POOL A

Etobicoke, Leaside, Bolton, Brampton

 

Etobicoke 3 (Kyle Breitner) Leaside 4 (Brad Grieveson)

Brampton 7 (Mike Burke) Bolton 5 (Nick Boyd)

Leaside 9 (Jorge Frugoni) Brampton 4 (Steve Hough)

Etobicoke 8 (Kyle Angelow) Bolton 3 (Andrew White)

Leaside 7 (Josh Howsam) Bolton 3 (Mike Blackwood)

Etobicoke 3 (Adam McBride) Brampton 5 (RJ Page)

 

POOL B

Pickering, Erindale, East York, Oakville

 

East York 6 (Jake Gallo) Oakville 2 (Gord Robertson)

Erindale 5 (Ian Bala) Pickering 3 (Brad Binns)

Erindale 2 (Andrew Mullin) East York 6 (Mark Sikorski)

Pickering 4 (Steve Horsley) Oakville 5 (Marc Walton)

Erindale 4 (Mike Morely) Oakville 6 (Mike Vanderlaan)

East York 5 (Quinn Cumming) Pickering 4 (Peter Nash)

 

 

POOL C

Niagara, Vaughan, Burlington

 

POOL D

Strathroy, Newmarket, Kingston

 

Strathroy 3 (Tyler Annett) Niagara 1 (Geoff Strong)

Newmarket 3 (PA Di Lulio) Burlington 2 (Cam McKnight)

Vaughan 2 (Mark Tari) Kingston 3 (John Ivimey)

Strathroy 4 (Robert Ramsdale) Vaughan 0 (Daniel Pelley)

Kingston 2 (Brandyn Agnew) Burlington 3 (Mike Grilli)

Niagara 2 (Justin Ayles) Newmarket 1 (Victor Simon)

Niagara 2 (Alex Tufts) Kingston 4 (Derek Howe)

Strathroy 2 (Matt Grasby) Burlington 3 (Trevor Woodjetts)

Vaughan 2 (Peter Westlake) Newmarket 7 (Brad Crone)

 

1st C/D STRATHROY 5 (Matt Brennan) vs. 2nd B OAKVILLE 1 (Matt Chisamore)

2nd A BRAMPTON 10 (Joe Ferreira) vs. 2nd C/D NEWMARKET 5 (Ryan Fedrigo)

1st A LEASIDE 5 (Andrew Morales) vs. WC BURLINGTON 3 (Tim Sogan)

1st B EAST YORK 11 (Jeff Gibbs) vs. 3rd C/D KINGSTON 1 (Dave Hood)

 

STRATHROY 5 (Matt Cook) vs. LEASIDE 2 (Chris Goodale)

BRAMPTON 3 (Brandon Habibi) vs. EAST YORK 9 (Dave Anderson)

 

Strathroy Royals 3 (Ryan Zimmer) vs. EAST YORK 4 (Jerome Werniuk)

 

 

The Vaughan Vikings' annual tournament has quickly turned into quite a tournament. Most of COBA and GTBL were in attendance, as well as London's top team Strathroy, a Kingston team that's dominating its league, and of course- the hosts.

When all was said and done, the East York Bulldogs rebounded from an opening game loss, and reeled off five straight wins to capture the title. As mentioned, the Bulldogs lost their first game convincingly, to an Oakville team that made the semi-finals, and went 3-0 in round robin play. East York went on to beat Erindale and Pickering in round robin play. In the quarter-finals, Jeff Gibbs shut down Vaughan in a 4-0 win. In the semi-finals, they beat a pesky Brampton squad 7-5, and then went on to beat Etobicoke in a thrilling finale. In that game, the Bulldogs held a commanding 12-3 lead, but the Rangers rallied to tie the game at 12 in the 6th. Quinn Cumming and Bryan Vardzel traded scoreless innings, until Kyle Moloney hit a walk-off tournament-winning single to seal the deal in the 12th inning.

The Rangers went 1-0-2 in round robin play. They had 2-2 ties against both Leaside and Brampton. In their second game against Bolton, the Rangers used "smoke and mirrors" to come back from a 5-3 last inning deficit. They had two outs and nobody on, and went on to somehow score 8 runs to win it 11-5. In the quarter-finals, they got by Niagara 5-2, and then steamrolled Oakville 12-2. They put up as good of a fight as you can possibly put up, in the losing effort in the finals.

Overall, a lot of teams really showed a lot during the weekend; both good and bad. Oakville went 3-0 in round robin play, and won their quarter-final game as well. They made a lot of moves in the offseason, but have been inconsistent in COBA play. This is more along the lines of what they're capable of. Pickering and Newmarket went a combined 0-6, and their performance leaves a lot to be questioned about the depth of the GTBL. When you add in Bolton's 0-3 record, questioning the depth of the league is a very reasonable and objective thing to do. East York proved they're head over heels better than everyone in the league. Leaside showed they're a pretty good team. And outside of that... I guess we'll see. COBA teams went 8-4-1 against the GTBL, and two of those wins came on the last day from East York. Brampton showed they can hit and compete with anybody. Another pitcher or two, and they could be serious contenders. Niagara made easy work of Strathroy and Newmarket, and lost a coin flip game to Etobicoke in the quarters. What Strathroy does in its league really doesn't matter much, when looking at them on a larger scale. Their tournament record is what's going to determine how legit they really are. This weekend showed they're not in the upper echelon that includes the likes of East York, Tecumseh and Mississauga SW. Vaughan showed they're a pretty good team, but they just lack the arms necessary to get through a format so grueling. 

Ultimately, this weekend was all about East York showcasing their new, talented, loaded team. They must have felt the pressure to show just how good they are, and they did just that. When you can roll out guys like Jeff Gibbs, Dave Anderson, Mark Sikorski, Jake Gallo, Andrew Ziedens, Bryan Pyper, Jerome Werniuk, and the hero of this weekend, Quinn Cumming- you're going to be very, very tough to beat. And when your lineup has virtually no holes, it's going to be even tougher for teams to beat you. Congratulations to the Bulldogs on a very impressive showing.

 

FRIDAY

Leaside 2 vs. Etobicoke 2

East York 2 (LP- Jake Gallo) vs. Oakville 6 (WP- Marc Walton)

Erindale 5 (WP- Dan Estey, HR- Jay Woodford, Geoff Cullen) vs. Pickering 2 (LP- Brad Binns)

Niagara 6 (WP- Jordan Bray) vs. Strathroy 2 (LP- Tyler Annett)

Burlington 12 (WP- Cam McKnight) vs. Newmarket 1 (LP- Brent Heaslip)

Kingston 2 Vaughan 12 (WP- Daniel Pelley)

Brampton 6 (WP- Joey Nonis) vs. Bolton 5 (LP- Trent Barwick)

 

SATURDAY

East York 11 (WP- Dave Anderson) vs. Erindale 1 (LP- Ian Bala)

Pickering 2 (LP- Peter Nash) vs. Oakville 6 (WP- Mike Vanderlaan)

Etobicoke 11 (WP- Bryan Vardzel) vs. Bolton 5 (LP- Brandon Hurst)

Strathroy 2 vs. Vaughan 4 (WP- Chris Boatto)

Leaside 6 (WP- Chris Goodale) vs. Brampton 3 (LP- Ryan Thompson)

Kingston 4 vs. Burlington 8 (WP- Trevor Woodjetts)

Niagara 4 (WP- Geoff Strong) vs. Newmarket 1 (LP- Brad Crone)

 

Leaside 11 (WP- Jorge Frugoni) vs. Bolton 0 (LP- Nick Boyd)

Etobicoke 2 vs. Brampton 2

Oakville 3 (WP- Alex Hawley) vs. Erindale 1 (LP- Brendan Fox)

East York 6 (WP- Mark Sikorski) vs. Pickering 5 (LP- Steve Horsley)

Vaughan 13 (WP- Joe Prescutti) vs. Newmarket 3 (LP- Christian Davies)

Strathroy 7 (WP- Matt Cook) vs. Burlington 1 (LP- Mike Westlake)

Kingston 5 (WP- Derek Howe) vs. Niagara 0 (LP- Brendan Ellingham)

 

Quarter-Finals

East York 4 (WP- Jeff Gibbs) vs Vaughan 0 (LP- Peter Westlake)

Etobicoke 5 (WP- Andrew Hyde) vs Niagara 2 (LP- Alex Tufts)

Leaside 6 (LP- Mark Blanchard) vs Brampton 11 (WP- Brandon Habibi)

Oakville 4 (WP- Mike Reagen) vs Burlington 2 (LP- Jordan Rienzo)

 

SUNDAY

 

Semi-Finals

 

Brampton 5 (LP- Brad McLaughlin) vs. East York 7 (WP- Quinn Cumming)

Etobicoke 12 (WP- Andrew Perryman) vs. Oakville 2 (LP- Marc Walton)

 

Finals

Etobicoke 12 (LP- Bryan Vardzel) vs. East York 13 (WP- Quinn Cumming)

 

2015 VAUGHAN CHAMPIONS- East York Bulldogs

 

(A special thanks to Thornhill manager Nolan Revin for providing scores and updates throughout the weekend; especially in the playoff rounds)

 

The Tecumseh Junior Thunder were very impressive in a 5-0 weekend, en route to winning the 2015 Lakeside tournament. The Juniors beat Erindale 13-2, East York (the number one ranked team coming into the weekend) 4-2, and Sarnia 9-3, before disposing of Etobicoke 9-6 and Michigan 12-2 in the finals. Shane Courtney had the win in the team's opening game, and pitched them to a win in the finals as well.

The Michigan Area Braves were impressive in their own right, beating Guelph 2-1, Lakeside 12-1 and Etobicoke 7-5. They then beat Erindale 11-9, Leaside in the semis 8-0, and then lost in the championship game.

Overall, it was a pretty bad showing for most of Ontario's senior teams: Etobicoke and Leaside did well to get to the semi-finals. Tecumseh went 3-0 in round robin play before losing by a run to Etobicoke. Erindale went 2-1 and made the playoff round, before losing to Michigan. The big shocker was East York and Mississauga going a combined 1-5. Both teams were ranked in the top 3 coming in.

Congratulations to the Tecumseh Junior Thunder on a great weekend, and showing the seniors how it's done.

 

Friday

Etobicoke 9 (WP- Andrew Hyde) vs Lakeside 0

Erindale 2 (LP- Andrew Mullin) vs Thunder JR 13 (WP- Shane Courtney)

Ilderton 0 (LP- John Ambrose) vs Tecumseh 6 (WP- Tyler Gauthier)

St. Thomas 1 vs Mississauga 6 (WP- Billy Hurley)

Oakville 7 (WP- Mike Vanderlaan) vs Exeter 0

Guelph 1 vs Michigan 2

Milton 2 (LP- Dave Todoschuk) vs Leaside 9 (WP- Sean Kavanaugh)

Sarnia 5 (WP- Nick Baljeu) vs East York 4 (LP- Myles Swartz)

 

Saturday 

Erindale 5 (WP- Dan Estey) vs Sarnia 4 (LP- Mike Damchuk)

Guelph 5 vs Etobicoke 7 (WP- Kevin Breitner)

Milton 0 (LP- Ian Zettle) vs Exeter 1

St. Thomas 6 vs Ilderton 3

Tecumseh JR 4 (WP- Johnny Roehler) vs East York 2 (LP- Dave Anderson)

Lakeside 1 vs Michigan 12

Oakville 4 (LP- Mark Tourangeau) vs Leaside 10 (WP- Mark Blanchard)

Mississauga 7 (LP- James Byrnes) vs Tecumseh 11 (WP- Eric Carducci)

Erindale 4 (WP- Mike Morely) vs East York 3 (LP- Jerome Werniuk)

Etobicoke 5 (LP- Adam McBride) vs Michigan 7

Milton 14 (WP- Steve Jablonski) vs Oakville 12 (LP- Curtis Braun)

Tecumseh 7 (WP- Alex Murphy) vs St. Thomas 4

Thunder JR 9 (WP- Noah Pickering) vs Sarnia 3 (LP- Tristan Buntrock)

Lakeside L vs Guelph W

Exeter 4 vs Leaside 6 (WP- Josh Howsam)

Ilderton 6 vs Mississauga 4 (LP- Kyle Porter)

 

Sunday

Quarter-Finals

1. Thunder Jr (Bye)

2. Leaside (Bye)

3. Tecumseh vs 6. Etobicoke

4. Michigan vs 5. Erindale

 

Tecumseh 4 (LP- Brandon Lindquist) vs Etobicoke 5 (WP- Kyle Breitner)

Michigan 11 vs Erindale 9 (LP- Dan Estey)

 

Semi-Finals

Thunder JR 9 (WP- Chris Horwood) vs Etobicoke 6 (LP- Kyle Angelow)

Michigan 8 vs Leaside 0 (WP- Chris Novachis)

 

Finals

Thunder JR 12 (WP- Shane Courtney) vs Michigan 2

 

2015 LAKESIDE CHAMPIONS- TECUMSEH THUNDER JUNIORS

 

Next weekend is the biggest senior baseball showcase outside of the Eliminations. The weekend promises to feature great baseball, some great teams, and a good precursor to the provincials.

 

 

 

The Windsor Stars won their first Hap Walters since 2011, with a 5-0 finish this weekend. In round robin play, they beat the Brampton Royals, Ilderton Red Army and Thornhill Reds. The dominant performance netted them the second seed, and a bye directly into the semifinals. They took on rival Mississauga SW, and disposed of them 5-2 in the semis, before breezing through Niagara in the finals, 9-3.

The Metros reached the final on the strength of a dominant performance of their own in round robin action. They beat the Lakeside Lizards, Windsor A's and Newmarket Hawks. They ultimately won themselves the first seed. In the semis, they beat East York in dramatic fashion. After blowing a 2-0 lead in the top of the 7th, they found themselves down 3-2 and facing elimination in the bottom of the 7th. Dave Davidson delivered a walk-off 2-run home run, and the Metros were in the finals. The finals didn't bring the result they were looking for, but the Metros had a good weekend nonetheless. 

This weekend featured all of the best teams in Ontario, minus Leaside and Tecumseh. The Windsor Stars were the story, showing that rumours of their demise were greatly exaggerated. They had a big weekend at an opportune time, and they appear poised to reclaim their throne as the top-dog in the province. Congratulations to Ron Smith and his Windsor Stars.

 

 

Friday

Etobicoke 5 (WP- Bryan Vardzel) vs. Burlington 0 (LP- Trevor Woodjetts)

Thornhill 1 (LP- Jeremiah Groulx) vs. St. Thomas 13 (WP- Matt Smith) * 5-inning no-hitter

Erindale 5 (WP- Mike Morely) vs. Milton 3 (LP- Jeremy MacDonald) (8 innings)

Oakville 2 (LP- Mike Vanderlaan) vs. Brampton 5 (WP- Mike Burke)

Niagara 4 (WP- Justin Ayles) vs. WAA 2 (LP- Jeff Parker)

Mississauga 4 (WP- Paul McKenna) vs. Strathroy 1 (LP- Tyler Annett)

Ilderton 0 (LP- Jamie Mann) vs. Windsor 6 (WP- Skylar Janisse)

Pickering 4 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli) vs. East York 8 (WP- Jake Gallo)

Newmarket 5 (WP- Victor Simon) vs. Lakeside 4 (LP- Kyle Sterling)

 

Saturday

Etobicoke 0 (LP- Andrew Hyde) vs. Strathroy 1 (WP- Matt Cook)

Mississauga 0 (LP- Billy Hurley) vs. East York 2 (WP- Dave Anderson)

Brampton 2 (LP- Joe Ferreira) vs. Windsor 4 (WP- Dane Little)

Oakville 1 (LP- Marc Walton) vs. St. Thomas 8 (WP- Kyle Zimmer)

Milton 7 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. WAA 2 (Max Saad)

Erindale 5 (WP- Ian Bala) vs. Lakeside 2 (LP- Rob Gates)

Burlington 9 (WP- Cam McKnight) vs. Stathroy 1 (LP- Robert Ramsdale)

Pickering 2 (LP- Mark Cheeseman) vs. Mississauga 4 (WP- Jordan Petruska)

Lakeside 0 (LP- Jonathan Owen) vs. Niagara 8 (WP- Alex Tufts)

Milton 0 vs. Newmarket 7 (WP- Brad Crone)

Windsor 11 (WP- Jason Lauzon) vs. Thornhill 1 (LP- Chadwick Cameron)

Ilderton 4 (WP- John Ambrose) vs. Oakville 2 (LP- Matt Reagan)

Newmarket 1 (LP- Brent Heaslip) vs. Niagara 4 (WP- Jordan Bray)

Etobicoke 4 (WP- Adam McBride) vs. East York 3 (LP- Quinn Cumming)

Thornhill 12 (WP- Daniel Lehmkuhl) vs. Ilderton 4 (LP- Marc Addison)

Burlington 3 (LP- Cam Ryerson) vs. Pickering 8 (WP- Peter Nash)

Erindale 2 (LP- Andrew Mullin) vs. WAA 4

Brampton 10 (WP- Brandon Habibi) vs. St. Thomas 7 (LP- Matt Bowden)

