicked off the scoring with an RBI bloop single to right off Boulders starter Riley Cooper to put the Titans in front. Steels now has hits in all three playoff games and has hits in 15 consecutive contests dating back to the end of the regular season.
After a leadoff single from AJ Wright to open the third, Caleb Burr crushed the first pitch he saw for a two-run homer over the left field wall to make it 3-0.
Threatening once again in the fifth, Steels posted his second hit of the night for a one-out double, sending an AJ Wright walk over to third. With the infield drawn in, Taylor Wright (North Vancouver, B.C.) expanded the lead with a two-run single to right to make it 5-0. Taylor Wright leads the Titans with six RBIs in three postseason games.
As Cooper left following 4 1/3 innings, the Boulders turned to right-hander Emmett Bice, who allowed an inherited runner to score on a Michael Fuhrman RBI single to centre, making it 6-0.
Cooper was charged with all six runs on seven hits, walking four, hitting one, and striking out four.
The run support was plenty for Villa, who cruised through eight clean innings for his first career Frontier League postseason win. Villa allowed five hits, walked one, hit one and fanned five. Titans' pitching has not allowed a run since the top of the fourth in the Wild Card Series opener against New Jersey.
Brett Garcia fanned two on route to a clean and scoreless ninth, giving the Titans the victory.
Caleb Burr and Jake Steels each posted two-hit games in the opener. Jackie Urbaez singled and walked while AJ Wright had a base hit and drew two free passes.
The win marks the third shutout in postseason play in franchise history, joining Game 1 of the East Division Series at home against Québec in 2022 and Game 2 of the Atlantic Conference Wild Card Series in New Jersey last Saturday.
The Titans continue the 2026 playoffs, playing Game 2 of the Atlantic Conference best-of-five Championship Series against the Boulders on Wednesday night at 6:30 p.m. at Clover Stadium in Pomona, N.Y. The Titans hold home-field advantage as the higher seed, hosting Game 3 in Ottawa on Friday night at 7:00 p.m. at Ottawa Stadium.