Twins cut back on schedule to allow for Pan Ams and worlds

KITCHENER — Local senior men's fastball will take a seat in the dugout in favour of the International Softball Federation's world championship and the Pan Am Games this summer.

The tournament-only Kitchener Hallman Twins will play ball, but with a truncated schedule — only four event appearances — and not much in the way of local games to accommodate this summer's marquee events.

The Twins have two players — infielder Brandon Horn and outfielder Ryan Wolfe — set to join Team Canada for the ISF worlds in Saskatoon June 26 to July 5.

Canada's roster for the Pan Am Games — softball competition runs July 12-18 in Ajax — will at least include Horn, although the final lineup has not yet been released.

The Twins won't hold their own tournament this year due to the crammed summer schedule.

The club surrendered its usual home tournament date — the third weekend in June — to organizers in Tavistock who rely on their event as a fundraiser for their local ball association, said Twins sponsor Jim Hallman.

The regular date for the Tavistock tourney — in mid July — would have fallen right in the middle of the Pan Ams, resulting in many of the world's top players not being available.

"We have every intention of returning next year," he said of Kitchener's Peter Hallman Memorial.

And so this year's version of the Cephas Roth, a 15-team tourney in Tavistock, goes June 18-21.

The Tavistock event will feature the touring Australian national team and four of the world's top-ranked club teams, No. 1 Hill United and No. 3 Kitchener Twins, as well as the Scarborough Force and Toronto Gators, ranked fourth and fifth respectively.

The Twins' 2015 schedule also includes a stop at the Amateur Softball Association of America national championship in Ashland, Ohio on July 23-26; a tourney in Erie, Pa., on July 31 to Aug. 2; and a trip to the ISC worlds in South Bend, Ind. on Aug. 8-16.

Meanwhile, the two-time defending International Softball Congress world tournament champs, Hill United Chiefs, of Six Nations, will play a schedule similar to the Twins' this season.

Loaded with five Canadian national team players, the Chiefs will also be bolstered by a pair of Kitchener men. Larry Lynch serves as the team's first base coach, while veteran slugger Craig Crawford will also see diamond duty.

In exhibition play, the touring Australian national team is making a swing through Ontario this month in advance of the ISF worlds.

On Saturday, the Aussies visit Hill United for a doubleheader starting at 1 p.m. in Ohsweken.

On Sunday, the two clubs hook up again, this time in Milverton at Arand Field, for a doubleheader starting at 1:30 p.m.

The Sebringville Sting and Kitchener Cubs provide the opposition for the Aussies, also in Milverton, on Monday at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m.

On Tuesday, the Elmira Expos and Kitchener Fastball League all-stars take their swings at the Australians at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. again in Milverton.