 

Sunday

Quarterfinals

#3. Etobicoke 2 (LP- Kyle Breitner) vs. #6. East York 9 (WP- Andrew Ziedens)

#4. Mississauga 14 vs. #5. Newmarket 3 (LP- Alex Bruce)

 

Semifinals

#1. Niagara 4 (WP- Dave Davidson) vs. #6. East York 3 (LP- Quinn Cumming)

#2. Windsor 5 (WP- Steve Teno) vs. #4. Mississauga 2 (LP- Kyle Porter)

 

Finals

Windsor Stars 9 (WP- Chris Renaud) vs. Niagara Metros 3 (LP- Geoff Strong)

 

2015 HAP WALTERS TOURNAMENT CHAMPS - Windsor Stars

 

 

 

 

Round One

1. Etobicoke 9 (WP- Kyle Angelow, HR- Ryan Panas) vs. Martingrove 0 (LP- Adam Frydman)

2. Milton 3 (LP- Justin Volpato) vs. East York 16 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Brian MacDonald)

3. Kingston 2 (LP- Brandyn Agnew) vs. Brampton 7 (WP- Mike Burke)

- the Royals blew open a 2-2 game late

4. Burlington 0 (LP- Trevor Woodjetts) vs. Windsor 8 (WP- Skylar Janisse)

5. Niagara 17 (WP- Justin Ayles, HR- Dave Davidson, Taylor Anderson) vs. Ilderton 2 (LP- Jamie Mann)

- Metros scored 11 in the first and didn't look back

6. Thornhill 1 (LP- Chadwick Cameron) vs. Newmarket 2 (WP- Victor Simon)

- the Hawks scored a late run to win a thriller

7. Leaside 5 (LP- Brad Grieveson) vs. Strathroy 14 (WP- Matt Cook)

8. Erindale 5 (WP- Mike Morely) vs. WAA 4 (LP- Jeff Parker)

- WAA scored four runs in the 7th to make it interesting

9. Mississauga 5 (WP- Paul McKenna) vs. Bolton 2 (LP- Daryl Bond)

10. Pickering 5 (WP- Patrick Vecchiarelli) vs. Oakville 1 (LP- Mike Vanderlaan)

- the Red Sox scored four runs in the 7th to break the collective hearts of the A's

11. Sarnia 0 (LP- Mike Damchuk) vs. Tecumseh 6 (WP- Tyler Gauthier)

 

Round Two (BYES: Martingrove and Etobicoke)

12. Milton 2 (WP- Jeremy McDonald) vs. Kingston 0 (LP- Derek Howe)

- the Red Sox scored two late runs to win a pitchers duel

13. Burlington 7 (WP- Cam McKnight) vs. Ilderton 5 (LP- John Ambrose)

14. Thornhill 5 (WP- Daniel Lehmkuhl) vs. Leaside 1 (LP- Andrew Morales)

- the first big upset of the weekend as the Reds controlled the entire game

15. WAA 3 vs. Bolton 4 (WP- Zack Riddell)

16. Oakville 5 (WP- Gord Robertson) vs. Sarnia 2 (LP- Nick Baljeu)

17. East York 7 (LP- Quinn Cumming, HR- Brian MacDonald, Kyle Fillier) vs. Brampton 8 (WP- Ryan Thompson)

- the Royals won a back-and-forth affair, stunning the Bulldogs

18. Windsor 0 (LP- Steve Teno) vs. Niagara 1 (WP- Robert Nixon)

19. Newmarket 2 (LP- Brad Crone) vs. Strathroy 5 (WP- Tom Couchie, HR- Taylor Castrillo)

20. Erindale 0 (LP- Brendan Fox) vs. Mississauga 6 (WP- Billy Hurley)

21. Pickering 0 (LP- Mark Cheeseman) vs. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Tylr Lawrence)

 

Round Three (BYE: Pickering)

22. Martingrove 2 (LP- Mike Bannon) vs. Milton 3 (WP- Ian Zettle)

23. Burlington 8 (WP- Jordan Rienzo) vs. Thornhill 7 (LP- Lee Choiniere)

24. Bolton 1 (LP- Andrew White) vs. Oakville 4 (WP- Matt Reagan)

25. East York 0 (LP- Jeff Gibbs) vs. Windsor 1 (WP- Jason Lauzon)

- the Bulldogs' weekend ends a lot earlier than most thought. Too many one-run losses in big games.

26. Newmarket 12 (WP- Brent Heaslip) vs. Erindale 0 (LP- Andrew Mullen)

- Heaslip allowed just one hit while rolling to the victory

27. Etobicoke 13 (WP- Andrew Hyde) vs. Brampton 10 (LP- Brad McLaughlin)

28. Niagara 5 (LP- Jordan Bray) vs. Strathroy 12 (WP- Robert Ramsdale)

- the Royals scored nine times in the first inning.

29. Mississauga 7 (WP- Jordan Petruska) vs. Tecumseh 6 (LP- Jesse Carriere)

- the Twins came back from two different deficits, including a last inning walk off win

 

Round Four (BYES: Mississauga and Tecumseh)

30. Milton 11 (WP- Liam Tennant) vs. Burlington 4 (LP- Tim Sogan)

31. Oakville 0 (LP- Marc Walton) vs. Windsor 10 (WP- Dane Little, HR- Cam Goddard)

32. Newmarket 6 (LP- Matt Laise) vs. Pickering 9 (WP- Brad Binns)

33. Brampton 0 (LP- Joe Ferreira) vs. Niagara 9 (WP- Alex Tufts)

34. Etobicoke 5 (WP- Adam McBride) vs. Strathroy 3 (LP- Dylan Little, HR- Mitch Roy)

 

Round Five

35. Milton 9 (LP- Ian Zettle) vs. Windsor 14 (WP- Steve Teno, HR- Cam Goddard (2))

36. Pickering 3 (LP- Peter Nash) vs. Niagara 6 (WP- Geoff Strong, HR- Dave Davidson)

37. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Brandon Lindquist, HR- Dale Kryway) vs. Strathroy 1 (LP- Tyler Annett)

38. Etobicoke 7 (WP- Kyle Breitner) vs. Mississauga 2 (LP- Eric Ventura)

 

Round Six

Windsor, Niagara, Etobicoke, Mississauga, Tecumseh

BYE: Windsor Stars

39. Tecumseh 6 (WP- Joel Pierce, HR- Paul Lamantia) vs. Etobicoke 3 (LP- Kyle Breitner)

40. Mississauga 10 (WP- Paul McKenna, HR- Brendan Emmett) vs. Niagara 7 (LP- Brandon Beattie, HR- Jordan Grant)

 

Round Seven

41. Tecumseh Thunder 4 (WP- Alex Murphy) vs. Windsor Stars 3 (LP- Chris Renaud)

- the Thunder were hitless through five, before scoring a run in the top of 6, then three to both tie and go ahead in the top of 7. 

42. Mississauga SW Twins 6 (WP- Jordan Petruska) vs. Etobicoke Rangers 0 (LP- Andrew Perryman)

- the Rangers were never really in this contest.

 

Round Eight

43. Tecumseh Thunder 4 (WP- Brandon Lindquist) vs. Mississauga SW Twins 0 (LP- Billy Hurley)

- the Thunder repeat as Ontario champions. They beat the Twins last year in the finals too. This was the third straight year both of these teams have met in the finals. They are now 4-4 against each other in the last three years, and they are legitimate rivals.

 

2015 SENIOR ELIMINATION CHAMPIONS - TECUMSEH THUNDER

2015 SENIOR ELIMS MVP - Brandon Lindquist, Tecumseh Thunder 

 

1. Tecumseh Thunder

Back-to-back. It came in unlikely fashion, but they got it done. They lost two of you  best pitchers in the province from last year's championship team, but they replaced them with an ex-pro and an up-and-coming ace. They had relative unknowns on the staff, but they all proved to be very good. They'll continue to get players from their accomplished junior team, and they're going to be tough to beat for a long time.

2. Mississauga Southwest Twins

The Twins made the finals for the third time and four years. They are right there with Tecumseh as the best teams in the province. This year was supposed to be wide open, and they were right there again. It's too bad there is only one team going from Ontario, because they definitely deserve another trip to the nationals.

3. Windsor Stars

They had one bad year, and that was last year. They are back, and they will continue to be a force, with the pitching staff they have. They were literally one out from a trip to the finals, where they would have had a good chance to establish supremacy once again. They'll be around for a while, and they've done a nice job retooling after losing Boussey, Carter and Picco. Speaking of Picco, he was rumoured to be the finals starter, so you'd have to think their late-inning collapse really cost them the title. 

3. Etobicoke Rangers

They had an easy go at it at the start, but then reeled off wins against really good teams. It really is too bad they didn't have Brett Sanders. He's a difference-maker. In addition to that, when you expect to have a guy like Connor Panas in the fold, and to a lesser extent, Brent Cleland- it hurts when you realize how much they could have helped. They're a couple of pitchers short, and if that can be addressed, then they can get used to playing on Mondays.

5. Niagara Metros

There are a lot of people that felt this year was going to be different for the Metros. However, it turned out to be much of the same. This is something that they do year in and year out; they win games, and they get deep into Sunday. At this point, it's time to just celebrate the fact that they are one of the best teams in the province, and that they can be counted on to be around come Sunday. There is absolutely nothing wrong with being one of the best. In fact, they were a 50/50 shot at a bye from still being in this thing. On the flip side, it's time to also accept that they may not be as good as the teams that win this thing year in and year out.

6. Milton Red Sox

The fact that they were still around on Sunday was a surprise. The fact that they got there by beating Kingston, Martingrove and Burlington, was not a surprise. But the fact that they were so close to pulling off a huge upset against Windsor was a shocker. Credit goes out to George Moore for continuing to find decent talent in an area that has way too much competition. Having Matt Lahn this weekend could have really helped them in that slugfest against the Stars.

6. Pickering Red Sox

This weekend confirmed a lot about the GTBL. It isn't very competitive anymore, and that's just a fact. The Red Sox saved the league from complete embarrassment, or maybe they didn't. They had just two wins (Oakville and Newmarket), and a bye, to get this far in the tournament. Had the draw worked out differently, I don't think they would have been around so late in the tournament. 

6. Strathroy Royals

They had a pretty difficult draw, having to play Leaside, Newmarket, Niagara, Etobicoke and Tecumseh. No team had a draw that difficult, and they were able to make it to one game away from the final five. They made it to the final five last year, and they are proving to be a very consistent team. Some might question how good they are, but that can be put to rest. They are one of a handful of teams that has a realistic chance at winning this thing. Adding a couple more pitchers to their already solid pitching staff, can really put them on the same level as Tecumseh and Mississauga SW.

9. Brampton Royals

They made some noise, beating East York in round two, before getting destroyed by Etobicoke and Niagara. They are what they are: a pesky offensive team that can put up runs on anybody, and a subpar pitching team. Their junior team is still around in the junior elims, and hopefully for their sake, they have some good pitchers coming through their system. This current staff is just not good enough.

9. Newmarket Hawks 

Most of their success seems to be from intangible things, because they're not supposed to be making it to Sunday every year. They'll likely always be a team that will be in the mix on Sunday (and in some cases Monday). They need more pitching, and it will be interesting to see if they care to address it, or if they are content being an above average team. Not having Dan Telford definitely hurt their offence.

9. Burlington Brants

A couple of wins (Thornhill and Ilderton), and a couple of losses (Milton and Windsor). There was nothing too overly noteworthy about the results of their games, and that is the team they are. They're good enough to beat teams, but not good enough to do it consistently, and throughout this grueling weekend. They have been mired in mediocrity for a very long time, and there is nothing that indicates that will ever change.

9. Oakville A's

This is a decent team on paper, but way too inconsistent to be counted on to do anything. They beat Sarnia and Bolton in games they should have won, and they lost to Pickering and Windsor. The Pickering loss was a tough one to rebound from, giving up runs late to lose it. They have good pieces all over the field, but probably need some more pitching and a couple more bats. Alex Hawley will be hard-pressed to do that this off season.

13. Erindale Cardinals

They've gone from a team that could erupt for double-digits at any time, to a team that can't hit, overnight. They've always been an older team, and they've done a good job getting a bit younger. Unfortunately, that hasn't made them a better team. They do have some interesting pitching pieces, but none that can be counted on for consistency quite yet. Maybe that will change soon.

13. East York Bulldogs

I really don't know what's more of a shocker: East York going home in round three, or Leaside going home in round two. The Bulldogs didn't get a chance to show off their pitching depth this weekend, losing to Brampton by a run in round two, and losing 1-0 to Windsor. They lost a lot of one-run games in tournaments this season. You'd think some of them would go their way, but the fact that none of them did has got to be a cause for concern. While it's great beating up on Martingrove and Bolton, there's going to come times where it's not that easy to win a game, and execution is going to have to get it done in key moments. They didn't do it all year long, and that's got to be frustrating- because the talent is there.

13. Thornhill Reds

The Reds had the first real shocker of the weekend, sending Leaside home in round two. They have been gutted of their talent over the last couple of years, and they were not a realistic bet to win this thing. They lost two very tough games though, losing late to Newmarket and Burlington. While they're capable of pulling off wins against anyone, eventually they'll have to turn to pitchers who just don't measure up to their opponents. And that wasn't going to get it done. They seem to have a new roster every year, and it will be interesting to see what they do in the off season. 

13. Bolton Brewers

They put up a good fight against both Mississauga SW and Oakville, and won a game against WAA. That's pretty much what they can be expected to do in this tournament. 

17. Martingrove White Sox

In the tournament preview, I commended the coaching staff for being able to field teams, and get guys to play. I meant every word of it. Enough is enough though. They shouldn't be in this tournament. Each game they play, serves as a bye for the team lucky enough to draw them, and that's bad for the tournament.

18. Leaside Leafs

What a difference a year makes. Last season, they were one inning away from making the nationals, and this season their weekend was over before they knew what happened. While their offence is as dangerous as anyone, they lost pitching from last year, and didn't do enough to replace it. Brad Grieveson is good, but after him, they were going to be hard-pressed to match up with teams. They aren't young, and they don't have great pitching. They are going to have to address both of those areas in the off season.

18. WAA

There is no way they can be expected to do anything of significance in this tournament. They were definitely battle tested, playing in the tough Can-Am League, but they don't have enough talent to win; especially when all of their best players leave to go play for the Windsor Stars and Tecumseh Thunder.

18. Sarnia Braves

The Braves were not able to overcome injuries to Justin Randall and James Grant. All teams battle injuries at this time of the year, and it's obvious they don't have the depth to overcome such a thing. People rave about Mike Damchuk, In addition to him, Nick Baljeu is above average, but they were going to be hard-pressed to win games without the pair on the hill anyways. They made a nice run a couple of years ago, and that might have been the ceiling for them. They're still young though, so let's see how they develop.

18. Ilderton Red Army

2010 seems like such a long time ago. That's when the Red Army came out of nowhere to make it to the nationals, and they are still hanging on to a thread, for having that season as a reputation. That thread is very, very slim right about now, because quite frankly, they have been terrible since. Jordan Townshend and Jeff Newnes were key pitchers in their 2010 run, and with the injured pair, there was going to be no way they had a shot this season.

18. Kingston Ponies

After a brief hiatus, they came back thinking things would be different this time around. They lost two games that were tied in the sixth innings, so obviously they could have won both games. The fact is, they lost them both, and they had as easy of a schedule (on paper), as any team; and the two losses are very telling.

 

 

The Thornhill Reds lost their opening game 5-4 to Strathroy, but went on to run the table the rest of the way, on their way to winning the 2016 Vaughan Vikings tournament. 

The Reds beat Newmarket 7-6 in the finals, after beating Ilderton 15-5 in the semi-finals. They beat Pickering and Ilderton in round-robin play, and beat Burlington in the quarter-finals. Coach Nolan Revin seemed to pull the right strings all weekend long, and a big hats-off goes to him and his Thornhill Reds team.

The Hawks were also very impressive this weekend, beating East York and Oakville in round-robin play, and losing to Burlington. They had a very tough road to the finals, having to get by Strathroy and Etobicoke, in order to get there. They came up one run short, but it was a very impressive weekend nonetheless.

