THE North Shore Junior Twins capped off a remarkable season with the team's first ever B.C. Junior Premier Baseball League championship win in Langley last weekend.
The Twins blasted the hometown Langley Junior Blaze 7-2 in the championship final Sunday evening with Will McAffer pitching a complete game, allowing five hits and five walks while striking out nine in seven innings. Manny Restrepo led the way at the plate in the win, going three-for-three with a walk, a run and four RBIs.
The win was the third in one day for the Twins as they scored must-win playoff victories over the Abbotsford Junior Cardinals Sunday morning and the Vancouver Junior Cannons Sunday afternoon.
"Winning three games in a day can be intimidating," said Junior Twins head coach Parker Kynoch in a release. "The guys did a good job of staying in the moment pitch to pitch and really supported one another."
Restrepo led all hitters with seven RBIs during the playoffs while pitcher Braeden Toikka, who earlier this season threw a no-hitter, was near perfect again in the playoffs, scoring two wins without giving up an earned run. Toikka allowed just nine hits and one walk while striking out 14 in 12 innings.
The team is the junior complement to the North Shore Twins of the B.C. Premier Baseball League. The Junior Twins finished first in the regular season with a 35-9 record in a season that was also highlighted by a 21-game winning streak. Matthew Reyes and Noah Ritchie were the top two hitters in the BCJPBL regular season with .414 and .392 batting averages, respectively, while Toikka finished second in the league in wins and strikeouts.
"We could not be more proud of this group of players," said Kynoch. "From day one we knew we had a quality group of guys and they stuck with the plan (throughout) the season and were rewarded for their hard work."
News Photo Cindy Goodman / NORTH Shore Junior Twins pitcher Taylor Wright lets fly during a recent BCJPBL game at North Vancouver's Parkgate Park. The Junior Twins won their first league title Sunday in Langley.;
