TORONTO - After being rained out from their Saturday double header against McMaster, the Ryerson Rams baseball team was able to get in its Sunday games versus the York Lions, and came away with wins in both games. Both games were exciting one-run affairs, with the Rams 4-3 victory in game one capped off by a walk-off double by DH Josh Lund. In game 2, relief pitcher Allan Perkins struck out the final batter looking to preserve the 6-5 win, with the tying run on third base.

In game one, the Rams got on the board early. Lund doubled and came in to score a few batters later on an RBI ground ball by CF Jason Te. The first inning could have resulted in even more, but leadoff batter LF Mrugen Mehta was thrown out on a close play at third trying to advance to on Lund's double.

York responded in the top of the second by putting up two runs of their own as a result of a walk, single, sac bunt, and a ground out. York added a third run in the third to go up 3-1. From then on out Rams Starting Pitcher Quinn Cumming and Lions Starter Daniel Asta traded zeros.

The Rams finally got to Asta in the 9^th. RF Matthew Papania led off with a single, which was later followed by a York error which put runners on second and third. The Rams were down to their final out when veteran second baseman Julio Ramirez dropped a double down the right field line to tie the game, ending Asta's day on the mound. However, reliever Peter San Juan fared no better, walking Mehta which was then followed by Lund's dramatic line drive double to the wall in right, which scored the winning run. Cumming was terrific for the Rams, recording the complete game while racking up 13 strikeouts along the way.

Game two was another tight game, this time with York scoring three runs in the first courtesy of a walk, a single, and an error.  The Rams answered back in the second plating one run on a combination of walks, and error, and a sac fly by Ramirez to go down 3-1.

York starter Sean Akiyama held Ryerson hitless until the fifth when rookie First Baseman Jeremias Sucre singled in Joey Armstrong, who had earlier reached on a walk and advanced to third on an errant pickoff attempt by the pitcher, which was followed by a passed ball. Sucre was later cashed in with a sac fly by Short Stop Mark Tari to tie the game at 3, and then Jason Te was hit by a pitch pushing another run across to give the Rams a 4-3 lead.

However, York responded with a double and a single in the 6^th, cashing a run to once again tie the game, and knocking out Ryeron Starting Pitcher Caleb King, who turned in a solid 5.1 innings giving up three earned runs. Perkins then came into the game to pitch, promptly inducing a ground ball for an inning-ending double-play.

But Ryerson put the pressure back on the Lions in the bottom of the 6^th. Armstrong's leadoff walk was followed by a sac but, and then an error which plated the go-ahead run. A few batters later Lund was at the plate with a runner on third, and York opted to intentionally walk him. However, a balk by the pitcher resulted in the runner scoring, giving the Rams a 6-4 lead heading into the final inning (in OUA baseball, the first game of a double-header is 9 innings while the second game is 7 innings).

That run proved crucial as York would plate one run in the top of the 7^th to close within one. That set up a tension-filled at bat, with the tying run on third base. But Perkins was cool under pressure, freezing the York batter with a curveball for the strikeout and final out of the game.

Ryerson Head Coach Ben Rich said he was pleased with the results of the weekend, not just because of the results, but also because of the team's overall performance. “Any time you come away with two wins it's a good day, but beyond that we played two pretty complete games. Solid defence, good pitching, timely hitting. Its cliché, but that's how you win ball games.” Rich also elaborated on the tight nature of the games. “To have some 'character games' early on, where you have to fight for the W, I think that's good for us early in the year. Kind of shows us what we're made of.” Even still, Rich said the team will be looking to improve on some areas. “We're always seeking to be trending upwards, striving for perfection on the field. The OUA is a tough league, so if you're not looking to get better, you're going to get beat.”