League semis /Northerns rap up
August 25, 2010
Sudbury, ON
NORTH STARS ONE WIN AWAY FROM THE FINALS
The second round of the playoffs got underway Monday night in Azilda at the Rick McDonald Memorial Park Complex . In the opener the defending league champions the Sudbury North Stars got an early scare as the Hounds gave them a good game but in the end the veteran North Stars pulled away for a 9-5 victory and a 1-0 lead in series "A" of the best 3 series . The North Stars took an early 3-1 lead after one frame but found themselves behind 4-3 after three innings . The defending champs then scored one in the 5th and four more in the seventh and won going away 9-5 .John Ainslie (1-0) went the distance for the winners giving up 5 runs ( 4 earned) on 10 hits while striking out 3 batters and issuing 2 baser on balls .Eric Abitong (0-1) also sent the distance for the Garson Hounds giving up 9 runs ( all earned) on 10 base hits while striking out 8 batters and issuing four base on balls .Chad St Cyr led the North Stars attack going 2 for 2 at the plate with a walk ( double ,home run , run 2 , 2 RBI's) with teammate Junior Ilnitski also chipping in with a 2 for 3 performance while Robbie Edwards hit 2 for 3 (double) in a losing cause for the Hounds .In the second game it was a 7-0 victory for Whitefish Lake Steelers over Parry Island Hawks due to a lack of the proper amount of players.
Both series will resume Wednesday night in Whitefish where both the Steelers and the North Stars get a chance to sweep their respective semi final seriesand advance to the league championship series best of 5 which would start next week.
Attached a caption photo from tonight's first game
Roger Legendre league head statistician and public relations liaison/advisor
Keep fit ! See you on the fastball; diamonds !
Don't forget the Senior Worlds fastball championship in North Bay coming up on the Labor Day weekend in September ; the All Ontario Native Fastball Tournament this weekend in Rama ; the 3rd annual Parry Island Fastball tournament September 10th,11th and 12th .
SUDBURY NORTH STARS WIN THE NORTHERNS
Following a great emotional ceremony on Friday night ,the first day of the tournament , the games got underway .On that very Friday evening , the color party from the Lockerby Legion led the players and the officials into the ball field area . The players were introduced and then on bag pipes we heard Amazing Grace and held a moment of silence in memory of our good friend Brad Rienguette who died last year at the age of 50 after a long courageous battle with pancreatic/liver cancer . Ralph Rienguette ,Brad's dad , threw out the first ceremonial pitch to open the tournament . Throughout the tournament ,tickets were sold on a 50/50 as well as a raffle for 7 different donated gifts ..Part of the proceeds in both will be given to the Cancer Society in Brad's name and another amount to the Lalonde family who lost their home to a fire last weekend in Copper Cliff . The tournament committee thank the wonderful fans on the weekend for their generosity in contributing to both of these ..
Here are the results of the round robin games played sometimes in in climate weather on both Friday and Saturday (attached documents).Final round robin standings(attached)
Championship Sunday
Quarter finals
BEAR ISLAND BRAVES VS PARRY ISLAND HAWKS
The Hawks score three runs in the opening frame and never look back on their way to a close 4-2 victory over the Braves .Both pitchers Peter McKenzie of the Braves and Matt Tobobondung of the Hawks go the distance . Tobobondung gives up but 4 hits and strikes out 5 batters while McKenzie is touched for 8 hits and fans 8 batters .Walter Jr Tobobondung (triple, double ,2 runs scored) and Eric Ace both lead the way for the winners with 2 for 3 performances while Guy Desgroseillers hits 2 for 3 in a losing performance for the Braves
PICKEREL RIVER CARDINALS VS WHITERFISH LAKE STEELERS
Veteran pitcher Mike Loach pitches a gem on a six hitter leading his Cardinals to 7-1 victory over the young Steelers .Mike fanned 12 batters ..James Lewis took the loss going the distance for the Steelers .Pat Brennan Jr led the way for the Cardinals hitting 3 for 4 (double , triple) while Justin Soucy went 2 for 3 in a losing cause for the Steelers .
SEMI FINALS
PICKEREL RIVER CARDINALS VS SUDBURY NORTH STARS
This game was over in a hurry as the powerful Sudbury North Stars pounded out 7 hits and scored 11 runs in just two innings on their way to trouncing of the Cardinals 11-0- (10 run mercy rule after 3 innings of play ) .Denis Dewar pitched all three innings for the North Stars giving up but one hit while striking out 4 batters .Mike Loach started for the Cardinals but gave way to Ed Brennan in the third . Joel Belanger was the top hitter for the North Stars going 2 for 3 (triple) .
PARRY ISLAND HAWKS VS RIVER DAWGS
This semi final was much closer as the River Dawgs took a 5-1 lead into the seventh until the never say die Hawks came back to score four in the top of the seventh and create an exciting bottom of the seventh . The drama was over quickly as the River Dawgs led off with a triple by Jesse Gionnette which was followed by a bloop single by Lyle Baibocaiway to score that sixth and winning run .Both pitchers Eric Abitong of the Dawgs and Matt Tobobondung of the Hawks went the distance for their irrespective teams . Eric gave up 9 hits and Matt gave up 11 hits .
CHAMPIONSHIP
RIVER DAWGS VS SUDBURY NORTH STARS
It seemed fitting that last year's finalists met once more for the championship final (the 5th edition .As expected they did not disappoint the large crowd that came out to see some mighty fine fastball . It was for a good part a pitcher's duel between Eric "E-man" Abitong and Corey Stolar .Both had faced each other several times in league play and in tournaments . The North Stars scored four important runs in the bottom of the 2nd frame and seemed well on their way but just one inning later two crucial fielding errors by the North Stars gave two runs to the Dawgs who were right back in the game .In the top of the 5th , the River Dawgs tie the game at 4-4 .Not to be denied and almost as if the Brad "the sham " was shinning on them , the North Stars collect 3 key runs and hold on for a 7-5 victory and the crown of the 5th Annual Northern Ontario "Brad Rienguertte" Men's Fastball Championship . Corey Stolar gave up 8 hits and struck out 6 batters as the winner while Eric Abitong gave up 11 hits and fanned 9 batters .Once again as he did in the semi final , veteran Joel Belanger was the top hitter going 3 for 3(triple ,2 RBI's). Jesse Gionette hit 2 for 4 in a losing cause for the River Dawgs .
RICK McDonalds MEMORIAL FASTBALL LEAGUE PLAYOFFS
The second round of the league playoffs gets underway tonight in Azilda at the Rick McDonald Memorial Park Complex . It’s the best of 3 semi finals . In the opener at 7 PM the Garson Hounds take on the league defending champions the Sudbury North Stars while at 9 PM in the nightcap under the lights the Whitefish Lake Steelers will tangle with the Parry Island Hawks .Game two in both series goes Wednesday night in Whitefish
Keep fit ! See you on the fastball diamonds
Roger Legendre league's statistician and public relations liaison/advisor
