Temple Kol Ami recently captured its first-ever InterSynagogue Baseball League title, defeating defending champion Beth Tzedec Congregation in the final.

Players from Temple Kol Ami celebrate championship win. 

Players from Temple Kol Ami celebrate championship win.

Temple
Kol Ami recently captured its first-ever InterSynagogue Baseball League
title, defeating defending champion Beth Tzedec Congregation in the
final.

After finishing in sixth place with a .500 record in the 10-team league, Kol Ami caught fire, sweeping perennial runners-up Beth Sholom Synagogue in a best-of-three quarter-final with two close, see-saw victories. They went on to dispatch top seed Temple Emanu-El by a single run in the semifinal before meeting Beth Tzedec in the title game.

In the championship game at Bayview Reservoir, Temple Kol Ami surprised even themselves as they built a 15-8 advantage after four innings. But Beth Tzedec outscored Kol Ami 10-1 over the next two innings to take their first lead of the game, 18-16.

Kol Ami, just as they had done throughout the playoffs, answered back in a big way, coming up with a five-run seventh inning. Trailing 23-19 in the bottom of the eighth, Beth Tzedec again showed their mettle with two inside-the-park home runs to take a 24-23 advantage.

With their last at bat, Kol Ami had two on and two out. A routine grounder to second was bobbled momentarily, allowing speedster Jordan Katz to beat the force play. With the bases loaded, a hard ground ball to third by Les White pitted the third basemen in a race to the bag with Katz. Arriving simultaneously, and with the tag applied, it appeared the game was over. But the ball bounced out of the third basemen’s glove, allowing the tying run to score.

Toby Gottlieb put his team ahead before Jonathan Zweig added some insurance runs with his second triple of the game. Beth Tzedec went three up, three down in the bottom of the ninth, thanks to outfielder Jake Birman, Katz and second baseman Sam Fruitman.

The final out settled into Fruitman’s glove, setting off a wild celebration as Temple Kol Ami captured their first championship, 29-24.

The InterSynagogue Baseball League promotes fun, fair play, and sportsmanship in recreational baseball between members of synagogue brotherhoods in the Toronto area. Games are played every Sunday from May to September, excluding long weekends and Jewish holidays.

Temple Kol Ami hadn’t appeared in the finals since 1998, when some of its players were still in elementary school.

Kol Ami became the lowest-seeded team in league history to win the Barry Freeman Championship Trophy.