July 23, 2012

Midland, MI

The 1st Annual Junior Explorer Invitational is complete and in fitting
fashion a Junior team was named champion. The Junior Selects (Owen
Sound, Ontario) went undefeated winning the championship behind
excellent pitching from 19-year old Michael Legace-Roote. In the
championship game, the Junior Selects defeated the Motor City
Shamrocks (Detroit, MI) 3-2 with a 2-out walk-off home run by Cody
Skelton. Roote completed a perfect 5-0 record with the win. The
Junior Selects advanced through the playoffs by defeating the Junior
Explorers 4-0 in the quarterfinals and the Alvinston Indians 5-2 in
the semifinals. The Shamrocks were led to the finals by pitcher Chris
Heinlein who earned three straight complete game wins against
Smalltown Fastpitch (Benton Harbor, MI) 10-2, the Explorers (Midland,
MI) 6-3, and the Lightning (Marshall, MI) 8-1. In other quarter-final
games, the Lightning beat the USA Junior Men’s National Team 5-1 and
Alvinston beat the Blues (Hastings, MI) 4-1.

The tournament was mixed with both men’s and top junior men’s teams.
Congratulations to the Owen Sound Junior Selects, the USA Junior Men’s
National Team, the Junior Explorers, and the Westerville Capitals for
competing strongly against upper level men’s teams. We look forward
to watching your future careers in fastpitch.

David Lach
Midland Explorer Booster Club

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Round Robin Results

Red Bracket
1- Explorers (3-0)
2- Blues (2-1)
3- Lightning (2-1)
4- Capitals (1-2)
5- Smalltown (0-3)

Blue Bracket
1- Junior Selects (3-0)
2- USA Junior National Team (2-1)
3- Alvinston Indians (2-1)
4- Motor City Shamrocks (0-3)
5- Junior Explorers (0-3)

Game 1 Fri 730p EM1
USA Jr National Team 8
Junior Explorers (Midland, MI) 6
WP: B Meshke in relief of Z Lach
LP: S Reinecke in relief of J Gwizdala
Notes: Walkoff 2R HR by USA Jrs to win it

Game 2 Fri 9p EM1
Explorers (Midland, MI) 1
Blues (Hastings, MI) 0
WP: D Scott
LP: R Nichols

Game 3 Fri 9p EM3
Indians (Alvinston, ON) 1
Motor City Shamrocks (Detroit, MI) 0
WP: B Young 7IP 0 R 1 H
LP: T Kelly 2.2 IP 2H 1R in relief of D Gillis 4IP 0H 0R
Notes: the Indians win on a bases loaded bunt single with 2 outs in
bottom of 7th
Game 4 Sat 10a EM1
Alvinston 3
Jr Explorers 0
WP: R Swift
LP: J Gwizdala

Game 5 Sat 10a EM3
Lightning (Marshall, MI) 9
Smalltown (Benton Harbor, MI) 7

Game 6 Sat 12p EM1
Junior Selects (Owen Sound, ON) 7
Motor City Shamrocks 0
WP: M Legace-Roote
LP: A Kirkpatrick

Game 7 Sat 12p EM3
Lightning 7
Capitals (Westerville, OH) 3

Game 8 Sat 2p EM1
Junior Selects 10
USA Junior National Team 2
WP: M Legace-Roote
LP: M Lewis with relief from Z Lach

Game 9 Sat 2p EM3
Blues 8
Capitals 5
WP: R Nichols

Game 10 Sat 4p EM1
Explorers 4
Lightning 1
WP: J Veenhoff
LP: S Kelly

Game 11 Sat 4p EM3
Blues 10
Smalltown 4

Game 12 Sat 6p EM1
Explorers 4
Motor City Shamrocks 3
WP: D Scott 7IP 3R
LP: T Kelly 4IP $R with relief from D Gillis 3IP 0R
Notes: High-light of the game was a home-run by Doug Gillis in the
6th inning off Don Scott which left a buzz throughout the crowd the
rest of the night (his first real at-bat in about 20 years). Suspense
had built for the at-bat an inning prior as the Shamrocks lost the
opportunity to pinch hit for Doug through a previous substitution.

Game 13 Sat 6p EM3
Junior Selects 12
Junior Explorers 8
WP: Lyons
LP: S Reinecke with relief from J Gwizdala

Game 14 Sat 8p EM1
Capitals 7
Smalltown 6
Notes: Capitals with 3 runs in the 7th to complete the comeback

Game 15 Sat 8p EM3
USA Jr National Team 9
Alvinston 2
WP: J Rutt
LP: B Young with relief from R Swift

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Playoff Results

Playoff Play-In Game 1 Sun 9a EM1
Shamrocks 10
Smalltown 2
WP: C Heinlein
LP: R Truemner

Playoff Play-In Game 2 Sun 9a EM3
Junior Explorers 3
Capitals 0
WP: J Gwizdala
LP: M Cantrell

Quarterfinal Game 1 Sun 9a EM2
Alvinston 4
Blues 1

Quarterfinal Game 2 Sun 11a EM1
Shamrocks 6
Explorers 3
WP: C Heinlein
LP: J Veenhoff with relief from D Scott

Quarterfinal Game 3 Sun 11a EM2
Lightning 5
USA Jr National Team 1
WP: S Kelly
LP: J Rutt

Quarterfinal Game 4 Sun 11a EM3
Junior Selects 4
Junior Explorers 0
WP: M Legace-Roote
LP: J Gwizdala

Semifinal Game 1 Sun 1p EM3
Shamrocks 8
Lightning 1
WP: C Heinlein
LP: S Kelly

Semifinal Game 2 Sun 1 p EM3
Junior Selects 5
Alvinston 2
WP: M Legace-Roote

Finals
Junior Selects 3
Motor City Shamrocks2
WP: M Legace-Roote
LP: T Kelly
Notes: solo home-run by Cody Skelton with 2-outs in bottom of the 7th to win