Québec Wins Third Straight Championship With A Walk-Off Homer
September 15, 2024 - Frontier League (FL) News Release
QUÉBEC CITY - After finding themselves down five in the eighth inning, the Québec Capitales made a massive comeback against the Washington Wild Things at Stade Canac on Saturday night to capture their third straight Frontier League Championship.
Québec's win marks the first time in league history that a team has been dubbed champions three years in a row.
The Capitales got to work early, establishing a 1-0 in the bottom of the third on an RBI groundout from second baseman David Glaude.
Washington responded immediately in the top of the fourth, tying the game on an RBI single from second baseman Jalen Miller. Right fielder Brandon McIlwain followed up his teammate with a two-run double to put the Wild Things on top 3-1.
The momentum continued to build for the Wild Things in the fifth, with third baseman Tommy Caufield reaching on an error to start the inning. Designated hitter Tyreque Reed then smashed a two-run home run to increase Washington's lead to 5-1. Left fielder Wagner Lagrange then immediately followed with a solo homer to make it a five-run lead.
The Capitales went silent between the fifth and the seventh innings, only notching one hit and two total baserunners.
Things picked back up for Québec in the eighth: the Capitales were able to load the bases via a walk and two hit-by-pitches with two outs. Center fielder Jonathan Lacroix then drew another base-on-balls to make it a four-run ballgame and bring the tying run to the plate. Washington right-hander Alex Carillo, however, was able to avoid a huge inning by striking out left fielder Tommy Seidl to send the game into the ninth.
The Wild Things tried to add on in the top of the ninth but were turned away, leaving men stranded on second and third. The Capitales then came to bat against Gyeongju Kim, the feared Washington Closer who had led the Frontier League in saves during the course of the regular season with 28. Kim struck out the first hitter he faced, much to the chagrin of the audience inside Stade Canac. Third baseman Jake MacKenzie then brought the ballpark back to life with a one-out single. The next two hitters drew walks, loading the bases for shortstop Kyle Crowl. Kim spiked a pitch in the turf against Crowl, allowing all of the runners to advance and bring the Capitales one run closer. Crowl then brought Québec to within two after a sacrifice fly.
Kim was then removed and replaced by left-hander Brendan Nail, who allowed the tying run in designated hitter Justin Gideon to reach base on a single. First baseman Anthony Quirion then stepped in, representing the winning run for the Capitales. Down to his final strike, Quirion was served a low fastball and blasted it deep to left field and over the wall, giving the Capitales the championship by a final score of 7-6.
After a number of historical events happening during the 2024 season, it is fitting that the Québec Capitales ended the year with another historical event in walk-off fashion.
Once again, the Capitales are champions of the Frontier League!
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Frontier League Stories from September 15, 2024
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