 

Etobicoke 3 (WP- Vardzel) vs Erindale 1 (LP- Forsey)

Leaside 1 (LP- Toribo) vs Bolton 5 (WP- Barwick)

Erindale 11 (WP- Mullen) vs Bolton 2 (LP- DiTartano)

Leaside 3 (LP- Tomlinson) vs Etobicoke 4 (WP- Asta)

Leaside 6 (LP- Coatsworth) vs Erindale 10

Etobicoke 6 (WP- Rose) vs Bolton 0 (LP- White)

 

 

Oakville 2 (LP- Robertson) vs Burlington 9 (WP- Colling)

Newmarket 6 (WP- Simon) vs East York 4 (LP- Gallo)

East York 3 (LP- Ziedens) vs Oakville 15 (WP- Reagan)

Burlington 9 (WP- Ryerson) vs Newmarket 3 (LP- Heaslip)

Newmarket 10 (WP- Fedrigo)  vs Oakville 4 (LP- Walton)

East York 13 (WP- Cumming) vs Burlington 3 (LP- Ellis)

 

 

Ilderton 1 (WP- Townshend) vs Brampton 0 (LP- Ferreira)

Thornhill 4 (LP- Cameron) vs Strathroy 5 (WP- Annett)

Vaughan 0 vs Pickering 10 (WP- Cheeseman)

Thornhill 14 (WP- Sutton) vs Pickering 6 (LP- Binns)

Vaughan 3 vs Ilderton 4 (WP- Labine)

Strathroy 12 (WP- M Cook) vs Brampton 0 (LP- Burke)

Vaughan 6 vs Strathroy 9

Thornhill 7 (WP- Appel) vs Ilderton 6

Pickering 7 (WP- Horsley) vs Brampton 3 (LP- Reid)

 

QF

Thornhill 9 (WP- Oshima) vs. Burlington 7 (LP- Rienzo)

Newmarket 5 (WP- Crone) vs. Strathroy 1

Etobicoke 6 vs. Pickering 4 (LP- Slemko)

Ilderton 5 (WP- Lumley) vs. Erindale 1 (LP- Estey)

 

SF

Thornhill 15 (WP- Appel) vs. Ilderton 5 (LP- Smith)

Newmarket 12 (WP- Bruce) vs. Etobicoke 4 (LP- Breitner)

 

Finals

Thornhill 7 (WP- Presutti) vs. Newmarket 6 (LP- Aida)

 

2016 VAUGHAN TOURNAMENT CHAMPS - THORNHILL REDS

 

Friday

Ilderton 0 (LP- Leo Labine) vs. Milton 6 (WP - Damian Clarke)

Sarnia 7 (WP- Mike Damchuk) vs. Thunder Jr. 5 

Mississauga SW 16 (WP- Billy Martin) vs. Martingrove 0 (LP- JP Cultrera)

St. Thomas Jr. 2  vs. Tecumseh 9 (WP- Joel Pierce)

Michigan Collegiate 8 vs. Erindale 3 (LP- Dan Estey)

Vaughan 7 vs. Oakville 14

Michigan Braves 5 vs. Niagara 3 (LP- Dylan Perego)

 

Saturday

Vaughan 5 vs. Ilderton 6

Milton 2 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. Thunder Jr. 0

St. Thomas Jr. 13 vs. Oakville 10

Mississauga SW 7 vs. Michigan Braves 6

Erindale 1 vs. Tecumseh 5 (WP- Chris Horvath)

Michigan Collegiate 6 vs. Niagara 2

St. Thomas Jr. 3 vs. Vaughan 4

Ilderton 7 vs. Mississauga SW 8

Milton 2 (LP- Liam Tennant) vs. Sarnia 8 (WP- Nick Baljeu)

Thunder Jr. 3 vs. Niagara 7

Michigan Braves 4 vs. Tecumseh 12 (WP- Cody Seremack)

Erindale 7 (WP- Andrew Mullin) vs. Martingrove 1 (LP- Adam Frydman)

Oakville 3 vs. Michigan Collegiate 6

Sarnia 3 (LP- Wade Babula) vs. Martingrove 6 (WP- Mike Bannon)

 

Sunday

QF

#3 Mississauga SW 8 (WP- Tomas Rincon) vs. #6 Niagara 7 (LP- Justin Ayles)

#4 Milton 8 (WP- Justin Volpato) vs. #5 Sarnia 0 (LP- Anthony Shepherd)

SF

#1 Tecumseh 5 (WP- Brandon Lindquist) vs. Milton (LP- Damian Clarke)

#2 Michigan Collegiate 13 vs. Mississauga SW 5 (LP- Tomas Rincon)

F

Tecumseh 9 (WP- Eric Carducci) vs. Michigan Collegiate 4

 

2016 LAKESIDE TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS - TECUMSEH THUNDER

 

 

 

 

The East York Bulldogs took home the 2016 Hap Walters crown, taking down a star-studded Sunday. The Bulldogs went 3-0 in round-robin play, beating Milton 10-6, Guelph 6-3 and Burlington 9-3. They then ran the table on Sunday, beating Pickering 9-6, Niagara 7-0 and Windsor in the finals, 8-4. The Bulldogs came into the tournament having reeled off 12-straight GTBL games, and extended their streak to a ridiculous 18 consecutive games now. The Bulldogs showcased their offensive prowess and pitching depth, and finally translated all the paper-talent to a meaningful tournament victory. They're peaking at the right time, and they've officially arrived as a true big three, joining Tecumseh and Mississauga SW as the Eliminations favourites.

 

Take-Aways From This Weekend:

 

Top Dogs

Windsor Stars - the Stars finished second in the tournament, after going 2-1 in round-robin action, squeezing in to Sunday as the six-seed. They then beat Etobicoke and Mississauga SW to make the finals, but ultimately fell short. There's no secret that the Stars aren't the dominant force they were when they had John Picco, Steve Carter, Brad Boussey, etc. but Coach Ron Smith is very very good at using his pitchers wisely and making sure the Stars are always a threat.

Mississauga SW Twins - the Twins were one out away from booking a ticket to the finals, but fell victim to a comeback win at the hands of the Stars. The Twins went 3-0 in round-robin before losing to Windsor. Sure, losing Sean Bignall's bat was a tough blow to this team, but their pitching depth is still almost unmatched. They have the experience and the proven track record, and they're a top-three team in the province. These guys are still as good as they have ever been.

 

Outside Looking In

Niagara Metros - the Metros were very impressive in round-robin play, but lost to East York in the semis. Justin Ayles, Geoff Strong and Dylan Perego will give them a shot to win games, but they're in big trouble after that. They don't have the pitching depth, and that will likely be their downfall. They're still a tough out against anyone, but they're just not at the level of the top-three (EY, MSW, Tecumseh).

Etobicoke Rangers - the Rangers beat WAA, Erindale and St. Thomas in round-robin action, before losing convincingly to Windsor. That's just one game, but with their horse on the hill, the game was over after the first innings. It's looking like their 1-3 record against Mississauga this season says a lot more about them than their 18-3 overall league record. There's no debating they're a good team, but when you stack them up against the big-three in the province, they fall short.

Strathroy Royals - it seems like the Royals show up to SWBL games, and the game is over once they get into the parking lot. They've been unable to translate league success into province-wide success. Maybe that's good for some teams, but for a team that's supposed to be able to beat anybody, that's not good enough. All that said, they have a very good pitching staff, and are able to shut anybody down. However, no runs in 42 innings on Saturday is not a good look.

Thornhill Reds - at the end of the day, they're a win against Oakville away from playing on Sunday. That being said, their pitching depth is an issue that will likely hurt them when it counts the most. They have a good hitting team (which didn't really show this weekend), but that alone won't get them through the grind of the Eliminations. They're good, but not elite.

Newmarket Hawks - the Hawks went 2-1 and failed to make Sunday by the narrowest of margins. This is probably the most consistent and easily predictable team in the province. They show up to every tournament and they compete. It doesn't matter who they do or do not have there, who is or isn't pitching for them, or who they are playing. They're going to be in every game, and they're going to fight like hell, but ultimately fall short.

Pickering Red Sox - the Red Sox were an inning away from a bye into the semi-finals, but ultimately lost to Mississauga SW and had to play East York in the quarter-finals. They're not an elite team, but like Newmarket, they seem to be in the mix in every tournament. That's a testament to their veteran leadership, their half-decent pitching depth and their pretty good hitting. The problem is that they seem to be just good enough at everything, but not dominant enough in any one thing to carry them. 

 

Friday

Mississauga SW 20 vs Guelph Jr. 1

East York 10 (WP - Jeff Gibbs) vs. Milton 6 (LP - Damian Clarke)

Newmarket 13 (WP - Victor Simon) vs. Brampton 2 (LP - Mike Burke)

Pickering 4 (WP - Brad Binns) vs. Burlington 1 (LP - Cam Ryerson)

Etobicoke 10 (WP - Andrew Hyde) vs. Erindale 4 (LP - Ian Bala)

Thornhill 4 (LP - Joe Presutti) vs. Oakville 13 (WP - Matt Reagan)

Niagara 10 (WP - Justin Ayles *no-hitter) vs. St. Thomas Jr. 0

WAA 0 vs. Strathroy 10

Ilderton 0 vs. Windsor 11

 

Saturday

Strathroy 0 (LP - Tyler Annett) vs. Erindale 3 (WP - Brendan Fox)

Milton 4 (WP - Ian Zettle) vs. Guelph Jr. 0

Thornhill 2 (WP - Josh Appel) vs. Brampton 1 (LP - Joe Ferreira)

Mississauga SW 20 (WP - Eric Ventura) vs. Burlington 1 (LP - Ryan Colling)

WAA 3 (LP - Cody Gillis) vs. Etobicoke 5 (WP - Bryan Vardzel)

Strathroy 0 (LP - Matt Cook) vs. Niagara 5 (WP - Dylan Perego)

East York 6 (WP - Andrew Ziedens) vs. Guelph Jr. 3

Windsor 1 (LP - Adam Myers) vs. Brampton 5 (WP - Riley Pollard)

Thornhill 5 (WP - Chadwick Cameron) vs. Newmarket 4 (LP - Mark West)

St. Thomas Jr. 0 vs. Etobicoke 14 (WP - Gary Rose)

Niagara 8 (WP - Geoff Strong) vs. WAA 1

East York 9 (WP - Mark Sikorski) vs. Burlington 3

Windsor 13 vs. Oakville 3

Newmarket 4 (WP - Ryan Fedrigo) vs. Ilderton 2

St. Thomas Jr. 0 vs. Erindale 10 (WP - Andrew Mullin)

Milton 1 (LP - Liam Tennant) vs. Pickering 6 (WP - Patrick Vecchiarelli)

Ilderton 2 vs. Oakville 12

Mississauga SW 4 (WP - Paul McKenna) vs. Pickering 3

 

Pool A

Windsor 2-1, 8 RA; Newmarket 2-1, 9 RA; Thornhill 2-1, 18 RA; Oakville 2-1, 19 RA; Brampton 1-2, 16 RA; Ilderton 0-3, 57 RA.

Pool B

Niagara 3-0, 1 RA; Etobicoke 3-0, 7 RA; Erindale 2-1, 10 RA; Strathroy 1-2, 8 RA; WAA 0-3, 23 RA; St. Thomas 0-3, 34 RA.

Pool C

Mississauga 3-0, 5 RA; East York 3-0, 12 RA; Pickering 2-1, 6 RA; Milton 1-2, 16 RA; Guelph 0-3, 30 RA; Burlington 0-3, 33 RA.

 

Quarter-Finals

#3 Etobicoke 1 (LP - Kyle Breitner) vs #6 Windsor 10 (WP - Steve Teno)

#4 East York 9 (WP - Dave Anderson) vs #5 Pickering 6

 

Semi-Finals

#1 Niagara 0 (LP - Brandon Beattie) vs. East York 7 (WP - Jake Gallo)

#2 Mississauga SW 4 (LP - Billy Hurley) vs. Windsor 6 (WP - Adam Myers)

 

Finals

East York 8 (WP - Jeff Gibbs) vs. Windsor 4 (LP - Matt Rustulka)

 

2016 HAP WALTERS CHAMPIONS - EAST YORK BULLDOGS

 

 

 

 

ROUND ONE (BYE: Brampton)

 

1.       Oakville (Gord Robertson) 4 vs. Etobicoke (Andrew Hyde) 6

2.       Burlington (Ryan Colling) 7 vs. Martingrove (Adam Frydman) 3

3.       Bolton (Andrew White) 1 vs. Windsor (Chris Renaud) 8

4.       Strathroy (Matt Cook) 2 vs. Newmarket (Victor Simon) 4

5.       Pickering (Mark Cheeseman) 4 vs. WAA (Jeff Parker) 3

6.       Niagara (Dylan Perego) 1 vs. Ilderton (Jordan Townshend) 3

7.       Tecumseh (Chris Horvath) 8 vs. Milton (Ian Zettle) 4

8.       Thornhill (Chadwick Cameron) 3 vs. Mississauga SW (Jordan Petruska) 5

9.       Leaside (Jorge Frugoni) 8 vs. Erindale (Brendan Fox) 5

10.   Sarnia (Mike Damchuk) 0 vs. East York (Jeff Gibbs) 2

 

ROUND TWO (BYE: Etobicoke)

 

11.   Oakville (Matt Reagan) 13 vs. Martingrove (Mike Bannon) 7

12.   Bolton (Zack Riddell) 1 vs. Strathroy (Brandyn Agnew) 7

13.   WAA (Cody Gillis) 2 vs. Niagara (Justin Ayles) 6

14.   Milton (Damian Clarke) 2 vs. Thornhill (Josh Appel) 7

15.   Erindale (Andrew Mullin) 9 vs. Sarnia (Nick Baljeu) 6

16.   Brampton (Mike Burke) 9 vs. Burlington (Cam Ryerson) 5

17.   Windsor (Adam Myers) 4 vs. Newmarket (Brad Crone) 2

18.   Pickering (Jordan Vecchiarelli) 10 vs. Ilderton (Leo LaBine) 2

19.   Tecumseh (Joel Pierce) 3 vs. Mississauga SW (Billy Hurley) 4

20.   Leaside (Andrew Morales) 3 vs. East York (Mark Sikorski) 4

 

ROUND THREE

 

21.   Oakville (Marc Walton) 3 vs. Strathroy (Robert Ramsdale) 9

22.   Niagara (Geoff Strong) 7 vs. Thornhill (Hunter Greenough) 4

23.   Erindale (Ian Bala) 10 vs. Burlington (Cam McKnight) 6

24.   Newmarket (Ryan Fedrigo) 5 vs. Ilderton 4

25.   Tecumseh (Brandon Lindquist) 4 vs. Leaside (Chris Goodale) 1

26.   Etobicoke (Adam McBride) 6 vs. Brampton (Joe Ferreira) 4

27.   Windsor (Dane Little) 3 vs. Pickering (Steve Horsley) 4

28.   Mississauga SW (Paul McKenna) 2 vs. East York (Dave Anderson) 1

 

ROUND FOUR (BYE: Mississauga SW)

 

29.   Strathroy (Jeff Loveys) 4 vs. Niagara (Brandon Beattie) 2

30.   Erindale (Dan Estey) 4 vs. Newmarket (Ryan Aida) 12

31.   Tecumseh (Cody Seremack) 13 vs. Brampton (Alex Reid) 2

32.   Windsor (Steve Teno) 5 vs. East York (Jake Gallo) 2

33.   Etobicoke (Bryan Vardzel) 3 vs. Pickering (Shaun Slemko) 2

 

ROUND FIVE

 

Remaining Teams:

Strathroy, Newmarket, Tecumseh, Windsor, Mississauga SW, Etobicoke, Pickering

 

36. Etobicoke (Kyle Breitner) 3 vs. Mississauga SW (Billy Martin) 5

 

Strathroy, Newmarket, Tecumseh, Windsor, Pickering draw for a bye

 

Things get a bit crazy here as we don’t know how byes and matchups will play out.

 

ROUND SIX

 

Remaining Teams (best guess):

Etobicoke, Mississauga SW, Windsor, Pickering, Tecumseh

 

ROUND SEVEN

 

Final Three (best guess):

Mississauga SW, Tecumseh, Etobicoke

 

Finals (best guess):

Mississauga SW over Tecumseh

 

 

Round 1:

 

BYE: Brampton Royals

 

The Royals have been decent over the last few years, but never good enough to be a legitimate threat. This year will likely be the same. They do have the advantage of a first-round bye and a winnable round two matchup; but whether they have the team capable of taking advantage of it remains to be seen.

 

Hitting: Rookie Patrick Pinlac has been a pleasant surprise, hitting .324 with 5 HR and 13 RBI. Marco DiRoma also continues to be a consistent force for the Royals, hitting .355 with a HR and 18 RBI.

 

Pitching: This is where they will struggle. They have no front-of-the rotation arms; just a collection of above-average pitchers. That typically doesn’t get it done this time of year.

 

Game One: Oakville A’s vs. Etobicoke Rangers

 

This game pits the best team in COBA (record-wise) against the worst.

 

Oakville – The A’s were an underrated team not too long ago, but that isn’t the case this year. They’ve struggled all season, and sit in the COBA basement at 6-16.

 

Hitting: They are still quite capable in this department. As a team, they’re hitting just under .300 and they are led by the .356/4HR/18RBI of Alex Kupchak and the .437/3HR/16RBI of Marc Walton.

 

Pitching: There are some ugly numbers up and down the pitching staff. They have a 7.45 ERA and 2.04 WHIP. Reliable guys like Gord Robertson and Marc Walton don’t appear to be the pitchers they once were, and that will be a problem.

 

Etobicoke – What a beat down the Rangers are putting on COBA. They’re 20-3 and are having one of the best seasons in team history. Quite frankly, that doesn’t mean a whole lot for a team that has big aspirations. The Rangers have had some good, young teams in recent years, and have had some favourable draws. This year is the same story. If they don’t take advantage of it, this will be a hugely disappointing season, whatever way you look at it. This is one of the deepest teams they’ve had, and they need to win... now! They made the semi-finals last year, and this team is better.

