Stratford Cubs will get to defend their U21 junior fastball title in Tavistock Aug. 2-7

July 5, 2016

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Stratford Cubs pitcher Mike Fuller delivers to the plate during the under-21 Canada East qualifier earlier this month. The Cubs qualified for nationals next month in Tavistock after finishing second at the elimination tournament this past weekend in Grafton. (Greg Colgan/Postmedia Network)

 

ORIGINAL STORY By Cory Smith, Stratford Beacon Herald

 

There will be some added motivation when the Stratford Cubs defend their national under-21 fastball championship next month in Tavistock.

The Cubs went undefeated in 2015 and normally would have received an automatic berth in this year's event, but with only six returning players from the team that won the title in Napanee, Stratford was one short of the number needed to gain entry without qualifying.

That was taken care of this past weekend when the Cubs finished second at the Ontario elimination tournament in Grafton.

“It just proves the six guys returning were pretty elite players to return with,” Cubs manager Murray Patterson said. “That's why we rolled through everything last year.

“Our recruiting turned out to be OK.”

Stratford opened the tournament with a 5-2 win over the national host Tavistock Athletics. Johnny Baker picked up the win for the Cubs with Dylan Taylor taking the loss. Baker helped his own cause, hitting a pair of singles and a triple. Derek Elliot tripled and Tyler Pauli doubled in the win.

Game 2 saw Baker fire a four-hitter as the Cubs blanked the Innerkip Jets 8-0. Steve Lyons and Chayse Herrfort both singled and doubled for Stratford. Elliot added a pair of singles and Pauli homered.

Stratford faced the New Hamburg Mustangs in its third game – the first of three meetings between the teams. The Mustangs jumped on Cubs starter Mike Fuller for five runs in the top of the first and cruised to a 10-2 victory, which dropped Stratford to the loser’s bracket.

Pauli singled and doubled in the loss, while Elliot and Baker singled.

In Game 4, the Cubs scored four first-inning runs and beat the Oshawa Double B’s 12-5. Baker picked up the win for the Cubs. Nathan Schnarr led the Stratford offence with a home run and single. Herrfort singled twice and doubled, Lyons singled twice, and Baker homered and singled.

The Cubs moved to the final against New Hamburg and needed to beat the Mustangs twice.

In the first game of the final, the Mustangs once again jumped all over Cubs starter Fuller for a five-run first inning. The Cubs replied with two of their own in the bottom half of the inning and then exploded with eight runs in the second inning of a 15-8 victory. Fuller picked up the win. Pauli homered twice and singled to lead the Cubs attack. Fuller singled three times, Noah Baker doubled and Jake Moulton homered.

In the second game – the third straight for the Cubs – Stratford made two errors in the second inning as New Hamburg took a 4-0 lead. The Cubs got three back in the fourth but couldn’t plate the tying run in a 4-3 defeat. Baker took the loss. Brandon Richardson singled twice for Stratford, and Moulton, Fuller and Lyons all singled.

“We played real well,” Patterson said. “By the end of the second championship game we were a little tired because we don't have as much strength off our bench depth wise (and were) short a few bodies. A couple errors played into it. All in all we're happy we played into it and finished second, and the other three teams that qualified (New Hamburg, Tavistock and Oshawa) we beat all three. We're going into nationals knowing we can beat some of the teams who are there.”

Patterson acknowledged his players will extra incentive when they arrive in Tavistock for nationals Aug. 2-7.

“It was easy motivating them for this weekend to qualify,” he said. “Now that they're back, for returning players the motivation is there to repeat as national champions. New additions to the team, their motivation is to win a national championship.”

cosmith@postmedia.com