Saturday was the 2nd Annual Rangers Family/Alumni Day at Connorvale Park on the 40th anniversay of the Etobicoke senior club. Former players were in attendance including ones from the inaugural 1978 Etobicoke Indians, and the 1999, 2002 and 2004 Senior Eliminations champions. Also in attendance were parents, wives and children of the current Rangers. The club took the opportunity to retire late manager Steve "Whitey" Breitner's jersey #18 in front of so many people close to Whitey. The memoire was presented to his wife Karen, sons and current Senior Rangers Kevin and Kyle Breitner, and grand daughter Jadyn. The team also took the opportunity to give back to the community by collecting and donating over 500 lbs of non-perishable food to the Toronto Daily Bread Food Bank.
Game 1
Brad Crone made his second start of the season, the first with newcomer battery-mate C Zach Prisciak. Crone was dominant for two innings, striking out three and giving up one base hit. The Rangers lineup capitalized on a shaky 1st inning for the opposing pitcher who walked 7 of the first 8 hitters, leaving the bases loaded with one out and four runs already home. Oakville player/coach Alex Hawley called his own number to record the final two outs of the inning stranding the runners. The following inning, the bats woke up against Hawley as the Rangers strung together 5 hits to push across another four runs. Kyle Angelow (2-0) came on to get some work and pitched a scoreless two innings of his own, holding the score at 8-0 after three and a half innings. Prisciak recorded his first Ranger hit and RBI in the bottom half to push the lead to 9-0. Brendan Lyons came on to replace Angelow in the 5th and pitched a clean inning, striking out one Oakville batter. In the bottom half the Rangers hit a walk-off RBI single to enforce the 10-run mercy rule.
The Rangers were led offensively by 3B Ryan Panas 3-3 with a double, BB, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored; LF Daniel Murphy 1-2, BB, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored; SS Mike Ferracuti 2-2, BB, 3 RBI; 2B Mark Capone 1-2, 2 SB and 2 runs scored. The Rangers outhit the A's 10-2 in five innings.
Game 2
The Rangers started Adam McBride in game two, and he faced a refreshed Oakville A's team. The A's pushed across the game's first run, and their first of the day, using a single, a bunt mishandled by McBride, a productive groundout and a wild pitch. In the bottom half the Rangers answered right back as RF Brandon Costa stretched his hit-streak to five games with an RBI single to left field, driving in 2B Mark Capone. McBride settled in the 2nd inning to hold off the A's attack, giving up one hit and recording two strikeouts in the inning. Kevin Breitner came on to relieve McBride in the 3rd inning and put up a zero, giving up one hit. The Ranger bats rode that momentum in the bottom of the 3rd as 1B Brad Crone cracked an RBI double to the warning track in right centre field, scoring LF Daniel Murphy. Breitner recorded a clean inning in the top of the 4th. In the bottom half CF Alex Thrower extended the Ranger lead to 3-1 scoring on a wild pitch. The A's answered right back in the 5th, showing some fight. A's scratched together three hits and used two Ranger errors to push three runs (1 ER) across off of reliever Tyler Whealy. This one turned into a nailbiter as the Ranger bats were silenced by Oakville reliever Curtis Braun for two innings. For the Rangers, Kyle Breitner (2-0) came on to do just the same with a clean 6th recording two strikeouts, then an unbelievable three-pitch 7th inning! The Rangers bats were inspired by their pitcher despite being down a run heading into bottom 7. Thrower led off with a single and promptly stole second, and advanced to third as the throw from Oakville's catcher skipped by the middle infielders and into the outfield grass. Capone picked up his first hit of the game to drive in Thrower and tie the game. 3B Ryan Panas followed Capone with an infield single setting up DH AJ Iafrate with an opportunity to be the hero again. Braun threw his slider he had used effectively over the previous two innings of work, but veteran Iafrate was sitting on it and sent a line drive past the outstretched glove of the Oakville SS and into left field, scoring Capone from 2nd base on the single. It was the fifth time the Rangers have beat their opponents in their final at-bats in nine games this season. It was also Iafrates third game winning RBI of the young season.
The Rangers were led offensively by Crone 1-2 with a double, BB, RBI; Thrower 1-3, BB, 2 SB and 2 runs scored; Mark Capone 1-3, BB, RBI and 2 runs scored. The Rangers outhit the A's 10-6 in the game.
