Veteran Ward Gosse drove in the game’s only run to back his own strong pitching performance as the RMM Republic blanked the Conception Bay Central Junior Canadians 1-0 Wednesday night at Lions Park in the opening game of the best-of-five Molson St. John’s intermediate softball final.
Gosse, the Softball NL Hall of Famer who turned 50 earlier this year, went the distance on the mound, scattering four hits, allowed just one walk and struck out 13.
Junior Canadians pitcher Eric Healey (1W, 8K) was a hard-luck loser, allowing just three hits. But two of them came in the top of the sixth inning, when the game’s lone run was scored.
Andrew Temple singled, stole second, advanced to third on a wild pitch and then scored on a hit by Gosse.
Game 2 in the series is 6 p.m. Friday at Lions Park, with Game 3 at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
Whichever team emerges as the winner of the final, the league will have a new champion. Lafontaine Club of Placentia, which took the last four league titles, was knocked out by the Republic in the semifinal round.
