Kitchener, ON - - Peter Hallman Memorial Tournament Brings World’s Best Club Softball Teams to Kitchener, July 29 to 30, 2022
Peter Hallman Memorial Tournament Brings World’s Best Club Softball Teams to Kitchener, July 29 to 30,2022
- Some Results on Game Changer
by Larry Lynch
The weekend of July 29-30, will see the return of one of the best major men’s fastball events in the country to Peter Hallman Ballyard, Kitchener, when the Peter Hallman Memorial Tournament returns to the area for the first time since COVID disrupted the world in 2019. Fans are in for a major treat with a lineup of eight teams in two, four team divisions battling for the tournament championship. In addition, the Ontario Amateur Softball Association, the longest running softball association in the world, will host their 2022 Men’s Masters (40 plus age) Championship with four teams vying for the honour of Ontario’s best in 2022.
The Peter Hallman event will highlight the top four ranked teams in the International Softball Congress (ISC) final rankings leading into the ISC World Tournament, August 13 to 20, 2022, in Moline, Ill. These include #1 ranked Kitchener Hallman Twins, # 2 ranked New York Gremlins, # 3 ranked and reigning champions Hill United Chiefs, Six Nations, and # 4 ranked Bear Creek Express, Melbourne, Ontario. Add to this mix 2 more top ten ranked teams in the Toronto Batmen and Grand Prairie Pirates, and new comers Niagara Stompers and rebuilding Kingston Axemen and you have a major lineup of great teams in the BallYard.
The divisional set up will see
Pool A – Hill United Chiefs, Bear Creek Express, Grande Prairie Pirates, Kingston Axemen
Pool B - New York Gremlins, Hallman Twins, Niagara Stompers and Toronto Batmen.
Looking at the matchups in Pool A, Hill United are the defending ISC champions and have won 5 world titles since 2013. Their ace Adam Folkard has been Mr. Softball for the past 15 years and will likely go head-to-head with Bear Creek’s ace and Canadian National team stalwart Sean Cleary or his east coast partner Justin Schofield. Hill’s batting line up is a powerhouse of national team stars from Canada, Argentina, Mexico and Australia and includes Brad Ezekiel, Jason Hill, Bruno Motroni, Nick Shailes and Steve Mullaley to name a few. Not to be outdone the Bear Creek side features a number of players from Team Canada as well including Ryan Boland, Brandon Horn, Derek Mason, and Ty Pauli… get ready for some fireworks when these two square off.
The Grande Prairie Pirates will ride the arms of Canadian National Team pitchers Zac Pierce and Patrick Burns and have great offence led by veteran Canadian National team’s Blake Hunter, as well as brothers Brayden and Keagan Arcand. The Pirates will give both of the top two ranked teams in their division fits.
The Kingston Axemen return to the game after a couple years absence but are out to prove they can play, and beat anyone. Their roster has been totally rebuilt and they will rely heavily on pitchers Clayton Robinson and Jordan MacDonald to keep the score close before striking with a young and aggressive offense.
Pool B, is every bit as tough as pool A so don’t think for a moment this is the ugly stepsister of talent. With the # 1 and #2 ranked teams in the ISC going head-to-head for the second time in tournament division play this year, it is going to be a war. New York won their division at the July 4th Peligro Tournament in New York City, but the Twins stormed back to meet again in the final and handled the Gremlins with relative ease 9-2. That said the Gremlins have won in the Hill United Chiefs Challenge, in Simcoe, the Boys of Summer in Denmark , Wisconsin and the Ashland, Ohio Invitational along with second place finishes in Tavistock and Peligro…these guys are good ! The Twins boast arguably the best pitcher in the world with Argentinian Huemul Mata , and are aided by Argentinian National Team teammate Martin Gonzalez. Offensively, Argentinian sluggers Teo Migliavaca, Juan Crus Zara, Mata and USA National Team members Cam Schiller, Blaine Milheim and Jonathan Lynch provide plenty of spark to the offence. Adam Alexander, Danny Mitchell and Blake Underwood are solid Ontario boys with the Twins.
The Gremlins continue to follow world pitching legend Andrew Kirkpatrick on their road to success. The giant Aussie is as strong at the plate as he is on the mound, and has dominated the game for nearly 20 years. He leads a pitching staff that also includes New Zealand National team star Josh Pettett and Mexican ace Sammy Villalvaso. The Gremlins rely on Kiwi stars Ben Enoka, Wayne Laulu, Cole Evans and Jerome Raemaki to power their offense but veteran Canadian stars Matt Roy and Bryan Abrey, USA National team stars Nick Mullins and Erick Ochoa along with veteran Aussie Zenon Winter give all opposing pitchers fits.
