Wednesday night in Whitefish Lake First Nation , the league got its 20th season underway . It was also the 60th (jubilee anniversary) of fastball in Greater Sudbury which got its beginning way back in 1951 at Queens Athletic Field as well as at the old O’Connor Park in the Flour Mill district .

                                                              In the opener , a costly error in the fifth inning , help the Pickerel River Cardinals( 1-0) make a comeback to defeat the Swick Hounds from Garson (0-1)  5-4 . Both pitchers Jonathan Contin (1-0) from the Cardinals and Gary “Guinouâ€Â Lamothe (0-1) of the Swicky Hounds went the distance . Contin gave up up 5 hits , struck out 9 batters and issued 3 base on balls  while his counterpart  Lamothe scattered 5 hits , fanned 9 batters  and  issued only one base on balls . Ed Brennan  led the way for the Cardinals hitting 2 for 3 (both singles) with teammate Earl Contin chipping in with a solo home run while Adam King hit 2 for 3 (both singles) in a losing cause for the Swick Hounds .

                                                               In the nightcap , the defending league champions Sudbury North Stars ,   continued where they left off in 2010 in trouncing the host Whitefish Lake First Nation Falcons 15-6 .The North Stars  scored 10 runs in the middle frames and then never looked back winning handily .Last year’s top pitcher , John Ainslie (1-0) scattered 7 hits , struck out 5 batters and issued but a single base on balls .  On the Falcons side they were forced to use 3 pitchers in their efforts to stop the North Stars onslaught . Henry Nootchtai (0-1) started , was tagged with the loss ,  pulled in the 4th by Danny Nootchtai(0-0) who in turn was relieved in the same fourth by Troy Nootchtai(0-0) . All three pitchers combined to give up 18 hits , fan 3 batters but did not issue any base on balls .Terry Kutchke led the way for the winners , having a perfect night at the plate 4 for 4 (all singles ,4 runs scored and 3 RBI’s) with teammate Mike Cain hitting 2 for 3 ( 2 singles , 3 runs scored and 2 RBI’s) while Justin Nootchtai hit 2 for 3 (single ,inside the park solo home run and 2 runs scored) in a losing cause for the Falcons .

                                                                Play resumes Thursday night at the Lorne Brady Memorial Park in Garson when the 0-1 Swicky Hounds from Garson take on the 1-0 Sudbury North Stars at 7 PM followed by the nightcap at 9 PM  under the lights where the Whitefish Lake First Nation Falcons 0-1 will face the 1-0 Pickerel River Cardinals ..

                                                                Team reps and players are reminded that there will be changes to the original league schedule . Stay tuned in the next couple of days as you will be issued in an email from myself your league statistician and public relations liaison/advisor or directly  at the field a brand new revised schedule to answer any critics or observant from the first drafted copy .

                                                                Check the Sudbury Star ,Northern Life ,Sudburysports.com our league web site which you can access by googling Rick McDonald Memorial Fastball League-Welcome for stories on our fine fastball league

 

Stay fit !   See you on the fastball diamonds !

 

     Roger Legendre

     League Head Statistician

     Public Relations Liaison/advisor

 

    Roger

 Roger Legendre <er_legendre@sympatico.ca>