THUNDER BAY -- It took longer than they were hoping, but the Montreal Rockies are national champions.
The Quebec representatives captured the Canadian Big League baseball championship with an 11-10 extra-inning victory over the Fraser Valley Chiefs in the final at Baseball Central on Saturday.
Montreal’s Guillaume Gravel ended the contest with a bases loaded run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth.
The Rockies appeared to have the title wrapped up, taking a 10-3 lead into the sixth inning but the British Columbia representatives rallied.
Fraser Valley scored two runs in the sixth before a five-run seventh brought the score back to even, forcing the game to head to extra innings.
The win, which came against the tournament’s defending champions, caps off an undefeated week for the Rockies.
The crown is the first for Quebec in the age group since 1983, when Montreal was victorious.
The Rockies move on to the Big League World Series, which will be played in Easley, SC. later this month.