The Toronto Batmen and the Niagara Stompers will both have to be on their best game to advance to the playoff round on Sunday, but that said they have certainly played every team in this event tough in earlier Ontario tournaments and have promising young lineups that speak well for their future in the game.
The Batmen have been around for a few years but this year they have picked up 4 solid players from the now defunct Nith River Monsters and have a strong and talented pitching staff to rely on. Tyler Randerson, Johnny Baker, and Greg Hammell have joined a resurged Ty Sebastian to set up a tremendous stable of pitchers this year. Sebastian, always a star junior player has been one of the most dominant players in the game this summer and has been Mr. It on the mound and in the batter’s box. He leads a team with great offense from Travis Jones, Ike Whetstone, Denny Benson and long-time co-sponsor Cody Skelton. These guys have had their best season ever in 2022, so what out.
The Niagara Stompers had only gotten out of the gate in 2019 when COVID shut them down after a promising 8th place finish at the ISC World Tournament that year. The ensuing years brought about numerous personnel changes but they are back and have played some great softball in their second season this year. With a pitching staff anchored by veterans, Kyle Linton, Joran Graham and Ryan French the Stompers have played every major team tough and in fact shut out #4 Bear Creek earlier this summer in Simcoe. The offense is led by legendary New Zealand catcher and ISC Hall of Famer, Patrick Shannon who returned to the game after nearly a decade’s absence to help build a young Niagara team. Shannon brought with him 3 young Kiwi National Team players in Pita Rona, Rhys Evans and Brock Attewell and all 4 have proven to be great additions to a team on the rise. The offense has been aided by veteran players including Matt Greer, Dylan Cunningham, Darrin Newsome and Wes Short.
Every matchup in this event should be a challenge, you cannot ask for any more in major men’s fastball today. But wait! the OASA Masters Championship has only 4 teams but names from the past including Toronto Gator stars, Adam Smith, Dave Hoffman, Rob Watson…ISC multi-time World Champion and Most Valuable Pitcher winner Donnie Scott, Shakespeare Falcon long time ace Fred Follings, legendary shortstop and Waterloo CHYMER/Twin Paul Clemens and a host of players from teams including St.Thomas Storm, Waterdown Hammer, Port Elgin Blue Devils and the Waterloo Jack Slammers will reach back to give fans one more chance to see some of the games aging best. The Waterloo Jack Slammers are a tribute team of guys 50 plus in age, half of who played with the legendary Toronto Gators, the other half played with the Waterloo Legends. The name is a tribute to Gators flamboyant ower, Jack Fireman… and to a Legends hero, Slammin’ Sammy Forbes who suffered a severe stroke this past year and is in a long and difficult road to recovery at this time. The name Jack Slammers is in tribute to Jack Fireman and to the strength of Sam Forbes.
Games run all weekend on 3 diamonds, beginning at 7:00 pm Friday night at Peter Hallman Ballyard.
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Are the New York Gremlins going to win a 4th Major Fastball tournament this weekend,
Or will they settle for 2nd for the 3nd time? The Gremlins have won in Ashland Ohio, Simcoe's Chief's Challenge and Wisconsin's Boys of Summer. They were 2nd at The Cephas Roth in Tavistock, and 2nd
in New York City at the Peligro tournament.
Who is going to beat them? Well Bear Creek and Kitchener Hallman Twins expect to give them a battle this weekend at the Peter Hallman Memorial Fastball Tournament at Peter Hallman Ball Yard here in Kitchener?
Bear Creek beat the Gremlins for the Cephas Roth title in Tavistock two weekends ago.
The Kitchener Hallman Twins won the Peligro Sports games in New York beating the
Gremlins in the finals.
Maybe Alberta's Grande Prairie Pirates who are coming to Ontario this weekend for another shot at the Gremlins. The Pirates and Toronto Batmen were in the semi's with the NY at the Chiefs Challenge
Will Hill get their championship touch back here at Peter Hallman Ball Yard this weekend They do know how to win and they do know how to put a string of wins together. A dangerous team.
New team this year from Niagara, the Stompers look good on the lineup card. A return to the ball yard for Larry Lynch.
The Kingston Axeman are building a squad to compete at the major level. How will they do against the
big boys?
We are about to find out.
The OASA Masters Championship will also be on the field for their provincial championships as well.
St Thomas Storm, Port Elgin Blue Devils, Waterdown Hammer and the Waterloo Jack Slammers.
Players from the Waterloo CHYM'rs/Twins, the Toronto Gators, Waterloo Legends and Shakespeare Falcons, and on and on.
Friday night 4 games 7 and 9 pm Saturday action all day and Sunday 9am, 11am and 1pm
Tickets for the weekend, $20. Friday $5, Saturday or Sunday $10.
