Braves Finish Second in Colt League Playoffs

When Ethan Woods singled to open the top of the seventh inning he did everything he could to help Niles Red mount a rally to overcome a 4-1 Lake Forest lead in the North Suburban Colt League championship game Sunday at Lake Forest. 

The rally was not to be as the Braves fell to the Scouts, 4-1, to take second place in the league playoffs. Always a consistent contender, Niles fell to Highland Park a year ago in the title game. 

Niles is the league’s most winning team with five championships on the conference’s 29-year history. 

Woods lined a base hit to center field off Scout starter J.R. Reimer and proceeded to taunt the Lake Forest starter on the base paths during the next three at bats. Reimer tried unsuccessfully to pick Woods off first nine times. 

“That’s what he was supposed to do,” Brave Coach Matt Polinski said. “We wanted him to take a bigger leadoff. The more throws he (Reimer) made to first the more tired he gets.” Reimer had already retired two Braves from the base paths. 

Polinski needed to try everything he could against the Scout pitcher who limited the Braves to three hits in a complete game performance. Getting Woods to take a larger lead would hopefully tire Reimer. 

“He’s the best (pitcher) we’ve seen in a while. We usually average nine or 10 runs a game,” Polinski said praising the Scout. “So do they,” he added referring to a strong effort by Brave starter . Nicholson also had two of the Braves three hits. 

Nicholson held Lake Forest to four runs after it exploded offensively Saturday to defeat Highland Park in the semifinals, 16-3. Niles trounced Morton Grove, 20-10, Saturday to earn the right to play for the title.

 After the Scouts scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the first and two more in the third, Nicholson shut them out the rest of the way on two hits. He struck out four and walked one.

 In the top of the fifth, Josh Kaplan drove a double down the left field line and scored when Nicholson sent him home with another two base hit. 

Niles mounted its first scoring threat in the top of the third when Matt Tan walked and Nicholson had his first hit of the day. Tan was thrown out diving back to first base on one of Reimer’s two successful pick off attempts. Nicholson got to second on a passed ball but went no further. 

In the top of the fourth, the Braves threatened again when Dion Ursino walked and went to second when Reimer’s pickoff attempt bounced off his back as he dove back into first. He advanced to third on Andrew Fialkowski’s single. 

Fialkowski then danced off first base purposely getting himself into a rundown to allow Ursino to score. As Lake Forest shortstop Sam Templeman was running Fialkowski back to first, Ursino broke for the plate. Unfortunately for the Braves, Templeman turned and threw Ursino out at the plate.