Buffalo all-stars win baseball bragging rights
Players from eight senior men’s baseball teams in Niagara and eight from the Buffalo area got together on the diamond Saturday at Welland Stadium to celebrate an anniversary.
They combined for two errors, three runs, eight hits, numerous high fives and countless war stories in an all-star game that marked the Niagara District Baseball Association senior men’s division’s 25th year.
Officially, the Erie-Buffalo Municipal League scored a 2-1 victory in the nine-inning exhibition game — usually, games in the Niagara loop go seven innings, but that’s not entirely true historically. Buffalo was once part of a league that today includes the Fort Erie Cannons, Merritton Alliance, Niagara Falls Expos, Niagara Falls Falcons Juniors, Rose City Thorns, St. Catharines Cobras and Welland Chiefs.
Of all the memories shared in the battle for baseball bragging rights, Chris Patterson was able to take the most memorable home with him.
As one of the longest-serving players in the Niagara league, the Cannons designated hitter was selected as the Niagara allstar team’s honorary captain and given the honour of delivering the ceremonial first pitch.
“I have a lot of history against teams in Buffalo — they always bring good teams — but this was special for me,” he said. “That ball I threw out, I got everyone to sign it, and I’ll have that forever.
“So if I never make it back to one of these, at least I’ve got that.”
Patterson, remembered by many for the game-winning hit that gave Fort Erie the league championship two years ago, said Welland Stadium was the place he wanted to be Saturday.
“I was just happy to be here playing with these guys. I had a ball today.”
Winning it all in 2015 was among the highlights of Patterson’s career.
“We had been working on winning that league for about eight to 10 years and when it finally came to fruition, it was great moment.”
Each team in the Niagara league was represented by at least one player in a game that featured a designated hitter and, as is the case in Major League Baseball’s All-Star Game, restricted pitchers to a maximum of three innings.
Bob Ethier of the defending playoff champion Expos, Justin Hall of the Cannons and Larry Stephens of the Chiefs managed the Niagara squad.
“It’s a nice bonding experience,” Stephens said. “Guys get to know each other, and it makes things a lot better for the whole league.
“They get to know each other on a first-name basis rather than just saying ‘Hi.’”
He said an all-star game “just brings everybody together.”
“It’s good for the league, it’s good for baseball and everybody enjoys it.”
Taylor Sekuterski singled in a run in the top of the third inning and his Buffalo Athletics teammate Nick Hughes had an RBI single in the fourth to account for the visitors’ scoring.
Welland’s Brian Lepp drove in Thorold’s Dan Boekestyn in the home half of the seventh for Niagara’s only run.
Expos pitchers Kevin Niven, two innings, three hits, two walks, two strikeouts, no runs; Jeremy Pysher, two innings, three hits, four walks, one strikeout, two runs; Travis Doyle, Rose City, three innings, one hit, one walk, one strikeout, no runs; Jake Maxwell, Thorold; one inning, one hit, one walk, no runs; Ryan Langdon, Expos, one inning, one hit, one walk, no runs; pitched for the Niagara.
Pysher was tagged with the loss.
Seeing action on the mound for Buffalo-Niagara were Sam Iverson, three innings, two hits, no walks, no runs; Sekuterski, three innings, no hits, no walks, four strikeouts, no runs; and Kevin Moore, three innings, four hits, no walks, one run.
Sekurterski earned the win as well as driving in the game-winning run.
“We always enjoy coming up here, because everybody loves playing in Welland Stadium,” said Ralph Proulx, manager of the Buffalo all-stars.
“We were concerned at the end of the game — maybe a little bit worried — but our pitching was very good, so I had no problems.
“The guys we put out there all threw different styles and held them down.”