 

Hitting: When you’re hitting .331 as a team, there will be a lot of standouts. RBI-machine Ryan Panas and his .414/1HR/22RBI is about as good as it gets year-to-year. Mark Capone doesn’t seem to age, and he’s slashing .404/.522/.506. As a team, they have 168 BB to 136 K, and will be tough on any pitcher.

 

Pitching: They have about 5-6 arms they can rely on, plus a handful of other guys who can get the job done in spots. Kyle Breitner will likely be counted on for a couple of wins, and that has to happen if they want to win.

 

Game Two: Burlington Brants vs. Martingrove White Sox

 

Based on records, this game could quite possibly be the worst first-round matchup ever.

 

Burlington – The Brants have fallen from grace quickly. A team that was always a dark horse with the ability to beat anybody on any day have become an afterthought.

 

Martingrove – They already have more wins this year (three) than I thought they would have all year (zero).

 

Game Three: Bolton Brewers vs. Windsor Stars

 

Bolton – The Brewers made the shift full-time to the GTBL, and that hasn’t resulted in any success. They’re just 3-16 and are tied with Martingrove in the league basement. The Brewers have shown that they have the ability over the years to steal a game from a very good team, but this year, that doesn’t seem likely.

 

Hitting: If Brett Chater was on another team, he probably would be talked about more. But he plays for Bolton, so he’s not talked about more.

 

Pitching: Nobody really of note, but Trent Barwick somehow has two saves in their three wins.

 

Windsor – The Stars had a big weekend at the Hap, making it to the finals. The weekend put them steadily on the map as a serious contender for this Elims. History shows that they should be alive and kicking when all is said and done. They don’t have the pitching they once did, but they have one of the best hitting teams they have fielded in a while.

 

Hitting: Speaking of hitting, they’re hitting .337 primarily in a league known for pitching. Anthony Dufour has a robust .462 AVG and is a tough out near the top of the order. Steven Adam has really come on to establish himself as a premier hitter in the province, hitting .400/4HR/25RBI.

 

Pitching: This staff just isn’t quite the same anymore. Steve Teno carries the staff with a 2.14 ERA and 1.19 WHIP, but even those numbers are subpar for his standards. Despite the loss of big names, Ron Smith knows how to use his pitchers better than any other manager in Ontario.

 

Game Four: Strathroy Royals vs. Newmarket Hawks

 

In a first-round that features a lot of potential good games, this one could be one of the best. These are two very similar teams.

 

Strathroy – They run through their league almost every year, but this is another team with championship aspirations. SWBL domination doesn’t mean much without the dominant Elims results, especially for a team that can be so good. They were a win away from the final-five last year, and they’re hoping for more this year.

 

Hitting: Their offence really abandoned them at the Hap, and they are going to have to show up this weekend.

 

Pitching: Make no mistake about it; this team has one of the best pitching staffs in the province. In fact, you can argue that they have the best in Ontario. They’re going to have to show up and carry the team deep. They’re quite capable of it.

 

Newmarket – This is not a team anyone wants to play when it comes tournament time. There’s no secret to what they do. They don’t jump off the page with a star-studded roster, but they play good, solid baseball. They’ll be in almost every game, regardless of who they are playing.

 

Hitting: Troy McLoughlin is one of the best shortstops around, especially at the dish. He’s hitting .384/2HR/19RBI. Mark Petrou’s power bat is as good as ever, as evidenced by his .450/3HR/25RBI stat-line.

 

Pitching: After all these years, Victor Simon is still somehow getting it done. They’re going to need him to provide at least a couple of starts, and he’s capable of giving them to the Hawks.

 

Game Five: Pickering Red Sox vs. Windsor AA

 

Pickering – The Red Sox are just like the Hawks, in that they seem to compete in every tournament. The difference is that Pickering might actually have more overall talent. They were a win away from the final five in 2015.

 

Hitting: Sean Molony and his .368/4HR/25RBI is their best hitter, but he’s not alone. Guys like Jesse Dynes, Steve Correia and Denis Hucal are still around and making impacts.

 

Pitching: One through five, they have decent pitching. But that could be the problem; it’s just decent. That being said, they have a lot of gamers on the staff.

 

WAA – Despite being gutted of a lot of their talent over the last couple of years, they’ve managed to put together one of their best seasons. They don’t have what it takes to win this thing, but they have the ability to break a lot of hearts.

 

Hitting: Jon Roehler hit .427/5HR/20RBI. Hopefully he can remain with the team long-term and give them a solid building block. Outside of him, there’s not a whole lot on the offensive side of things.

 

Pitching: They have had decent arms come through their program, but none of them seem to be playing for them currently. That’s obviously not a recipe for success.

 

Game Six: Niagara Metros vs. Ilderton Red Army

 

This could be a very intriguing matchup, as the Metros will likely be forced to get past Jordan Townshend.

 

Niagara – The Metros made the final five last year, where they lost a wild game to the Twins. They also made it to the semi-finals at the Hap. With all that said, they’re just not as good as they have been in the past, and another run like last year will be a surprise.

 

Hitting: A lot of the names from the last couple of years are still there, but not having Phil Steer has really changed the complexion of their lineup. Guys like Ricky Ferri and Dave Davidson are struggling, and Taylor Anderson and Evan Baglieri aren’t having the seasons they are accustomed to, but all it takes is one good weekend of hitting from these very capable guys for this team to be able to make a run.

 

Pitching: This is where this team just doesn’t have the same feel to it. They’ve lost way too many guys over the years. The team has typically done a good job replacing lost talent, but outside of Dylan Perego, nobody has stepped up to aid Geoff Strong and Justin Ayles.

 

Ilderton – The Red Army are a more competitive team than they have been recently, but once again, they’ll likely fall short.

 

Hitting: There’s not a whole lot that will scare opposing pitchers, but guys like Rob Wakefield, Hayden Woodley and Craig Orton have been pretty good hitters over the years.

 

Pitching: Jordan Townshend is one of the best pitchers in senior baseball, and he can steal a game from anyone. Outside of that, they’ll struggle to find reliable innings.

 

Game Seven: Tecumseh Thunder vs. Milton Red Sox

 

This game likely won’t be a cake-walk for Tecumseh. Milton has shown the ability to compete against anyone.

 

Tecumseh – The Thunder are the odds-on favourite to repeat. Despite losing a lot of pitching depth over the years, they are still posting incredible results and are arguably the most talented team in the province.

 

Hitting: The Thunder have compiled an unbelievable list of hitters. Chris Horwood, Mitch Delaney and Paul Lamantia are three of the best power-hitters in the province, and Ryan LaPensee, Brandon Gignac, Jeff Watkin and a heap of others give them some insane depth.

 

Pitching: Mitch Kramer and Zack Breault have left a big void in the rotation, but they still have a big three in Joel Pierce (one of the best in Ontario), Brandon Lindquist (clutch) and Chris Horvath.

 

Milton – It’s too bad they have to play the Thunder in game one, because they really could legitimately beat most other teams. Not to say they can’t win this game, but the odds are stacked against them.

 

Hitting: Don Smith is the catalyst for this team, with his .453 OBP and 14 SB. It’s nice to see Kevin Greer healthy and making a contribution again. He’s hitting .330 with 22 RBI.

 

Pitching: Damian Clarke (1.58 ERA) and veteran Ian Zettle (2.47 ERA) have had stellar seasons. Outside of them, it seems like their whole staff has struggled this season.

 

Game Eight: Thornhill Reds vs. Mississauga SW Twins

 

This figures to be one of the best games of round one. The up-and-coming Reds against the perennial juggernaut Twins.

 

Thornhill – The Reds have had a surprising season, winning a lot of games with some not-so household names. They’re young and talented, and looking to make some noise this weekend. They likely don’t have the pitching depth to make a significant run, and they don’t have a first-round matchup conducive to success.

 

Hitting: Sean Sutton has established himself as a premier player in Ontario, following up a dominant 2015 with .435/2HR/30RBI and 15 SB this year. They’ve had big contributions from Jacob Hillier, Harrison Greenough and Joe Presutti and are hitting .322 as a team.

 

Pitching: This is where they will struggle. They have a 1.82 team WHIP, and the staff is full of guys with ballooned ERA’s and WHIP’s. All that said, Chadwick Cameron is capable of beating anyone, and Josh Appel might just be their new ace. The duo have combined for a 12-1 record. Outside of them, there’s almost nothing there.

 

Mississauga SW – For a team that always has a finals-or-bust standard, they seem to deliver year in and year out. They’re arguably the best team on paper, and they are ready to grind it out for another long run.

 

Hitting: They don’t have many big boppers per se- especially with the loss of Sean Bignall- but they never really have been that type of team. They have tough out after tough out in their lineup, and they can roll out a lineup full of .300 hitters.

 

Pitching: This is their bread-and-butter. Year in and year out they have a bunch of horses that take the mound this time of year and just shut teams down. They’re not collectively putting up big numbers this year, but I can guarantee nobody wants to face a team equipped with Jordan Petruska, Billy Martin, Billy Hurley, Paul McKenna, Eric Ventura, etc.

 

Game Nine: Leaside Leafs vs. Erindale Cardinals

 

Leaside – The Leafs sit atop the GTBL at 16-6, but the window just doesn’t seem to be as big as it once was. They have a very winnable first-round game, then after that they’ll have to rely on some big hitting to reel off some wins. They came close two years ago and in 2009 and are hoping to recapture some of that magic.

 

Hitting: Travis Skelton, Mike Loizides and Adam Campbell all have three or more home runs. Rookie Averey Bet-Payumo has hit an impressive .351/2HR/27RBI. Tyler Hughes is still quite dangerous. All in all, they can still hit.

 

Pitching: Outside of the steady Jorge Frugoni, there’s not enough consistent, reliable options. Guys like Chris Goodale and Andrew Morales are capable of putting up good games, but that could be wishful thinking once they start facing teams with more pitching depth.

 

Erindale – The Cardinals have a similar team every year. They have a bunch of good hitters, and a pitching staff who you could likely draw names out of a hat to give assignments to.

 

Hitting: Geoff Cullen is hitting .434, Chris Novia has 8 HR and Jay Woodford also has 8 HR. What else is new?

 

Pitching: Slight reversion to the above pitching comment: Brendan Fox is the ace of the team, then after that you can draw names out of a hat to give assignments to.

 

Game Ten: Sarnia Braves vs. East York Bulldogs

 

This could be a very good game, and can really go either way. The Bulldogs have the pedigree and the Braves have the underdog mentality.

 

Sarnia – The Braves have been solid all season. They’re not world-beaters by any stretch, but you just get the feeling that they honestly think they are. That’s a dangerous thing to have to go up against.

 

Hitting: Justin Randall is the best hitter on a team with a collection of decent bats.

 

Pitching: Mike Damchuk and Nick Baljeu have been the top two pitchers on the team for quite some time, and they still are.

 

East York – Anything less than a finals berth is going to be considered a disappointment. The Hap victory will be forgotten, and so will the long winning streak. They need to win. They’ve been loading up for this moment for the last couple of years, and it’s time to get it done.

 

Hitting: They’re hitting a ridiculous .350 as a team. Robin Fox-Pappas has put up video game numbers with a .356/6HR/43RBI stat line in 21 games. Tyler Plumpton is hitting .479 and has not struck out in 85 plate appearances. Jesse Bartle is hitting .355 with 18 SB. Peter Samonas is hitting .479. Oh yeah, Brian MacDonald is hitting .420/4HR/19RBI.

 

 

Pitching: In addition to the hitting, they’re also a contender for one of the best pitching staffs. Jeff Gibbs is the most dominant arm in senior baseball, striking out 70 in 47 innings. Dave Anderson, Jake Gallo, Mark Sikorski, Quinn Cumming, Andrew Ziedins and Jack Malone are not too shabby for a 2-6.

 

Round One

1 Oakville 2 (LP- Gord Robertson) vs Etobicoke 5 (WP- Bryan Vardzel)

Rangers cruised from the start. A's added two late.

2 Burlington 7 (WP- Franco Pace) vs Martingrove 2 (LP- Adam Frydman)

Easy round one win for the Brants.

3 Bolton 6 (WP- Andrew White) vs Windsor 3 (LP- Matt Rustulka)

The Brewers are making a habit out of knocking off good teams in the first round.

4 Strathroy 1 (WP- Tyler Annett) vs Newmarket 0 (LP- Victor Simon)

A 7th-inning Matt Cook home run was the only damage in this pitcher's duel.

5 Pickering 4 (WP- Mark Cheeseman) vs WAA 3 (LP- Cody Gillis)

The Red Sox scored three in the bottom of the 7th to win in stunning fashion.

6 Ilderton 4 (WP- Mitch Lumley) vs Niagara 3 (LP- Dan Proctor)

The Metros score two late to the, only to get walked-off in the ninth.

7 Tecumseh 10 (WP- Joel Pierce) vs Milton 1 (LP- Damian Clarke)

This was a 1-1 game in the sixth before the Thunder bats exploded.

8 Thornhill 2 (LP- Chadwick Cameron) vs Mississauga 3 (WP- Billy Hurley)

It takes every last out to beat the Twins. They rallied down 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh.

9 Leaside 3 (LP- Jorge Frugoni) vs Erindale 4 (WP- Dan Estey)

The Cardinals position themselves to make a bit of noise.

10 Sarnia 5 (LP- Mike Damchuk) vs East York 6 (WP- Jeff Gibbs)

The Bulldogs rallied from a 5-0 deficit to stun the Braves.

 

Round Two

11 Oakville 9 vs Martingrove 7 (LP- Mike Bannon)

Somebody had to advance.

12 Windsor 4 (WP- Steve Teno) vs Newmarket 3 (LP- Brad Crone)

Both teams go nip-and-tuck all game, with Windsor prevailing in the end.

13. WAA 0 (LP- Brendan Warnock) vs Niagara 9 (WP- Justin Ayles)

Metros win easily.

14 Milton 1 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs Thornhill 0 (LP- Josh Appel)

Reds make a tough two-and-out exit as the bats let them down.

15 Leaside 4 (WP- Sean Kavanaugh) vs Sarnia 2

Leafs win a tight one, coming away with an 8-inning extra-innings win.

16 Brampton 7 vs Burlington 6

Royals win a wild one, going ahead late on an inside-the-park grand slam.

17 Bolton 5 (LP- Nick Pettinaro) vs Strathroy 8

As expected, Royals come away with a win.

18 Pickering 11 (WP- Shaun Slemko) vs Ilderton 5

Red Sox battle back from small early deficit and win easily.

19 Tecumseh 5 (WP- Brandon Lindquist) vs Mississauga 2 (LP- Billy Martin)

Thunder break open a 1-1 game in the seventh.

20 Erindale 2 vs East York 6 (WP- Dave Anderson)

Bulldogs pick up steam as they head into big game against Thunder.

 

Round Three

 21 Oakville 2 vs Windsor 9

Stars beat A's for second time this season.

22 Niagara 4 (WP- Geoff Strong) vs Milton 3 (LP- Liam Tenant)

Red Sox score three late to make it a game, but Metros win it.

23 Leaside 6 (WP- Andrew Morales) vs Burlington 4

Leafs live to see another day.

24 Bolton 3 (WP- Andrew White) vs Ilderton 2

Brewers squeeze my Red Army in 10 innings and make it into Sunday.

25 Mississauga 10 (WP- Paul McKenna) vs Erindale 0

Twins make quick work of league-mates.

26 Etobicoke 1 (LP- Gary Rose) vs Brampton 5 (WP- Joe Ferreira)

Bad loss for the Rangers. Impressive performance by the Royals.

27 Strathroy 10 vs Pickering 0 (LP- Brad Binns)

Royals blow open a close game mid-way through.

28 Tecumseh 1 (WP- Chris Horvath) vs East York 0 (LP- Jake Gallo)

Thunder walk-off EY in the bottom of the seventh and get a bye to the undefeated game.

 

Round Four

29 Windsor 3 vs Niagara 4 (WP- Dave Davidson)

Metros win a 12-inning marathon. Difference a Nitransky home run in the top of the 12th.

30 Leaside 7 (WP- Sean Kavanaugh) vs Bolton 6 (LP- Darryl Bond)

Brewers threaten late, but Leafs hang on to advance.

31 Mississauga 1 (WP- Jordan Petruska) vs Etobicoke 0 (LP- Kyle Breitner)

Twins win a close one in the eighth inning.

32 Pickering 1 (LP- Steve Horsley) vs East York 2 (WP- Andrew Ziedens)

Bulldogs win another tightly-contested game, eliminating league rivals.

33 Brampton 3 vs Strathroy 13

Strathroy wins a battle of the Royals, and continue to impress their way into the undefeated game.

 

Round Five (Final 7... Mississauga SW Twins draw a bye into the final 5)

34 Niagara 12 (WP- Brandon Beattie) vs Brampton 7

Metros lead it wire-to-wire to win it.

35 East York 14 (WP- Mark Sikorski) vs Leaside 1 (LP- Josh Howsam)

Bulldogs break open a close game in the 4th inning and win running away.

