Richmond Chuckers didn't win their own Victoria Day Wooden Bat Tournament but it definitely served a purpose with bigger challenges on the horizon.
The hosts knew they were in for a tough haul when sore arms made ace pitcher Tyler Hoefer and Isaiah Hayes unavailable on the mound for the entire weekend. The outlook got even worse when the Chuckers stumbled out of the gate in a sloppy 8-7 loss to White Rock. The visitors managed just three hits but took advantage of 10 walks to pull off the upset win.
Suddenly, the Chuckers were in a must-win situation for the remainder of the tournament to keep their championship hopes alive. They needed some clutch pitching without going deep into their bullpen and Mitchell Rennie and Mackenzie Marquis delivered in a big way.
Rennie went the distance, allowing just two hits and striking out 10, as Richmond rebounded with an 11-0 win over Okanagan to clinch a quarter-final berth. Hoefer drove in three runs, while Marc Ashford went 2-for2 with two RBI and three runs.
The result set-up an earlier than expected showdown with defending provincial champion Vancouver.
The Mounties carried plenty of momentum into the tilt, having swept Richmond the previous weekend in league play.
Marquis was up for the challenge with a brilliant six inning performance that saw him surrender just two hits and fan seven. Spencer Rankin worked a perfect seventh to earn the save. The game's only run came in the fourth as Hoefer's single drove in Rennie.
Richmond also received quality work on the mound from Ryder Mavis and Rankin in its 5-3 semi-final win over Burnaby on Monday morning.
The pair combined on a six-hitter and allowed no walks as Hoefer's first inning triple drove in a pair of runs.
The Chuckers' pitching depth couldn't take them all the way to the championship as the Cloverdale Spurs struck for three runs in the first and three more in the third en route to a 72 win in the final.
The two teams will meet again Saturday at Blundell in a league play doubleheader (noon and 3 p.m.)
The tournament results confirms Cloverdale, Richmond and Vancouver are serious provincial contenders moving forward. A healthy pitching rotation in August would also make the Chuckers that much better.
