Clearbrook Gets Whacked

Slammers repeat

Clearbrook Plaza gave it their best shot, but the Valley Dairy Slammers just weren't willing to relinquish their Fraser Valley Men's Fastball League title on Thursday night.

The three-time defending champs, formerly known as the Chilliwack Slammers, came into the final at Centennial Park with one loss on their slate in the double-knockout playoff tourney, while Clearbrook came in undefeated. That meant that the Slammers faced two must-win games against the Abbotsford squad to clinch the title.

The Chilliwack side came through in the crunch as they have so often in the past, holding off a late Clearbrook rally to win the opener 7-6. That forced a second game, and the Slammers sewed up their fourth championship just before midnight with a dominant 18-4 victory.

"When it comes down to crunch time, everybody shows up," second baseman Noel Sharman explained.

Clearbrook Plaza got off to a promising start, as Eric Reisinger led off the opener with a home run. But the Slammers took the lead in the second with a pair of runs, and batted around in the third to stretch the lead to 5-1.

Clearbrook battled back to tie it up 6-6, but the Slammers got the winning run in the top of the seventh on Brian Miller's infield single.

In the deciding game, Chilliwack put four runs on the board before Clearbrook recorded an out, and were up 6-0 by the end of the first inning. Clayton Beck paced the offensive assault with two home runs.

It was a sweet victory for the Slammers, who struggled to a fifth-place finish in the regular season but heated up just in time.