36 Tecumseh 4 (WP- Jesse Carriere) vs Strathroy 2 (LP- Craig Steadman)

Strathroy was up 2-0 and coughed up the lead on a couple of errors.

 

Round Six (Final 5... Mississauga SW, Tecumseh, Strathroy, Niagara, East York)

37 East York 2 (LP- Jeff Gibbs) vs Tecumseh 11 (WP- Cody Seremack)

The Thunder poured it on late and didn't look back.

38 Strathroy 2 (WP- Tyler Annett) vs Mississauga SW 1 (LP- Billy Hurley)

The Royals get a huge home run again from Matt Cook to tie it in the fifth, and walk-off in the 7th to win it.

 

Round Seven (Final 3... Strathroy, Tecumseh, Niagara)

39 Niagara 2 (LP- Justin Ayles) vs Tecumseh 3 (WP- Chris Horvath)

The Thunder win a tightly-contested game. Metros make a valiant effort and terrific run but fall short.

 

Round Eight (Finals)

40 Tecumseh Thunder 4 (WP- Joel Pierce) vs Strathroy Royals 2 (LP- Jeff Loveys)

For the second time this weekend, the Thunder upend the Royals. This time it's for another Ontario title.

 

2016 ELIMINATIONS CHAMPIONS - TECUMSEH THUNDER THREE-PEAT CHAMPIONS

 

 

 

 

Perhaps my assessment on a successful versus disappointing season is a bit skewed. However, from my time playing on two stacked Etobicoke teams that dominated COBA in the 2006-2007 regular seasons, falling short at the Elims felt like a massive disappointment those years. 2006 was my first year in senior, and every single day and game was geared towards the Elims. So when we lost by a run in the Final 5 to Windsor, we were very upset. Winning a COBA title didn’t feel like it meant much. The one year I made the finals at the Elims in 2009 with Leaside, being beaten twice by Windsor in the finals still stings. And that was one of the years Ontario only had one representative at the Nationals, so it was even more heart-breaking. Winning the GTBL title was not a consolation; not even close. In 2011 in Brampton, I was on a team filled with young but talented players, and making a run into Sunday at the Elims felt like a big success.

 

My contention has always been that there are a handful of teams that actually have a realistic shot of winning, and those teams need to be judged on a different standard in terms of success or failure. Is there something wrong with that? And it’s not even always about the results; a lot plays into it, including the closeness of games as well as draws. So there isn’t some sort of blanket feeling I have towards judging things- but for the most part it’s quite simple to assess performance- and it’s tied to expectations.

 

Bolton beating Windsor was huge. If the Brewers got mercied their next two games, I’d still consider it a good weekend for them. But to their credit, they still went on and competed in their other games. On the other hand, the Stars made it just as far as Bolton (round four), yet the weekend was a massive failure for them. I think this is pretty cut-and-dry. And once again, expectations are a good thing.

 

Like every other year, the 2016 Eliminations produced some disappointing results, as well as some surprising ones.

 

Surprising

 

Bolton – the Brewers shocked the world with a first-round upset of the Windsor Stars. They didn’t stop there though, putting up a tough fight against Strathroy, beating Ilderton, then putting up another tough battle against Leaside. This was their first full year in the GTBL, and playing against that type of competition should allow them to continue to get better as well as attract some more talent. Kudos to the Brewers on an impressive showing.

 

Milton – the Red Sox had just one win, but they had an extremely difficult schedule. They were neck-and-neck with Tecumseh in round one, and were locked in a 1-1 game before the Thunder woke up in the sixth. The 10-1 final didn’t indicate what type of game it really was. They then went on to beat a very tough Thornhill team before losing by a run to a Niagara team that made the Final 3. This weekend wasn’t necessarily a “surprise” per se, but it’s more of a testament to the hard work that George Moore and his staff have done over the years to make sure Milton won’t be a pushover against anybody.

 

Disappointing

 

East York – the Bulldogs were fresh off a Hap Walters championship, but they weren’t able to get it done this weekend. With dominant pitching and powerful hitting, they were built to win. Both of their losses came against Tecumseh, which on the surface is a very good feat. But their wins came against Sarnia, Erindale, Leaside and Pickering. And outside the Leaside win, they weren’t very convincing in winning those other games. They were considered a top dog, and Tecumseh showed them that they still have a little bit to go to get to that championship level.

 

Etobicoke – this was very bad. They seem to get favourable draws almost every year and have nothing to show for it in over a decade. They’ve made a couple Final 3 runs in the last few years, but it seems like that really is their ceiling. Anything can happen once you get to that point in a tournament, but anything doesn’t ever seem to happen for them. They had Oakville, then a bye, and then a date with Brampton. They failed to take advantage, losing 5-1 to the Royals then they were forced to play a team they don’t have any success against, the Mississauga SW Twins. They lost a 1-0 extra-inning heart-breaker, but this has got to feel like a very brutal weekend for them. With the junior program now gone, it will be interesting to see how Steve Breitner continues to add talent. You can bet that he will find a way, but their time as elite has probably eluded them for quite some time, but that’s just being realized now.

 

Leaside – on the surface, an appearance in the Final 7 is not a disappointment. But the road to that point was not a very daunting one for the Leafs. Sure, you have to play the games that are scheduled, but Leaside wasn’t too impressive in their contests. They lost in the first-round to Erindale by a run, and then got by Sarnia (in extras), Burlington and Bolton by a combined five runs. Then they ran into league-foe East York and got handled 14-1. If anything, the Leafs are still a pretty consistent bunch over the years, and one of the better performers in Ontario, but a so-so weekend followed by last year’s two-and-out isn’t a good look; and they appear to be trending down as a team.

 

Martingrove – them going two-and-out is not a shocker, but the surprise is that they continue to enter this tournament. I’m all for competing and playing against the best and yadda yadda yadda, but this has become almost unfair for teams to draw the White Sox. A few years ago, they were actually competitive in these games, and even knocked off Niagara in 2009. But they’ve lost 14-straight Eliminations games, and this madness needs to stop. Their second-round 9-7 loss ended a streak of eight Eliminations games in a row that they scored two or fewer runs. Someone needs to create a petition for the White Sox to either get better or to not enter this tournament all together. I am fully aware that Baseball Ontario isn’t going to turn down an entry fee. I fully understand that there are difficulties in acquiring talent, especially with the Rangers playing right down the street, and a handful of GTBL teams not too far away. I fully comprehend the sacrifices players and coaches need to make to play, coach and travel. But there are plenty of other tournaments and provincials they can enter, and this one is not one of them. This seriously needs to stop.

 

Windsor – the Stars are nowhere near the calibre of team they were a couple of years ago and for almost every year over the last decade, but the standards are still high in Windsor. Whatever way you look at it, losing to Bolton in round one, then beating Newmarket and Oakville before losing to Niagara is a very disappointing weekend. That Niagara game could have gone either way, and a win there could have positioned them for a deep run, but they didn’t get it done. It will be interesting to see how they can improve and get back to the dominant level they played at before. They’ll always have a terrific feeder system, but Tecumseh seems like the prime destination for available talent these days. The Stars will have to work hard to reverse that trend.

 

Great Weekend

 

Mississauga SW – the Twins came into this year having made three straight Eliminations finals, but they fell just short this year. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with losing your only two games to the two finalists. I’m sure the Twins will tell you that’s not good enough of a consolation, but they have to take solace in the fact that they were very close again. They’ve now made six straight Final 5 appearances, and nobody else in the province can lay a similar claim. Maybe teams like to see them lose because some of the antics they do during games. But maybe teams should just worry about making baseball fun again. They’re a close-knit bunch who feed off their energy. Oh, and they’re very talented and young too.

 

Niagara – the Metros continue to be just one big win away from the “big one”. They made the Final 3 in 2012, and just like that year, they lost a heart-breaker. On paper, this year’s version of the team wasn’t even as good as past teams they’ve had, but they put it together to pick up some big wins all weekend. The sidearm duo of Justin Ayles and Dylan Perego combine with Geoff Strong to give them a solid trio. If they can add to that, then they will continue to remain relevant. It’s tough to keep fielding good teams every year, especially in the Niagara region, where players tend to only live for short periods of time. The Metros have been able to recruit well and replenish their stock every year, and I expect that they’ll be able to continue doing that.

 

Strathroy – the Royals have an extremely dominant pitching staff, and it was on full display this past weekend. They gave up just 17 runs in their seven games, and their only two losses came at the hands of the Thunder in a couple of very closely-contested games. In fact, they uncharacteristically gave away the undefeated game with a couple of errors. They showed some versatility as well, winning a couple of one-run games, hitting timely home runs, and even winning a couple of games by 10 runs. They’ve had the pitching staff to do this every year, but they were finally able to put it together. The Royals will be heading to their second Nationals since 2012, and they’re the only team along with the Twins, Stars and Thunder to make a Nationals appearance in the last five years. Ironically enough, all these teams have gone multiple times now. If they can keep this pitching staff together, they’ll continue to be one of the top teams year in and year out. Great weekend for Coach Bloomfield and his team.

 

 

Tecumseh – the Thunder are this eras Windsor Stars. They are on a very similar dominant run, and they’re steamrolling through the province with no signs of slowing down. Their draw didn’t do them any favours either, as the Thunder were forced to beat Mississauga SW, East York (twice), Strathroy (twice), Niagara and Milton. They showed they’re capable of winning close games with solid pitching, winning five of their games by a combined nine runs. Their offence is the best in the province, and their pitching obviously remains quite capable. This was their third-straight championship and fourth finals appearance in a row. They got younger in 2016, and they show no signs of slowing down. This dynasty could continue to roll right along for years.

Round 1

1. Newmarket 4 vs. Erindale 7
2. Burlington 5 (LP - Trevor Woodjetts) vs. Windsor 9
3. Tecumseh 2 (LP – Kyle Trudell) vs. Lakeside 5 (WP – Alex McLeod)
4. East York 3 (LP – Victor Simon) vs. Strathroy 4
5. Glanbrook 5 (WP – Andrew Page) vs. WAA 4 (LP - Barry Keith)
6. St. Catharines 3 (LP – TJ Tavender; HR - Steve Baldinelli) vs. Martingrove 9 (WP – Ryan Donnelly)
7. Leaside 9 (WP – Jorge Frugoni) vs. Oshawa 5 (LP – Geoff Davidson)
8. Brampton 2 vs. Milton 6 (WP – Adam Scheerer)
9. Etobicoke 9 (WP – Brian Rutledge) vs. Thornhill B 3
10. Thornhill 6 (WP – Jeremiah Groulx; HR - Justin Pennell [2]) vs. Markham 5
11. Whitby 0 (LP – Mike Arsenault) vs. Oakville 1 (WP – Gord Robertson)

Round 2

12. Burlington 1 (LP – Travers Thompson) vs. Tecumseh 5 (WP – Andrew Masojc)
13. East York 2 (WP – Shawn Leah) vs. WAA 0 (LP - Bobby Gilligan)
14. St. Catharines 2 (LP – Dustin Turner; HR - Steve Baldinelli) vs. Oshawa 4 (WP – Jordan Prosper)
15. Brampton 14 vs. Thornhill B 2
16. Markham 7 (HR - Steve Anderson) vs. Whitby 2 (LP – Lars Clay)
17. Windsor 3 (WP - Dane Little) vs. Lakeside 4
18. Strathroy 0 vs. Glanbrook 7 (WP – Chris Cooney)
19. Martingrove 5 (LP – Inderpal Rai) vs. Leaside 6 (WP – Lee Maunu)
20. Milton 0 (LP – Adam Ahearn) vs. Etobicoke 1 (WP – Dan McIldoon)
21. Thornhill 11 vs. Oakville 5

Round 3

22. Newmarket 5 (WP – Dan Dobson) vs. Tecumseh 4 (LP – Kyle Trudell)
23. East York 1 (LP – Pat Smith) vs. Oshawa 2 (WP – Brett Backman)
24. Brampton 12 vs. Markham 5
25. Windsor 7 (WP - Brad Boussey) vs. Strathroy 2
26. Martingrove 0 (LP – Eric Foley) vs. Milton 3 (WP – Ian Zettle)
27. Erindale 6 vs. Lakeside 11
28. Glanbrook 2 (LP – Mike Czerwieniec) vs. Leaside 4 (WP – Desmond Sullivan)
29. Etobicoke 8 (WP – Curtis Saunders) vs. Thornhill 4 (LP – Miguel Sammy)

Round 4

30. Newmarket 3 vs. Oshawa 4
31. Brampton 1 vs. Windsor 3 (WP - Steve Teno)
32. Milton 6 (WP – Brian Stewart) vs. Oakville 4
33. Erindale 1 (WP - Ian Bala) vs. Glanbrook 0
34. Lakeside 1 (LP – Mike Harmer) vs. Leaside 10 (WP – Jorge Frugoni)

Round 5

35. Oshawa 3 vs. Windsor 9 (WP – John Picco)
36. Milton 6 (LP – Sean Mathe) vs. Erindale 8
37. Thornhill 5 vs. Lakeside 9
38. Leaside 9 (WP – Paul Nusca) vs. Etobicoke 2 (LP – Kevin Breitner)

Round 6

39. Windsor 2 (WP – Steve Carter) vs. Erindale 0 (LP – John DeWolfe)
40. Etobicoke 5 (WP – Mike Janes) vs. Lakeside 2

Round 7

41. Leaside 9 (WP – Gurminder Singh) vs. Etobicoke 5 (LP – Mark Eccleton)

Round 8

42. Windsor 1 (WP – Adam Myers) vs. Leaside 0 (LP – Josh Howsam)

Round 9

43. Windsor 6 (WP – Zach Breault) vs. Leaside 1 (LP – Desmond Sullivan)

WINDSOR STARS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Pool A

St. Catharines 12 (WP - Dustin Turner) vs. Newmarket 2 (LP - Dan Dobson)
St. Catharines 1 (WP – Brian Essery) vs. Windsor 0 (LP – John Picco)
Newmarket 10 vs. Burlington 0
Windsor 3 (WP - Steve Teno) vs. Newmarket 2 (LP - Neal Baker)
St. Catharines (WP - Dan Estey) 4 vs. Burlington 2
Windsor 4 (WP - Jason Lauzon) vs. Burlington 0 (LP- CJ Cabrero)

Pool B

Oshawa 11 vs. Whitby 1 (LP – Lars Clay)
Markham 4 (WP - Brad Binns) vs. Whitby 3 (LP – Mike Arsenault)
Markham 8 (WP - Steve Horsley) vs. Oshawa 5 (LP - Brett Backman)
Oshawa 13 (WP - Jordan Prosper) vs. Etobicoke 2 (LP - Mike Janes)
Markham 5 (WP - Mark Cheeseman) vs. Etobicoke 4 (LP - Curtis Saunders)
Etobicoke 9 (WP - Dan McIldoon) vs. Whitby 3 (LP – Jeff Kingdon)

Pool C

Erindale 8 vs. Milton 7 (LP – Adam Scheerer)
Erindale 9 (WP - Ian Bala) vs. Leaside 4 (LP – Lee Maunu)
WAA 9 (WP - Mitch Kramer) vs. Erindale 8
WAA 5 (WP - Jared Hurst) vs. Milton 2 (LP – Ian Zettle)
Leaside 9 (WP – Desmond Sullivan) vs. Milton 3 (LP – Kevin Cooper)
Leaside 3 (WP – Josh Howsam) vs. WAA 1 (LP – Barry Keith)

Semi Finals

St. Catharines 5 (WP – Steve Baldinelli) vs. Leaside 4 (LP – Jon Rubin)
Windsor 4 (WP - Dane Little) vs. Markham 1 (LP - Steve Anderson)

Finals

Windsor 2 (WP - Brad Boussey) vs. St. Catharines 1 (LP - Dan Estey)

WINDSOR STARS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

FRIDAY

OSHAWA ROYALS 8 (WP - Chris Kemlo) vs NEWMARKET HAWKS 1
MARKHAM PIONEERS 4 vs WHITBY CANADIANS 3 (LP - Mike Arsenault)
LEASIDE LEAFS 4 (WP - Josh Howsam) vs EAST YORK BULLDOGS 1 (LP - Shawn Leah)
ETOBICOKE RANGERS 5 (WP - Shawn Silk) vs KENDAL EAGLES 3 (LP - Troy Foster)
TECUMSEH THUNDER 5 (WP - Kyle Trudell) vs ERINDALE CARDINALS 4 (LP - Chris Currie)
ST. CATHARINES METROS 12 (WP - TJ Tavender) vs MILTON RED SOX 2 (LP - Sean Mathe)


