august2007

NL advances to Junior Men's final

August 11, 2007

Summerside, PE


ALL GAMES RECAPPED BELOW
 
Kelly’s Pub Canadians into Junior men’s finalScarborough, Elmira to play off in semifinal Sunday morning at 11 a.m. for spot in final
 
BY PAT HEALEY
SUMMERSIDE - It took a full team effort, but the Newfoundland and Labrador Kelly’s Pub Canadians pulled it out advancing to the 2007 Causeway Bay Softball Canada Junior Men’s fast pitch championship final with a 6-4 extra inning win over the Scarborough Wolverines.
And it was thanks to energizer bunny, Justin Gill who just seems to keep going and going and leading by example. He appeared to roll his ankle in the game Saturday night, but put the pain he might be feeling aside and stayed in the game leading by example.
Gill hit a sixth inning solo home run that rallied the defending champions to the victory.
Trailing 3-1 and looking as if they may be on the verge of their first loss, Gill bombed a solo home run in the sixth inning. However, catcher Stephen Strapp said it was a full team effort, something his teammates agreed with..
"It was a full team effort that have us rolling into Sunday," Strapp said. "Everyone from 1-to-16 contributed to this win."
It came down to the eighth inning to determine a winner between these two evenly matched teams.
With Strapp on second as a result of the International tie breaking rule, Mark Lewis batted hitting a hard single that scored Strapp. Then Ryan Boland (1-4) came to bat with pinch runner Matt Hill on first and Mark Lewis on second..
The all star second basemen then hit a first pitch triple, scoring Hill and Lewis and giving the Canadians a 6-4 lead
"It was a great game to be involved in," Boland said. "We were down and whatever the case was we never quit. Justin’s (Gill) home run picked us up and gave us life back."
As for what they will do Sunday in the final looking to repeat as champions, Boland said the team will just take it pitch-by-pitch.
"We’ll see what happens but it’ll be a tough game for sure," he added.
Lewis once again had the hot bat, driving in three runs with a 3-for-4 batting summary. Gill (2-4, two runs scored, RBI), Brad Ezekiel (1-3, run scored), Jon Kane (2-3) were also tops.
Scarborough was led by Brandon Horn (1-3, run scored, RBI triple), Chris Lewis (1-3, run scored) and Rob Clayton (1-3, run scored).
Sean Cleary went the distance, striking out four, giving up four runs on five hits and walking one. Matt Leahy came on in relief, pitching two and two third innings giving up three runs on three hits and sitting down two. Andrew Putnam went five and one third inning allowing three runs on seven hits, walking two and striking out three.
The Canadians will now await the winner of the Scarborough-Elmira/Simcoe semifinal, Sunday morning at 11 a.m. The championship is set for 1:30 p.m.
 
Elmira wins twice to get into semifinal vs Scarborough
 
Saturday night, Nate Bauman hit a two run walkoff blast tin the bottom of the seventh for a 5-3 win and a berth into the semifinal thanks to the long ball - three of them actually.
Ron Dean was aboard by a walk when Buaman's heroics happened.
Jack McLaren with two, including the game winning solo blast in the bottom of the sixth, and birthday boy Ben Wideman, who celebrated his 22nd birthday Saturday, with a solo home run did the damage for Elmira.
Derek Bannon had a two run home run of his own for Simcoe.
Luke Raymer pitched but Scott Marshall pitched one third inning in relief in taking the loss..

Dan Martin was throwing heat in earning the win.
Sunday morning they beat Quebec 5-1 to stay alive. The win also guaranteed themselves of finishing no worse then third.
Elmira scored twice in the fourth and fifth as they eliminated Quebec’s St-Leonard D’aston Express.
Josh Brohman (2-3, RBI double, two runs scored) Dan Martin (1-3, RBI), Ben Tee (1-2, RBI) and Travis Martin (1-3, run scored, RBI). Jack McLaren and Ron Dean each had doubles and would eventually score. Ryan Shannon and Nate Bauman also contributed with a single each.
Jean Daniel Doucet had the hot bat for Quebec, going 3-for-4 with a run scored at the dish.
Dan Martin pitched the complete game allowing six hits, walking two and striking out four.
LeClair was strong again on the slab, striking out eight batters but didn’t get much help in their second game of the day. He fanned eight batters.
 
Quebec fails in bid for finals appearance 
Meanwhile, Quebec was trying to make it through using the backdoor - and Francis LeClair’s arm.. They got through the first part beating East Hants Henchmen 1-0 but fell 5-1 to Elmira Advance Millwrights later Saturday.
Against East Hants, LeClair had the Henchmen batters mesmerized, mowing down 14 batters in the process.
The game saw just three hits between the two teams and a total of 23 strikeouts- nine by Henchmen ace Cory Avery. The only run scored off a Mathieu Benoit RBI single in the bottom of the fourth inning.
"We’re hoping to do the same as last year," LeClair said following the first game, noting Quebec won three times in 2006 on Saturday to make it to Sunday action. "It’s a hard way to do it, but it’s the only way for us to get there."
East Hants did have their chances, stranding seven bases runners - including leaving the bases juiced in top of the fourth- compared to Quebec, who had just three runners left on base.
David LeClair had the other Quebec hit.
Aaron Harvey had the Henchmen’s lone hit.
Avery went the distance in suffering the loss in the pitcher’s duel, walking two.
 
Simcoe finishes 4th after loss 
The Simcoe Wildcats pulled out two must wins, but just couldn’t pull off that third win over Elmira, eliminating them from further play.
Simcoe beat the host P.E.I. Source for Sports Twins 10-0 and then 6-2 over the Saskatchewan Junior Diamondbacks.
Against P.E.I., Derek Bannon and Kevin Buckley each had two run home runs as the Simcoe Wildcats stayed alive with a 10-0 six inning mercy rule win.
Bannon also added a solo home run and finished the game with four RBI. Will Fehrman (2-3, two runs scored), Tyler MacNevan (0-1, RBI, run scored) and Jeff Bassindale (3-4, run scored) also contributed.
Ryan Gallant (2-4) was the lone multiple hit player for P.E.I. Devon Praught and Colin Dillon each added singles.
Luke Raymer earned the win going six innings striking out nine and walking one. John Veinnot suffered the loss allowing four and one third inning, surrendering four runs, seven hits while sitting down four. Pierre Richard pitched two third innings allowing two runs (on Bannon’s two run home run). Donnelly Archibald went an inning allowing four runs on no hits, three earned, walking four.
Later Saturday against Sask., Will Fehrman and Andrew Narancsik each had two, two-run home runs as the Wildcats used just five hits to punch out six runs.
Nathan Fuller (1-1, run scored), Jamie Davis (1-2, double run scored) also powered the Simcoe offense.
Axel Guskjolen (2-4, run scored, triple, RBI) led the Diamondbacks.
Luke Raymer earned the win fanning 12 while Kyle Hyrcuik, with rleief from Brady Woods, suffered the loss.
 
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