The Howe Sound Cannons rallied back from a deficit with 12 runs in a single inning to become North Shore Men's Baseball Association (NSMBA) champions for the second consecutive year after sweeping the Moose in doubleheader action at Parkgate Field on Saturday (Aug. 16).The Cannons swept the playoffs in four games tallying 48 runs and allowing 16 against. The team destroyed the regular season champions with a 14-3 mercy in the first game. But the Moose responded with three quick runs in the second game's first inning, leaving the Cannons aimless and arguing. A third game appeared likely as the Moose built a 6-1 lead by the end of the fourth inning.However, Howe Sound set off a massive rallying explosion. The Cannons rotated their batting lineup through a whopping 17 guns to score 12 runs in the fifth inning. They continued the bombardment the following inning to up the score 16-6 for yet another mercy victory."The game wasn't looking good but we pretty much knew we were going to come back," said pitcher Jeremy Galley, who was named the playoff's most valuable player for the second year in a row. "Their pitcher wasn't throwing very good and it was just a matter of time before we started seeing the ball. Once the flood gates opened they really opened."Ever the endurance chucker, Galley threw 19 playoff innings over four games against the Moose and the Pirates. He pitched all 12 innings against the Moose and could feel the bad vibe creep into his team with the second game getting out of reach."I saw a couple of nooses come out in the dugout. But it's the never say die attitude that works," he said.Howe Sound lost their most powerful cannon at the plate, Jon Vanzella, to an elbow injury after he collided with a base runner. Upon returning from a walk-in clinic partway through the second game he was surprised to see the team sinking and fast. With the bum elbow all he could do was coach first base - but more importantly - encourage the team to raise their chins. The Cannons soon shook of the gloom and started fighting back strong."It shows the importance of not getting down on each other. When I came back everyone was yelling at each other. But then all of a sudden it was like, okay let's stop doing that and everybody stopped - it was beautiful," said Vanzella.Every player on the team stepped up at some point in the series. When Vanzella got hurt Tyler Magee, who has had his own injury problems, volunteered to take over at first base. On his following at-bat he nailed a clutch two RBI single. "It was a thing of beauty," said player/manager David Jones. "It gave us a real lift."The biggest example of player contribution was the 12-run rally in the fifth inning. Cycling through nearly all of its nine batters twice, the team was as stoppable as a steamroller. And that's with singles, doubles, triples and just one walk. Kevin Mackie started off the inning with a base hit before Troy Morphy and Justin Krazanowski loaded the bases. Alex Wishnicki took a walk before Anthony Hughson smashed a two RBI double. Bre Lawrence came in cold off the bench but still knocked a single, and then Jeff Babuin tapped a sacrifice bunt to set up another score. Jones stepped up to hit an RBI single before Galley closed the order with a massive RBI triple.Then they basically did it all over again until the score was 13-6 and ripe for the mercy in the following inning."Baseball is so mental," said Jones, sympathizing with the slaughtered Moose. "When you're on the other end of an inning like that - and we've been there - you just can't get out of it. Nothing goes right. When we're playing our best we're unbeatable in this league."