SATURDAY

ETOBICOKE RANGERS 6 (WP - Dan McIldoon) vs LEASIDE LEAFS 5 (LP - Lee Maunu)
NEWMARKET HAWKS 7 vs ST.CATHARINES METROS 6 (LP - Dustin Turner)
MARKHAM PIONEERS 1 vs ERINDALE CARDINALS 0
MILTON RED SOX 2 (LP - Adam Scheerer) vs OSHAWA ROYALS 7 (WP - Jordan Prosper)
KENDAL EAGLES 0 vs EAST YORK BULLDOGS 5
TECUMSEH THUNDER 2 (LP - Andrew Pierce) vs WHITBY CANADIANS 5 (WP - Lars Clay)
EAST YORK BULLDOGS 3 vs ETOBICOKE RANGERS 4 (WP - Peter Saweczko)
ERINDALE CARDINALS 6 vs WHITBY CANADIANS 5 (LP - Lars Clay)
LEASIDE LEAFS 8 (WP - Jorge Frugoni) vs KENDAL EAGLES 2
MILTON RED SOX 2 (LP - Adam Ahearn) vs NEWMARKET HAWKS 3
TECUMSEH THUNDER 5 (LP - Jason Horvat) vs MARKHAM PIONEERS 11 (WP - Steve Anderson)
OSHAWA ROYALS 9 (WP - Gary Rose) vs ST.CATHARINES METROS 7 (LP - Eric DeBoer)


SUNDAY


SEMI FINALS


ETOBICOKE RANGERS 3 (LP - Brian Rutledge) vs MARKHAM PIONEERS 4 (WP - Jason Graham)
LEASIDE LEAFS 1 (LP - Desmond Sullivan) vs OSHAWA ROYALS 2 (WP - Dave Anderson)


FINALS

MARKHAM 2 (LP - Paul Hadfield) vs OSHAWA 4 (WP - Geoff Davidson)

OSHAWA ROYALS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

FINALS: Lakeside 2 vs. Etobicoke 0

LAKESIDE LIZARDS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Etobicoke 13 (WP- Curtis Saunders) vs. Markham 3 (LP- Brad Binns)
WAA 1 vs. Leaside 9 (WP- Jorge Frugoni)
Etobicoke 2 (LP- Mike Janes) vs. Leaside 6 (WP- Andrew Morales)
Markham 10 (WP- Min Soo Kim) vs. WAA 7
Markham 9 (WP- Alex Bruce) vs. Leaside 8 (LP- Nick Bubela)
Etobicoke 1 (LP- Shawn Silk) vs. WAA 10

Whitby 2 (LP- Mike Arsenault) vs. Oshawa 4
Brampton 1 vs. Niagara 2 (WP- Dustin Turner)
Brampton 11 vs. Whitby 1 (LP- Jeff Kingdon)
Oshawa 4 vs. Niagara 3 (LP- Mike Czerwieniec)
Oshawa 6 vs. Brampton 2
Whitby 0 (LP- Chambers Middlebrook) vs. Niagara 2 (WP- Chris Magarian)

Oakville 9 vs. Milton 2 (LP- Adam Ahearn)
Windsor def. Newmarket
Milton 5 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. Newmarket 1
Windsor def. Oakville
Newmarket def. Oakville
Windsor 11 vs. Milton 0 (LP- Devin Karlsen)

SEMI-FINALS

Oshawa 8 vs. Erindale 0
Markham 1 vs. Windsor 10

FINALS

Windsor 5 vs. Oshawa 4

WINDSOR STARS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

ROUND 1

1. WAA 2 vs. Martingrove 3
2. Ilderton 10 (WP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Leaside 3 (WP- Jorge Frugoni)
3. Thornhill 1 (LP- Miguel Sammy) vs. Whitby 12 (WP- Mike Arsenault)
4. East York 2 vs. Glanbrook 10
5. Brampton 6 vs. Mississauga SW 2
6. Burlington 6 (LP- Craig Hawkins) vs. Tecumseh 7 (WP- Kyle Trudell)
7. Etobicoke 3 (LP- Pete Saweczko) vs. Newmarket 6
8. Lakeside 2 vs. Markham 3 (9 innings)
9. Oakville 7 vs. Kingston 2
10. Peterborough 6 vs. Strathroy 5
11. Windsor 3 vs. Niagara 2 (LP- David Davidson)
12. Milton 4 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. Erindale 0
13. Redbirds 2 vs. Oshawa 10

ROUND 2

14. Leaside 17 (WP- Andrew Morales) vs. Thornhill 7 (LP- Harman Brar)
15. East York 1 vs. Mississauga SW 2
16. Burlington 1 vs. Etobicoke 3 (WP- Mike Janes)
17. Lakeside 12 vs. Kingston 2
18. Strathroy 1 vs. Niagara 0 (LP- Jason Ermers)
19. Erindale 5 vs. Redbirds 7
20. Ilderton 12 (WP- Jamie Mann) vs. Whitby 3
21. Glanbrook 5 vs. Brampton 4
22. Tecumseh 8 (WP- Dan Wolicki) vs. Newmarket 7 (LP- Travis Welder)
23. Markham 5 vs. Oakville 0
24. Peterborough 2 vs. Windsor 3
25. Milton 0 (LP- Scott McTrach) vs. Oshawa 5

ROUND 3

26. WAA 0 (LP- Barry Keith) vs. Leaside 11 (WP- Josh Bowman)
27. Mississauga SW 4 vs. Etobicoke 3 (LP- Shawn Silk)
28. Lakeside 2 vs. Strathroy 3
29. Redbirds 6 vs. Whitby 4
30. Newmarket 5 vs. Brampton 3
31. Oakville 4 vs. Peterborough 3
32. Martingrove 9 vs. Glanbrook 12
33. Tecumseh 14 (WP- Rob Blunck) vs. Markham 13 (LP- Mark Cheeseman)
34. Windsor 5 vs. Oshawa 3

ROUND 4

35. Leaside 0 (LP- Lee Maunu) vs. Mississauga SW 10 (WP- Matt Piccini)
36. Strathroy 5 vs. Redbirds 2
37. Newmarket 2 vs. Oakville 1
38. Milton 4 (WP- Adam Ahearn) vs. Martingrove 3
39. Markham 9 vs. Oshawa 13
40. Ilderton 7 vs. Glanbrook 2
41. Tecumseh 1 (LP- Kyle Trudell) vs. Windsor 9 (WP- Jason Lauzon)

ROUND 5

42. Mississauga SW 1 vs. Newmarket 10
43. Milton 1 (LP- Liam Tennant) vs. Oshawa 4
44. Glanbrook 2 (LP- Mike Grilli) vs. Tecumseh 3 (WP- Jason Marentette) (10 innings)
45. Ilderton 1 (LP- Jeff Newnes) vs. Windsor 2 (WP- Brad Boussey)

ROUND 6

46. Ilderton 7 vs. Oshawa 3
47. Strathroy 1 (LP- Chad Frayne) vs. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Andrew Pierce)
48. Windsor 8 vs. Newmarket 0

ROUND 7

49. Ilderton 4 (WP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Tecumseh 2 (LP- Tyler Lawrence)

ROUND 8

50. Ilderton 1 vs. Windsor 11 (WP- Steve Carter)


WINDSOR STARS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Round Robin

Milton 3 (WP- Tyler Wilson, HR- Kevin Greer) vs. Ilderton 1 (LP- Jordan Townshend)
Ilderton 7 (WP- Bryn McDonnell) vs. Woodslee 1
Woodslee 4 vs. Milton 3 (LP- Ian Zettle)

Tillsonburg 0 vs. Thornhill 6 (WP- Gary Rose)
Port Lambton 6 vs. Thornhill 11 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Justin Pennell)
Tillsonburg def. Port Lambton

Creemore 3 (WP- Brad Grieveson) vs. Glanbrook 1 (LP- Ryan Colling)
Glanbrook 3 (WP- Mike Grilli) vs. Sarnia 0
Sarnia def. Creemore

Markham 2 vs. Burlington 9
Riverside 3 vs. Markham 4
Burlington def. Riverside

Consolation Rounds

Woodslee 0 vs. Markham 10 (WP- Brad Binns, HR- Jesse Dynes, Shane Moore)
Creemore def. Tillsonburg

CONSOLATION FINALS: Creemore 0 vs. Markham 5 (WP- Tommy Kempt)

Semi-Finals

Glanbrook 3 (LP- Taylor Buck) vs. Thornhill 4 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Justin Pennell)
Ilderton 6 (WP- Craig Orton) vs. Burlington 5

Finals

Ilderton 0 (LP- Simon Liston) vs. Thornhill 1 (WP- Eric Wakeman)


THORNHILL REDS- TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Ilderton 0 (LP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Martingrove 2 (WP- Patrick Veccharelli)
Strathroy 2 vs. Niagara 5 (WP- Geoff Strong, HR- Evan Baglieri)
Markham 6 (LP- Tommy Kempt) vs. Martingrove 9 (WP- Ryan Donnelly)
Ilderton 5 (LP- Bryn McDonnell) vs. Strathroy 7
Strathroy 0 vs. Markham 4 (WP- Brad Binns)
Martingrove 1 vs. Niagara 8 (WP- Chris Pickles, HR- Evan Baglieri (2))
Markham 3 (LP- Mark Cheeseman, HR- Jesse Dynes) vs. Niagara 4 (WP- Brian Kusey)


Finals: Martingrove 8 vs. Niagara 12 (WP- Brandon Beattie, SV- Jonathan Paul, HR- Evan Baglieri)

NIAGARA METROS - TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

Pool Number One
Leaside 4 (LP- Jorge Frugoni, HR- Adam Morton) Erindale 5
Leaside 2 (LP- Josh Howsam, HR- Adam Morton) Mississauga SW 6 (WP- Adam Banski)
Erindale 0 Mississauga SW 2 (WP- Jordan Petruska)

Mississauga 2-0, Erindale 1-1, Leaside 0-2

The scorching hot Twins breezed through round robin play, and went undefeated to win the pool. Erindale scored two in the bottom of the seventh to steal a win from Leaside.

Pool Number Two
Lakeside 3 Etobicoke 2 (LP- Andrew Hyde, HR- Tyler Fata)
Windsor 9 (WP- Steve Teno) Lakeside 3
Etobicoke 0 (LP- Tim Lawrence) Windsor 2 (WP- Matt Rustulka)

Windsor 2-0, Lakeside 1-1, Etobicoke 0-2

The Stars continue to roll right along, by blowing out Lakeside and edging Etobicoke. Matt Rustulka one-hit the Rangers, and the Stars mustered just two hits against Tim Lawrence, but that was enough to get the win.

Pool Number Three
Milton 6 (WP- Ian Zettle) Exeter 5
Milton 8 (WP- Adam Ahearn) Oakville 2
Exeter 4 Oakville 3

Milton 2-0, Exeter 1-1, Oakville 0-2

The Red Sox got through their pool unscathed, and strolled into the quarter-finals. Exeter edged Oakville to avoid playing in the play-in game.

Quarter-Final Qualifier Game

Oakville 2 (WP- Gord Robertson) Leaside 0 (LP- Chris Goodale)

QUARTER-FINALS:

#1 Windsor 3 (WP- John Picco)
#8 Oakville 2

#2 Milton 5 (LP- Scott McTrach) vs.
#7 Etobicoke 10 (WP- Peter Saweczko)

#6. Lakeside 4
#3 Mississauga SW 3 (LP- Andrew Foster)

#4 Exeter def.
#5 Erindale


SEMI-FINALS:

#1 Windsor Stars 7 (WP- Steve Carter) vs.
#7 Etobicoke Rangers 1 (LP- Kevin Breitner)

#4 Exeter Express 1
#6 Lakeside Lizards 0

FINALS:

#1 Windsor Stars 6 (WP- Jason Lauzon) vs. #4 Exeter Express 2


WINDSOR STARS- TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

POOL A

Glanbrook 8 (WP- Chris Cooney, HR- Corrie Morrison *walk-off grand slam) vs. Mississauga SW 4 (LP- Jordan Petruska) (8 innings)
Newmarket 9 (WP- Dave MacPherson, HR- Adam Zorzit) vs. Windsor AA 6
Mississauga SW 11 (WP- Adam Banski) vs. Newmarket 4 (LP- Travis Welder)
Glanbrook 7 (LP- Ryan Colling) vs. Windsor AA 8
Glanbrook 1 (LP- Tim Sogan) vs. Newmarket 2 (WP- Brent Heaslip)
Mississauga SW 5 (WP- Eric Ventura) vs. Windsor AA 0

Pool B

Erindale 8 (HR- Steve Gallant) vs. Niagara 11 (WP- Brandon Beattie)
Thornhill 5 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Tyler Cattapan) vs. Ilderton 0 (LP- Jordan Townshend)
Erindale 5 vs. Thornhill 8 (WP- Andy Orfanakos)
Niagara 2 (LP- Chris Pickles) vs. Ilderton 7 (WP- Jeff Newnes)
Niagara 0 (LP- Geoff Strong) vs. Thornhill 10 (WP- Eric Wakeman)
Erindale 14 vs. Ilderton 7

Pool C

Brampton 6 (WP- Joey Nonis, SV- RJ Page, HR- Victor Speciale) vs. Markham 5 (LP- Mark Cheeseman, HR- Mark Petrou)
Strathroy 0 vs. Windsor 15 (WP- Jason Lauzon, HR- Dustin Wiley, Kris Klassen)
Brampton 9 (WP- RJ Page, HR- Victor Speciale (2)) vs. Strathroy 8 (HR- Andrew Mercier (2))
Markham 1 (WP- Brad Binns *No Hitter) vs. Windsor 0 (LP- John Picco)
Markham 5 (WP- Steve Horsley) vs. Strathroy 0
Brampton 2 (LP- Steve Hough) vs. Windsor 6 (WP- Matt Rustulka)

Pool D

Oakville 6 vs. Burlington 5 (9 innings)
Leaside 9 (WP- Chris Goodale) vs. Lakeside 3
Oakville 2 vs. Leaside 4 (WP- Josh Howsam)
Burlington 16 vs. Lakeside 11
Burlington 10 vs. Leaside 6 (LP- Andrew Morales, HR- James Rutherford, HR- Henry Yap)
Oakville 4 vs. Lakeside 1 (8 innings)

Pool E

Etobicoke 4 (WP- Pete Saweczko, HR- Brett Sanders) vs. Milton 3 (LP- Liam Tennant)
Peterborough 15 (WP- Dave Anderson) vs. Tecumseh 6 (LP- Kyle B. Trudell)
Etobicoke 5 (LP- Tim Lawrence) vs. Peterborough 7
Milton 2 (LP- Scott McTrach) vs. Tecumseh 14 (WP- Kyle Trudell, HR- Matt Stezycki, Ken Price)
Milton 4 (LP- Adam Ahearn, HR- Kevin Greer) vs. Peterborough 14
Etobicoke 9 (LP- Kevin Breitner) vs. Tecumseh 10 (WP- Andrew Pierce)

Quarter Finals

Mississauga SW 1 (LP- Andrew Foster) vs.
Peterborough 11

Thornhill 14 (WP- Gary Rose) vs.
Markham 1 (LP- John Frederick)

Windsor 14 (WP- Steve Teno, HR- Dustin Wiley) vs.
Leaside 4 (LP- Brook Coatsworth)

Oakville 8 vs.
Newmarket 7

Semi-Finals

Peterborough 5 vs.
Windsor 9 (WP- Steve Carter, HR- Tom Grubb, Kris Klassen)

Thornhill 3 (LP- Steve Palladino) vs.
Oakville 4 (WP- Alex Hawley)

Finals

Windsor 13 (WP- Mike Czerwieniec, HR Jason Chapieski, Tom Grubb) vs.
Oakville 1

Round One

1. ERINDALE 4 (LP- Dan Estey) vs. OAKVILLE 7 (8 innings)
2. WINDSOR 3 (WP- John Picco) vs. GLANBROOK 2 (LP- Mike Grilli)
3. WAA 0 vs. PETERBOROUGH 6 (WP- Hugh Sullivan, HR- Tyler Plumpton)
4. MARTINGROVE 1 (LP- Mike Didier) vs. NEWMARKET 4 (WP- PA Di Lulio, HR- Paul Versteeg-Lytwyn)
5. BURLINGTON 4 vs. SARNIA 2
6. TECUMSEH 2 (WP- Kyle Trudell) vs. LEASIDE 1 (LP- Chris Goodale, HR- Travis Skelton)
7. MARKHAM 1 (WP- Brad Binns, HR- Thomas Biskup) vs. MILTON 0 (LP- Ian Zettle)
8. NIAGARA 1 (WP- Geoff Strong) vs. EAST YORK 0 (LP- Mark Sikorski)
9. ILDERTON 7 (WP- Jordan Townshend, HR- Mike Gough, Rob Wakefield) vs. MISSISSAUGA 5
10. REDBIRDS 7 (LP- Marc Nolan) vs. ETOBICOKE 9 (WP- Curtis Saunders, HR- Tyler Fata) (12 innings)
11. STRATHROY 4 (LP- Jason Champ) vs. BRAMPTON 5 (WP- RJ Page)
12. LAKESIDE 4 (HR- Steve Charles) vs. THORNHILL 2 (LP- Victor Simon)

Round Two

13. ERINDALE 1 (LP- John DeWolfe, HR- Chris Novia) vs. GLANBROOK 5 (WP- Tim Sogan)
14. WAA 6 (WP- Skylar Janisse) vs. MARTINGROVE 2 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)
15. SARNIA 0 vs. LEASIDE 3 (WP- Josh Bowman)
16. MILTON 4 (WP- Scott McTrach) vs. EAST YORK 3 (LP- Jack Malone)
17. MISSISSAUGA 12 vs. REDBIRDS 1 (LP- Nick Masci)
18. STRATHROY 2 vs. THORNHILL 9 (WP- Eric Wakeman)
19. OAKVILLE 0 (LP- Gord Robertson) vs. WINDSOR 2 (WP- Steve Carter)
20. PETERBOROUGH 3 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Kyle Fillier, Garrett Fitzgerald, Tyler Plumpton) vs. NEWMARKET 0 (LP- Jason Robinson)
21. BURLINGTON 4 (WP- Cam McKnight) vs. TECUMSEH 3 (LP- Andrew Pierce)
22. MARKHAM 4 (WP- Steve Horsley) vs. NIAGARA 3 (LP- Brian Kusey)
23. ILDERTON 4 (LP- Jeff Newnes) vs. ETOBICOKE 5 (WP- Andrew Hyde)
24. BRAMPTON 5 (LP- RJ Page) vs. LAKESIDE 6 (WP- Derek Howe)

Round Three

25. GLANBROOK 0 (LP- Chris Cooney) vs. WAA 4 (WP- Tyler Gauthier**No-Hitter)
26. LEASIDE 9 (WP- Jorge Frugoni, HR- Adam Morton (2)) vs. MILTON 2 (LP- Adam Ahearn)
27. MISSISSAUGA 17 (WP- Adam Banski) vs. THORNHILL 9 (LP- Gary Rose, HR- JR Crosby)
28. OAKVILLE 6 vs. NEWMARKET 8 (WP- Dave MacPherson, HR- Dan Telford)
29. TECUMSEH 5 (LP- Kyle B. Trudell) vs. NIAGARA 12 (WP- Chris Pickles, HR- Evan Baglieri, HR- Andrew Sorochan (2))
30. ILDERTON 6 (LP- Simon Liston, HR- Mike Gough) vs. BRAMPTON 16 (WP- Mike Burke, HR- Victor Speciale, HR- Daniel Gasparini)
31. WINDSOR 6 (WP- Steve Teno) vs. PETERBOROUGH 1 (LP- Tyler Plumpton)
32. BURLINGTON 1 (LP- Travers Thompson) vs. MARKHAM 8 (WP- Alex Bruce)
33. ETOBICOKE 3 vs. LAKESIDE 4

Round Four

34. LEASIDE 0 (LP- Josh Howsam) vs. MISSISSAUGA 9
35. NEWMARKET 8 (WP- Brent Heaslip) vs. NIAGARA 5 (LP- Jonathan Paul)
36. BRAMPTON 1 (LP- Jaineel Purohit, HR- Victor Speciale) vs. PETERBOROUGH 11 (WP- John Murray, HR- Kyle Fillier)
37. BURLINGTON 4 vs. ETOBICOKE 5 (WP- Tim Lawrence, HR- AJ Iafrate, Jeff Altpeter)
38. MARKHAM 3 (WP- Mark Cheeseman) vs. LAKESIDE 0

Round Five

39. WAA 2 vs. MISSISSAUGA 4
40. NEWMARKET 10 vs. PETERBOROUGH 9 (LP- Kyle Maloney)
41. ETOBICOKE 3 (LP- Russ Hazen) vs. LAKESIDE 4
42. WINDSOR 12 (WP- Jason Lauzon, HR- Tom Grubb) vs. MARKHAM 0 (LP- Min Soo Kim)

Round Six

43. MISSISSAUGA 3 vs. MARKHAM 0 (LP- Steve Anderson)
44. WINDSOR 5 (WP- Brad Boussey, HR- Brian Simone) vs. LAKESIDE 1

Round Seven

45. WINDSOR 6 (WP- Dane Little) vs. NEWMARKET 0 (LP- PA Di lulio)

Round Eight

46. WINDSOR 6 (WP- Matt Rustulka) vs. MISSISSAUGA 5

CHAMPIONS - WINDSOR STARS

Friday

Burlington 6 (LP- CJ Cabrero, HR- Jon Amendola) Etobicoke 11 (WP- Peter Saweczko, HR- Ryan Panas)
Lakeside 6 Newmarket 16 (WP- Dave MacPherson)
Milton 18 (WP- Trent Barwick) Erindale 11
Peterborough 8 (LP Dave Anderson, HR- Jeremy Burton) Thornhill 9 (WP- Phil Owen)
Markham 7 (WP- Brad Binns) Niagara 4 (LP- TJ Tavender)
Windsor 14 (WP- Mike Czerwieniec, HR- Kevin Mailloux) Glanbrook 0
Oakville 1 Mississauga 2 (WP- Jordan Petruska)
Martingrove 15 (WP- Joe Callahan, HR- Ryan Fosbery, Dennis Hucal) Leaside 9 (LP- Andrew Morales)
WAA 3 (WP- Kyle Trudell) Brampton 0 (LP- Steve Hough)

Saturday

Burlington 5 Newmarket 7 (WP- Adam Kallio)
Peterborough 9 (WP- Fil Cammisuli) Brampton 5 (LP- RJ Page)
Windsor 14 (WP- Dane Little, HR- Tom Grubb) Leaside 0 (LP- Brandyn Agnew)
Lakeside 2 Niagara 4 (WP- Paul McKenna)

Markham 3 (LP- Mike Arsenault)Newmarket 4 (WP- Anthony Douris)
Erindale 7 WAA 9 (WP- Cody Seremack)
Oakville 1 Leaside 8 (WP- Josh Howsam)
Martingrove 4 (LP- Steve Correia) Mississauga 6
Milton 4 (LP- Ian Zettle) Thornhill 5 (WP- Sherwin Ranjkesh)

Etobicoke 8 (WP- Andrew Hyde) Markham 5 (LP- Steve Horsley)
Erindale 0 Peterborough 10 (WP- Gary Rose)
Glanbrook 7 Oakville 1
Burlington 2 Niagara 8 (WP- Brian Kusey)

Etobicoke 7 (WP- Shawn Silk) Lakeside 1
WAA 6 (WP- Barry Keith) Thornhill 4 (LP- Brad Crone)
Glanbrook 5 Martingrove 3 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)
Windsor 9 (WP- John Picco) Mississauga 1
Milton 13 (WP- Scott McTrach, HR- James Bruce) Brampton 6

Quarter Finals

1. Windsor 2. WAA - Both teams get byes into the semi finals.

4. Newmarket 1 (LP- Travis Welder)vs.
5. Niagara 10 (WP- Justin Ayles)

3. Etobicoke 1 (LP- Andrew Perryman, HR- Brett Sanders) vs.
6. Mississauga 11

Semi Finals

1. Windsor 6 (LP- Steve Carter) vs.
6. Mississauga SW 12 (WP- Michael Cardinale)

2. WAA 12 (WP- Jeff Parker, HR- Dale Kryway, Jordan Ketterer) vs.
5. Niagara 8 (LP- Geoff Strong)

Finals

Mississauga Southwest 6 (WP- Jordan Petruska)
Windsor Athletics 3 (LP- Kyle Trudell)

TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS - MISSISSAUGA SOUTHWEST TWINS
TOURNAMENT MVP - Jordan Petruska, Twins

Round One

Lakeside 3 vs. Vaughan 4
Etobicoke 12 (WP- Andrew Perryman, HR- Rob Borden, Ryan Panas) vs. Martingrove 2 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)
WAA 8 (LP- Kevin Knudsen, HR- Will Bargel) vs. Niagara 9 (WP- Justin Ayles)
Oakville 6 vs. Markham 2 (LP- Brad Binns)
Mississauga SW 8 (WP- Jordan Petruska, HR- Jerome Smith) vs. Leaside 3 (LP- Joshua Howsam)
Strathroy 4 vs. Sarnia 3
Newmarket 4 (LP- Adam Kallio) vs. East York 13 (WP- Jack Malone, HR- Shawn Leah)
Windsor 9 (WP- Jason Lauzon) vs. Burlington 1
Tecumseh 13 (WP- Mitch Kramer, HR- Dan Romanycia, Matt Stezycki, Anthony Pettica) vs. Thornhill 6 (LP- Brad Crone)
Glanbrook 6 vs. Milton 7
Ilderton 2 (LP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Peterborough 6 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Tyler Plumpton, Ryan Hannan)
Brampton 5 vs. Erindale 3 (LP- John DeWolfe)

Round Two

Lakeside 12 vs. Martingrove 10 (LP- Joe Callahan, HR- Dennis Hucal)
WAA 5 (WP- Matt Glassman) vs. Markham 2 (LP- Steve Horsley)
Leaside 8 (WP- Andrew Morales) vs. Sarnia 3
Newmarket 2 (LP- Dave McElroy) vs. Burlington 4
Thornhill 10 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Brian MacDonald) vs. Glanbrook 6 (LP- Atsushi Urata)
Ilderton 7 vs. Erindale 17
Redbirds 2 (LP- Ian Okorofsky) vs. Etobicoke 10 (WP- Shawn Silk, HR- Brett Sanders)
Niagara 3 (WP- Brian Kusey) v Oakville 2
Mississauga SW 3 (WP- James Byrnes) vs. Strathroy 2
East York 0 (LP- Mark Sikorski) vs. Windsor 2 (WP- Steve Carter)
Tecumseh 6 (WP- Matt Stezycki, HR- Dan Romanycia) vs. Milton 0
Peterborough 2 (LP- Hugh Sullivan, HR- Kyle Fillier) vs. Brampton 3

Round Three

Lakeside 13 vs. WAA 7 (LP- Jeff Walker)
Leaside 10 (WP- Jorge Frugoni) vs. Burlington 3
Thornhill 8 (WP- Dave McElroy, HR- Chris Bloom) vs. Erindale 3
Redbirds 7 (WP- Peter Westlake) vs. Oakville 6
Strathroy 7 vs. East York 2 (LP- Jake Gallo)
Milton 2 vs. Peterborough 6 (WP- Gary Rose, HR- Hugh Sullivan, Mark Minnema)
Vaughan 0 vs. Niagara 18 (WP- Geoff Strong)
Mississauga SW 2 (LP- Eric Ventura) vs. Windsor 12 (WP- John Picco)
Tecumseh 7 (WP- Kyle Trudell) vs. Brampton 3

Round Four

Leaside 10 (WP- Brandyn Agnew) vs. Thornhill 2 (LP- Eric Wakeman)
Redbirds 3 (LP- Shawn Swartz) vs. Strathroy 9
Peterborough 10 (WP- Fil Cammisulli, HR- Hugh Sullivan) vs. Vaughan 2
Mississauga SW 4 (WP- Billy Hurley, HR- Michael Cardinale) vs. Brampton 0
Niagara 12 (WP- Justin Ayles, HR- Anthony Vacca) vs. Etobicoke 6 (LP- Russ Hazen, HR- Krys Doiron (2), Brett Sanders)
Tecumseh 2 (LP- Dan McFarlane) vs. Windsor 7 (WP- Brad Boussey)

Round Five

Lakeside 3 vs. Strathroy 9
Peterborough 6 (LP- Tommy Kempt, HR- Tyler Plumpton) vs. Mississauga SW 11 (WP-Adam Banski)
Tecumseh 1 (LP- Ron Rousse) vs. Etobicoke 8 (WP- Kyle Breitner, HR- Ben Rich)
Niagara 1 (LP- Chris Magarian) vs. Windsor 10 (WP- Dane Little)

Round Six

Niagara 3 (WP- Paul McKenna) vs. Mississauga 2 (LP- Adam Paish, HR- John Broll)
Leaside 3 (LP- Ryan Donnelly) vs. Windsor 5 (WP- Steve Teno)
Etobicoke 3 (LP- Tim Lawrence) vs. Strathroy 6

Semi-Finals

Strathroy 6 vs. Niagara 5 (LP- Dave Davidson)

Finals

Strathroy 4 vs. Windsor 5 (WP- Mike Czerwieniec)

2012 ONTARIO CHAMPIONS - Windsor Stars

 

Tillsonburg 2 Milton 14 (WP- Tyler Wilson, HR- Brian Hunter)

Bolton 5 Milton 7 (WP- Ian Zettle)

Bolton 2 Tillsonburg 1

 

Leaside 1 (LP- Scott Donnelly) WAA 6 (WP- Kyle Trudell, HR- Justin Levesque, David Weber)

WAA 6 (WP- Chris Renaud, HR- Dale Kryway, Jordan Ketterer)  Ilderton 2

Leaside 1 (WP- Jorge Frugoni) Ilderton 0

 

Thornhill 3 (WP- Brad Crone, HR- Jeremiah Groulx) Strathroy 2 (LP- Annett)

Strathroy 7 Fort Erie 1

Thornhill 8 (WP- Noah Frankel) Fort Erie 5

 

Burlington 3 Glanbrook 4

Glanbrook 3 (WP- Tim Sogan) Markham 1 (LP- Kyle Lawrence)

Markham 5 (WP- Mark Cheeseman, HR- Jeff Fox) Burlington 0 

 

Consolation Round

 

Leaside 2 (LP- Ryan Donnelly) vs Strathroy 8

Markham 0 (LP- Steve Horsley)  Bolton 2

 

Consolation Final: Strathroy 2  Bolton 7

 

Championship Round

 

WAA 1 (WP- Cody Seremack) Thornhill 0 (LP- Phil Owen)

Glanbrook 18 (WP- Chris Cooney, HR- Tim Sogan, Corrie Morrison) Milton 11 (LP- James Bruce, HR- Adam Chong, Chris Pitaway, Craig Howse)

 

Final: Glanbrook 3 vs WAA 2 (LP- Barry Keith)

 

The Etobicoke Rangers ran the table and went 5-0 to capture the 2013 Vaughan Vikings tournament.  The Rangers were impressive from start to finish.  They beat Leaside 6-4, Redbirds 7-1 and Newmarket 5-2, to win their division and the first seed for the playoff round.  In the semi finals they destroyed Vaughan 21-3.  The Vikings beat Peterborough in the quarter finals with a dramatic walk off homerun.  In the finals, the Rangers disposed of the Leafs once again, by a 12-9 count.  The Leafs got to the finals on the strength of a 2-1 round robin record and a 6th seed for the playoff round.  On Sunday they beat Erindale 7-6, and Markham 6-2, before bowing out to Etobicoke for the second time.  Congratulations to Etobicoke on a fine weekend.

 

 

Leaside 4 (LP- Jorge Frugoni, HR- Travis Skelton) vs Etobicoke 6 (WP- Kyle Porter)

Redbirds 0 (LP- Jeff Swartz) vs Newmarket

 

11 (WP- Adam Kallio, no hitter, HR- Paul Versteeg Lytwyn)

 

 

 

 

Newmarket 11 (LP- Neal Baker, HR- Mark West) vs Leaside

 13 (WP- James Rutherford, HR- Adam Morton)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Redbirds 1 (LP- Chris Gott) vs Etobicoke

 7 (WP- Andrew Perryman)

 

 

 

 

Etobicoke 5 (WP- Kyle Breitner) vs Newmarket 2 (LP- Victor Simon)

 

 

 

 

 

 

Leaside 7 (WP- Ryan Donnelly) vs Redbirds 2 (LP- Peter Westlake)

Vaughan 5 vs Martingrove 2 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)

East York 0 (LP- Dustin Lawson) vs Erindale 2

East York 3 (LP- Jake Gallo)  vs Martingrove 7 (WP- Dennis Hucal)

Vaughan L vs Erindale W

Erindale 6 vs Martingrove 3 (LP- Miguel Sammy)

Vaughan 5 vs East York 4 (LP- Mark Sikorski)

Niagara Falls 3 vs Markham 8 (WP- Brad Binns, HR- Jesse Dynes)

Thornhill 6 (LP- Brad Crone) vs Peterborough 8 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Kyle Moloney)

Thornhill 2 (LP- Phil Owen) vs Markham 4 (WP- Kyle Lawrence)

Peterborough 10 (WP- Tyler Plumpton) vs Niagara Falls 1

Peterborough 2 (LP- Brad Grieverson) vs Markham 4 (WP- Mark Cheeseman)

Niagara Falls 7 vs Thornhill 12 (WP- Lucas Kawa)

Teams Advancing:

Etobicoke (3-0), Leaside (2-1), Peterborough (2-1), Markham (3-0), Erindale (3-0), Vaughan (2-1)

 

 

Quarter Finals

 

 

3. Erindale  6 vs. 6. Leaside

 7 

4. Peterborough L vs. 5. Vaughan W

 

 

 

 

Semi Finals

 

 

1. Etobicoke 21 vs. Vaughan

 3 

2. Markham 2 (LP- Steve Horsley) vs.  Leaside

  6 (WP- Scott Donnelly)

 

 

FINALS

 

 

Etobicoke Rangers 12 Leaside Leafs 9

 

 

 

2013 VAUGHAN CHAMPS - ETOBICOKE RANGERS

 

The Can Am League was well represented this weekend as the Tecumseh Juniors dazzled on their way to a 5-0 weekend and a tournament championship.  In the finals, the Junior Thunder handled  the Mississauga SW Twins- one of the top Senior teams around.

