The honours keep piling up for the resurrected Duncan senior men's fastball team.
Less than two weeks after winning the BC Cup in their first year in action after a long layoff, the Gord Closson Forest Products Fastball Club beat Wheatsheaf 6-2 last Wednesday to finish atop the Nanaimo Senior Men's Fastball League, taking home the trophy that has been handed out since 1982.
"It was kind of a nice surprise," said manager Joe DiLalla, who wasn't expecting to win the league in the team's first year back.
Duncan pitcher Craig Snyder led the way, picking up 15 strikeouts over seven innings while giving up just one hit, a fourthinning two-run homer by Blake Hunter.
At the plate, young guns Trevor Gicas and Brad Robinson set the pace with home runs. Gicas, who launched a two-run homer in the first, went 3-for-4 on the day, while
Robinson, who hit a solo blast in the third, finished the game 2-for-4 with two runs.
The Closson team compiled nine hits on the day, as Marty Steen went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and one run, Dom Mansueti was 1-for-4, and Dennis Young was 1-for-3 with one run.
With the nucleus the team built this year, there could be more titles in the future.
"We sure do hope so," DiLalla said. "I think we've got a great pitching staff to start with," he said, referring to the rotation of Snyder, Korrey Gareau and Rick Smith, who stymied opposing batters all season long.
The rest of the team is pretty solid, as well.
"We've got great numbers of veterans, and three or four young kids," DiLalla added. "Hopefully we can add a couple more young kids."
The team will host the All Chicks tournament at the Glenora ball fields on Aug. 16 and 17, followed the next weekend by the Closson Fall Classic.