Midget Nationals - Champs Chatter

august2007

Midget Nationals - Champs Chatter

August 15, 2007

Saskatoon, SK

chAMP’S CHATTER

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE 2007 CANADIAN MIDGET BOYS

FASTPITCH SOFTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP - WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 15

In Memory of Rose Hodgson who passed away after a long and courageous battle with cancer in her hometown of Sarnia on Monday, July 9th, 2007. She was the definition of the word volunteerism – selfless, giving and caring. Rose selflessly gave her time and energy no matter what was asked of her and did so with a passion for the cause. Rose’s volunteerism was expansive and far-reaching. Rose steadily moved up the ranks from volunteering at the grassroots up through to the National Level. Rose made the jump to the National Level winning the election to become a Director on Softball Canada’s Board in 1998, where she served on various committees including leading the selection of the very successful Learn to Play Program as Canada’s introductory program for children to the sport of softball. She was the 2007 Chair of Softball Canada’s Championship committee and was instrumental in the success of many championships like these.

The 9:00 am game at BVI featured a good old fashioned pitching dual between two Team Canada prospects, Dustin Keshane of the Saskatchewan Chiefs and Evan Normand of the Calgary Rockies. Dustin came out on top on the strikeout count recording 17 K’s to Evan’s 7, but Normand won the one that really counted. Not only did he pitch a 3 hit shutout, but his two run homerun in the 4^th inning accounted for the only two runs of the game. At Gordie Howe at 9:30, Newfoundland& Labrador came back from a 5-1 deficit against Quebec, scoring 4 runs in the bottom of the fifth. Later the comeback was culminated with a 3 run walk off homerun by Kyle Ezelkiel to give Newfoundland an 8-5 win, their third straight. Mike Noftall came in the 7^th and struck out the side keeping his ERA at 0.00.

The bats stayed hot for Leduc at 11:00 as they recorded 11 hits off Sooke ace Scott Lieph. Michael Brand had 3 RBI and Mike Hauser 2 RBI to do the damage for last year’s bronze medallists’ At 11:30, Napanee struggled for a bit with the pitching of Trevor Gicas, but the fine work of pitchers Kyle Arsenault and Scott Leahy kept Kitimat to 3 hits. Napanee stayed undefeated with its 4-0 win

The Chepstow Colts picked up their first win beating the Mike Oakes Welding Selects 8-1 at 1:00. TJ Zister went 3 for 3 scoring 2 runs and hitting in 2 more. Later for the Aspen Selects, the pitching got better but the hitting slowed down as they won their 1:30 games 2-0. Devon McCullough kept his ERA at 0.00 with a four hit shutout. The hard luck loser for Linwood was Kyle Coles who gave up only 6 hits.

At 5:00 Sooke Smoke won a shoot out 11-7 over Quebec, in a game that featured 21 hits and six errors. Darcy Walushka led the Smoke offense with 3 hits and 3 RBI. At 3:30, Newfoundland remained undefeated beating Kitimat 6-2 thanks to back to back homeruns in seventh by Mike Noftall and Craig Edmonds.

The Chepstow Colts got on a roll recording their second straight 8-1 victory, this time, over the Calgary Rockies at 5:00 at BVI. Catcher Jake Albecht went 2 for 2 and scored a couple of runs to lead the Colts offence. At 5:30 at Gordie Howe, Sask Chiefs pitcher Dustin Keshane pitched a no hitter in the 5 inning game, striking out all but one Linwood hitter The lone base runner reached on an error in the Chiefs 7- 0 victory.

In the first game of the night at BVI the Aspen Selects stayed undefeated with a 3-2 win, giving Napanee Express their first loss. The Selects offence was ignited by a 2 run homerun by Steven Kessler hit off of Luke Leahy. The Express bats waited until the bottom of the 7^th to get going, but could only score 2 runs. Travis Dauvin lasted 6 and 2/3 for the win, with Devon McCullough coming in for the save. At 9:00 the winless Mike Oakes Welding Selects played giant killers knocking off the previously undefeated Leduc 747’s, Patrick Burns recorded the win giving up just 5 hits winning 6-5. Cole Reid went 3 for 3 and Kyle Laird went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI to lead the offence.

Team	Place	Wins	Losses	Points	Played	Team	Place	Wins	Losses	Points	Played
Host- Aspen Selects	1^st	4	0	8	4	ON3 - Chepstow	5^th	2	2	4	4
NL - Newfoundland	1^st	4	0	8	4	DC - Sask Chiefs	5^th	2	2	4	4
AB1 - Leduc	3^rd	3	1	6	4	BC2 - Kitimat	9^th	1	3	2	4
ON1 - Napanee	3^rd	3	1	6	4	SK - M.O.W.	9^th	1	3	2	4
AB2 - Calgary	5^th	2	2	4	4	ON2 - Linwood	11^th	0	4	0	4
BC1 - Sooke	5^th	2	2	4	4	QC - Quebec	11^th	0	4	0	4