Not many Senior teams have figured out the Twins this year but the Juniors beat them 8-4 in round robin play, and 8-6 in the final game.  In the round robin, the Juniors also beat Ilderton and Milton to go 3-0.  The 3-0 record gave them a bye to the semi finals, where they easily handled the Etobicoke Rangers 11-3.  The Rangers were fresh off a tournament victory in Vaughan two weeks ago, but they ran out of steam.

The St. Thomas Tomcats, also a Junior team, went 3-0 in round robin to earn the other bye.  The Mississauga SW Twins were able to beat them in the semi finals to prevent an all Junior final. 

The Tomcats, Twins, Junior Thunder and Rangers were joined in the final 6 by the Michigan Braves and Tecumseh Thunder senior team.  The Rangers beat Michigan 3-2 in extra innings to get to the semis, while the Twins beat the Thunder 5-4.  The Twins and Junior Thunder were able to get by their semi final opponents to set up the final matchup.

Congratulations to the Junior Tecumseh Thunder team on a great weekend, and showing the Senior teams how its done.

FRIDAY

Michigan Braves 5 Leaside Leafs 0 (LP- Jorge Frugoni)

Etobicoke Rangers 3 (WP- Andrew Perryman) Riverside 1

Lakeside Lizards 7 Erindale Cardinals 8

Exeter Express 6 Milton Red Sox 5 (LP- Justin Volpato)

Mississauga SW Twins 11 Sarnia Braves 4

Ilderton Red Army 1 Tecumseh Juniors 6

Tecumseh Thunder 6 (LP- Zach Breault) St. Thomas Juniors 8

SATURDAY

Milton 2 (LP- Scott McTrach) Tecumseh Juniors 5

Mississauga SW 12 Ilderton 6

Sarnia 1 St. Thomas 5

Exeter 4 Erindale 17

Etobicoke 1 (LP- Bryan Vardzel) Tecumseh 5 (WP- Matt Stezycki, HR- Matt Stezycki)

Riverside 0 Leaside 2 (WP- Andrew Morales)

Lakeside 7  Michigan 3

Ilderton 0 Etobicoke 9 (WP- Kyle Breitner)

Riverside 3 Milton 12 (WP- Tyler Wilson, HR- Craig Howse)

Lakeside 3 Tecumseh 6 (WP- Brandon Lindquist)

St. Thomas 3 Leaside 2 (LP- Ryan Donnelly)

Sarnia Exeter

Michigan 10 Erindale 5

Mississauga SW 4 Tecumseh Juinors 8

QUARTER FINALS

Etobicoke Rangers 3 (WP- Alex Dannett) vs Michigan Braves 2

Tecumseh Thunder 4 (LP- Kyle Trudell, HR- Matt Stezycki) vs Mississauga SW Twins 5

SEMI FINALS

Tecumseh Juniors 11 vs Etobicoke Rangers 3

St. Thomas Juniors 5 vs Mississauga SW Twins 8

FINALS

Tecumseh Juniors 8 vs. Mississauga SW 6

 

For the second year in a row, the Mississauga SW Twins captured the Hap Walters tournament title.  The Twins upended the Etobicoke Rangers 4-3 in the finals to claim the victory and cap off a perfect 5-0 weekend.  The Twins got through a very difficult schedule but stil came out on top.  They beat Peterborough, Oakville and Markham in the round robin; and got through Newmarket and Etobicoke in the playoff round.

Six of the eighteen teams made it through the competitive field.  In order, the playoff seeds were: Etobicoke, Mississauga SW, Windsor, Thornhill, Brampton, and Newmarket.  The Rangers and Stars were both also 3-0, while the Reds were 2-0-1.  Thornhill's final game against Niagara ended in a controversial 2-2 tie after 8 innings due to the curfew for the lights at the ballpark.  If the game was played out and Thornhill won, they could have earned the first or second seed in the playoff round and a bye to the semi-finals.  If the Metros won, they likely would have earned one of the wild-card spots and a berth in the quarter-finals.  The landscape for championship Sunday could have been a lot different.  The Brampton Battlecats and Newmarket Hawks each finished 2-1 and earned the final two wild-card spots on the strength of their runs against.  The Hawks took full advantage of the Thornhill-Niagara result, and beat the Windsor Stars on a walk off 3-run homerun by Adam Zorzit with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.  The Reds made quick work of Brampton in the other quarter-final game.  The final four was Etobicoke, Mississauga SW, Thornhill and Newmarket.  The two teams from COBA were both victorious and played an entertaining final game.  The Rangers left the bases loaded in four different innings, including the last, and the Twins hung on for the victory.

The Twins were just a couple of weeks removed from their finals appearance in the London tournament, where they lost to the Tecumseh Juniors.  Once again, senior teams have been unable to figure them out, and they completed yet another successful run.

Friday

Etobicoke 6 (WP- Andrew Hyde) vs. Burlington 0

* rest of Friday schedule rained-out

Saturday

Newmarket 7 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Mark West) vs. Burlington 1

Newmarket 10 (WP- Adam Kallio, HR- Adam Zorzit, Mark Petrou, Paul V-Lytwyn) vs. Ilderton 4

Martingrove 4 (WP- Steve Correia) vs. Brampton 3 (LP- Joey Nonis, HR- Steve Hough)

Etobicoke 5 (WP- Bryan Vardzel) vs. Ilderton 4

Ilderton 4 vs. Brampton 9 (WP- Jared Ferencik)

Martingrove 9 (LP- Miguel Sammy, HR- Denis Hucal) vs. Burlington 10

Brampton 6 (WP- Mike Burke) vs. Newmarket 2 (LP- PA Di Lulio)

Etobicoke 11 (WP-Andrew Perryman) vs. Martingrove 1 (LP- Denis Hucal, HR- Steve Correia)

 

Mississauga SW 9 vs. Peterborough 6 (LP- Dave Anderson)

Mississauga SW 9 vs. Oakville 0 (LP- Dan McMullan)

WAA 8 (LP- Barry Keith, HR- James Drew) vs. Markham 9 (WP- Tyler Clements, HR- John Bell)

Peterborough 7 (WP- Tyler Plumpton) vs. Glanbrook 6

WAA 3 (WP- Cody Seremack) vs. Oakville 1 (LP- Gord Robertson)

WAA 4 (LP- Kyle Trudell, HR- Justin Levesque) vs. Glanbrook 5

Mississauga SW 4 vs. Markham 2 (LP- Kyle Lawrence)

Markham 3 (LP- Mark Cheeseman) vs. Glanbrook 4

Peterborough 4 (LP- Gary Rose) vs. Oakville 11 (WP- Marc Walton)

 

Milton 3 (LP- Justin Volpato) vs. Erindale 5 (WP- Ian Bala)

Thornhill 2 (HR- Brian MacDonald) vs. Niagara 2

Windsor 6 (WP- Tyler Gauthier) s. Lakeside 5

Milton 3 (LP- Ian Zettle) vs. Lakeside 4

Lakeside 2 vs. Niagara 3 (WP- Justin Ayles)

Windsor 4 (WP- Steve Teno) vs. Niagara 3 (LP- Paul McKenna, HR- Dave Davidson)

Thornhill 8 (WP- Phil Owen, HR- Brad Crone) vs. Erindale 0 (LP- Zack Laurin)

Windsor 7 (WP- Jason Lauzon) vs. Erindale 2 (LP- Dan Estey, HR- Jay Woodford)

Thornhill 4 (WP- Brendan Horgan, HR- Lenny Wood) vs. Milton 3 (LP- Jake Tougas)

 

Sunday

Quarter-Finals

3. Windsor Stars 3 (LP- Mike Czerwieniec) vs. 6. Newmarket Hawks 4 (WP- Adam Zorzit, HR- Adam Zorzit)

4. Thornhill Reds 12 (WP- Lucas Kawa)  vs. 5. Brampton Battlecats 3 (LP- Steve Hough)

 

Semi-Finals

1. Etobicoke Rangers 7 (WP- Kyle Breitner) vs. Thornhill 3 (LP- Chadwick Cameron)

2. Mississauga SW Twins 5 vs. Newmarket 3 (LP- Dave MacPherson)

 

Finals

Etobicoke Rangers 3 (LP- Josh Wood) vs. Mississauga SW Twins 4 (WP- James Byrnes)

 

 2013 HAP WALTERS CHAMPIONS - MISSISSAUGA SW TWINS

 

 

Round One

 

1. Bolton 2 (WP- Pat Warden) vs. Tecumseh 1 (LP- Mitch Kramer)

- Tecumseh commits 3 costly errors and bats don't help out Kramer.

2. Etobicoke 5 (WP- Andrew Hyde) vs. Lakeside 2 (LP- Blair Laurent)

- Rangers set themselves up wonderfully to make a run.

3. Newmarket 2 (WP- Victor Simon) vs. Peterborough 1 (LP- Brad Grieverson)

- Simon carried a no-hitter into the 5th and went the distance. 

4. Martingrove 1 (LP- Zach Bannon) vs. Burlington 5 (WP- Trevor Woodjetts)

- Woodjetts shows what he is capable of when healthy. 

5. Strathroy 11 vs. Redbirds 6 (LP- Ian Okorofsky, HR- David Bernholtz)

- No surprise here.

6. Milton 7 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. Vaughan 3

- Milton wins as expected. 

7. Oakville 5 (WP- Kyle Fisher) vs. Markham 2 (LP- Steve Anderson)

- Oakville continues dominance over Markham. 

8. Sarnia 0 vs. Erindale 10 (WP- Geoff Cullen, HR- Geoff Cullen, Chris Novia)

- Cullen gets it done at the plate and on the hill.

9. Glanbrook 4 (LP- Chris Cooney) vs. Mississauga 7 (WP- Michael Cardinale) (9 innings)

- Twins need extras to get by the Grizzlies.

10. WAA 2 (LP- Cody Seremack, HR- Jordan Ketterer) vs. Thornhill 5 (WP- Chadwick Cameron, HR-Brian MacDonald)

- Reds use impressive start by Chadwick Cameron to win game 1.

11. Brampton 2 (LP- Steve Hough) vs. Niagara 6 (WP- Justin Ayles, HR- Jonathan Paul)

- Metros win a game that was suspended into Saturday.

12. Leaside 10 (WP- Ryan Donnelly, HR- Kyle Kristenbrun) vs. Ilderton 8 (LP- John Ambrose)

- Leafs build big lead then hold off late charge from Army.

 

Round 2

13. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Zack Breault) vs. Lakeside 2 

- Thunder turn to their ace to win a game.

14. Peterborough 7 (WP- Dave Anderson) vs. Martingrove 1 (LP- Miguel Sammy)

- Riverdogs win easily against league rival.

15. Redbirds 2 (LP- Myles Swartz) vs. Vaughan 4

- Not much to say here.

16. Markham 2 (LP- Kyle Lawrence) vs. Sarnia 7

- Mainers surprisingly go 2 and out.

17. Glanbrook 1 vs. WAA 10 (WP- Kyle Trudell)

- Bad Glanbrook team showed up this weekend.

18. Brampton 3 (LP- Jared Ferencik) vs. Ilderton 9 (WP- Jamie Mann)

- Army battle to play another game.

19. East York 4 (WP- Dustin Lawson) vs. Etobicoke 3 (LP- Kyle Porter)

- Bulldogs surprise with a victory over the highly ranked Rangers.

20. Newmarket 11 (WP- Adam Kallio, HR- Alex Bruce) vs. Burlington 1 

- Hawks make quick work of Brants.

21. Strathroy 7 vs. Milton 3 (LP- Tyler Wilson)

- Royals poised to make another run.

22. Oakville 3 (LP- Dan McMullan) vs. Erindale 6 (WP- Ian Bala)

- Cardinals seem to be hot at the right time.

23. Mississauga 7 (WP- Jordan Petruska, HR- Jerome Smith 2, Sean Bignall) vs. Thornhill 4 (LP- Phil Owen,  HR- Mike Alati)

- Twins score 5 times in 7th to come from behind.

24. Niagara 8 (WP- Paul McKenna) vs. Leaside 3 (LP- Jorge Frugoni)

- Metros win convincingly. 

 

Round 3

25. Peterborough 7 (LP- Gary Rose, HR- Hugh Sullivan) vs. Tecumseh 11 (WP- Matt Cook, HR- Jason Marentette, Kyle Trudell)

- Errors derail Riverdogs as Thunder come back from 5-1 deficit. 

26. Vaughan 2 vs. Sarnia 4

- Sarnia squeezes itself into Sunday.

27. Ilderton 5 vs. WAA 8 (WP- Keaton LeBlanc)

- WAA scores 5 runs in the 7th to steal one from the Army.

28. Etobicoke 7 (WP- Andrew Perryman) vs. Burlington 1

- No surprise here.

29. Milton 2 (LP- Scott McTrach, HR- Adam Aubie) vs. Oakville 6 (WP- Josh Spagnoletti, HR- Marc Walton)

- A's move into Sunday.

30. Thornhill 5 (WP- Brendan Horgan) vs. Leaside 3 (LP- Scott Donnelly)

- Disappointing end to Leafs' weekend.

31. Bolton 3 vs. East York 6 (WP- Mark Sikorski)

- East York rallies late to remain undefeated. 

32. Strathroy 1 vs. Erindale 5

- Cardinals look dangerous heading into Sunday. 

33. Mississauga 2 (LP- Adam Paish) vs. Niagara 12 (WP- Dan Veres)

- Twins get embarrassed in mercy-shortened game.

 

Round 4

34. Sarnia 6 vs. WAA 2 (LP- Jeff Parker)

- Sarnia punches ticket into final 6 after scoring 4 runs in the 6th.

35. Etobicoke 6 (WP- Kyle Breitner) vs. Oakville 3 (LP- Andrew Kotulak)

- Etobicoke advances to take on Tecumseh

36. Thornhill 8 (WP- Noah Frankel) vs. Bolton 5

- Reds continue winning ways and still have ace Crone left to pitch.

37. Strathroy 2 vs. Mississauga 6

- MSW advances and will take on Thornhill again.

38. Newmarket 1 (LP- Dave MacPherson) vs. East York 7 (WP- Jake Gallo)

- East York works its way into the undefeated game.

39. Erindale 3 (WP- Dan Estey, HR- Frank Coccia) vs. Niagara 1 (LP- Brandon Beattie)

- Erindale moves into the undefeated game and guarantees a spot in the final 6. Coccia hits two out 2 run HR in bottom of 6th.

 

Round 5

40. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Brandon Lindquist) vs. Etobicoke 3 (LP- Josh Wood, HR- Brett Sanders)

- Thunder use 4 run 2nd to hold off the Rangers.

41. Thornhill 5 (LP- Brad Crone) vs. Mississauga 10 (WP- James Byrnes, HR- Sean Bignall, Matt Dekundy, Jamie Smith)

- Reds' abundance of injuries finally catch up to them as both of their losses come at the hands of the Twins. 

42. Newmarket 5 (WP- PA Di Lulio) vs. Niagara 1 (LP- Geoff Strong)

- Another disappointing finish for the Metros.

43. East York 8 (WP- Jack Malone) vs. Erindale 6

- EY goes into the final 6 as the lone unbeaten team.

 

Round 6

Erindale 3 vs. Newmarket 10 (WP- Alex Bruce)

- Bruce makes the most of his first Elims start for his new team.

East York 3 (LP- Quinn Cumming, HR- Robin Fox-Pappas) vs. Tecumseh 10 (WP- Matt Stezycki)

- Thunder bats too much for EY.

Mississauga 10 vs. Sarnia 0

- Twins make quick work of Braves, who simply didn't have enough to compete.

 

Semi-Finals (Round 7)

East York 1 (LP- Dustin Lawson) vs. Mississauga 4 (WP- Adam Paish)

- The Twins advance are now one game away from their second Nationals berth in three years.

Newmarket 3 (LP- Adam Zorzit) vs. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Mitch Kramer)

- Tecumseh scores 2 runs in bottom of 6th to come from behind

 

Finals (Round 8)

Tecumseh Thunder 2 (LP- Zack Breault, HR- Matt Cook) vs. Mississauga Southwest Twins 3

 

2013 ELIMINATIONS CHAMPIONS- MISSISSAUGA SW TWINS

 

 

 

 

Friday

 

Bolton 2 vs. Milton 8 (WP- Tyler Wilson, HR- Matt Lahn, Steve Lauzon)

Ilderton 0 (LP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Thornhill 6 (WP- Chadwick Cameron, HR- Tyler Cattapan, Kyle Moloney)

 

Saturday

Burlington 6 (WP- Atsushu Urata, HR- Rob Birtles) vs. North London 1 (LP- Brook Coatsworth)

Burlington JR 3 vs. Pickering 7 (WP- Tyler Clements, HR- Jesse Dynes)

Thornhill 4 (LP- Phil Owen) vs. Milton 10 (WP- Ian Zettle, HR- Kevin Cooper)

Bolton 3 vs. Ilderton 13 (WP- Sasha Gerster)

Burlington JR W vs. North London L

Burlington 1 (LP- Tim Sogan) vs. Pickering 2 (WP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)

 

Sunday

B Bracket Semis

Burlington Juniors W vs. Bolton L

Ilderton 11 (WP- Jamie Mann) vs. North London 0

A Bracket Semis

Thornhill 6 (WP- Brad Crone, SV- