The Big Apple Bagels team didn't waste any time proving they were a good selection for the International Softball Congress World Tournament.
Manager Dave O'Keefe's team made a triumphant debut in the ISC on Saturday, defeating the Kitchener (Ont.) Bell Cartage Cubs 3-1 on the first day of the tournament at Currie Stadium.
Big Apple Bagels was a late edition to the tournament after another team dropped out, but it looked like a team that belonged on Saturday.
"Everyone was incredibly excited coming into this weekend," said O'Keefe. "We've been working just about 24/7 just trying to prepare (for the tournament). All of the youthful enthusiasm came shining through today. It was fun."
Big Apple Bagels used a lethal combination of strong pitching and speedy defensive play for its first victory.
Veteran pitcher Rick Engle worked all seven innings for Big Apple Bagels, allowing just one run on three hits. He struck out six and walked just one.
The win on the mound was the first ISC victory for Engle, who has played fast pitch softball for over three decades.
"I've played in four or five of the ISC Tournaments and it's very tough competition, and this team here is loaded with talent," Engle said. "You see all of the defensive plays out there and they never give up. It's just a bunch of young, good strong ballplayers. It's a joy to play in front of them."
Big Apple Bagels had just three hits, but made the most of its scoring opportunities. The team scored a run in the top of the second inning without a hit, as Sean Hoffman worked a walk, went to second on a passed ball, third on a wild pitch and then scored on a wild pitch.
"(Scoring early) takes some of the pressure off and lets everyone relax and get back to the way that they are normally playing," O'Keefe said. "We have good enthusiasm, so if we can get to that point where we have a lead and we can relax a little bit, that'll help."
Big Apple Bagels also scored two more times late in the game off Bell Cartage Cubs' pitcher Kyle Linton, who had 16 strikeouts.
After Kevin Dore hit a double off the centerfield wall in the sixth inning for Big Apple Bagels, Bill Kunkel knocked him in with a single up the middle to make it 2-0. After the Cubs got a run back in the bottom of the sixth, Ken Hoffman gave Big Apple Bagels a two-run advantage by clubbing a homer over the centerfield wall to lead off the top of the seventh.
Engle struck out the first two batters and worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning to preserve the victory. He said that he remembers a strong group of players all switching from baseball to fastpitch when he started playing softball in 1980 -- not unlike the young group for Big Apple Bagels.
"They will be a strong team for a lot of years," Engle said. "They are up-and-coming.
"These teams in this tournament are as tough as they get in the world. When you face them, you are going to see the best hitters. They are disciplined. They are patient. Everything has to fall into place and today it did. ... If you just let one ball go through, it changes the dynamic of the game. It all goes to the defense. They just made outstanding plays today."
With momentum on their side, the young Big Apple Bagels team may just have the correct recipe for moving on further in the bracket.
"We kind of know who we are," O'Keefe said. "We can see ourselves in the mirror, but I think each member of this team knows that athletically, we're there with everyone else. It's just a matter of getting the bounces to go our way and getting some good sound pitching to keep us in the game."
Midland Gillies wins opener
Catcher Scott Nichols hit a long, solo homer over the leftfield fence at Currie Stadium on Saturday and Kyle Crawford struck out seven in seven shutout innings as Midland Gillies opened the ISC World Tournament with a 1-0 victory over the Wiarton (Ont.) Nationals.
The game remained scoreless through the first four innings before Nichols' homer led off the top of the fifth inning.
Gillies had a good chance earlier, but couldn't capitalize.
"We started out with two guys on second and third and one out and didn't score and I thought, 'Oh boy, we blew our chance here,'" Gillies manager Kurt Schieman said. "But Nichols had the big home run there."
Wiarton had a runner on second base with less than two outs in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings, but Crawford and the Gillies defense stymied the Nationals in each opportunity.
Gillies next faces Jarvis (Ont.) Travlers, the defending ISC World champions.
"We are hoping to win three or four games at least," Schieman said. "That's the game plan and then we'll see what happens from there.
"We hope that we'll keep the ball in the park and plan on catching it (against Jarvis)."
Wiarton pitcher Andy Jackson had 11 strikeouts and was also 3-for-3 from the plate for the Nationals.
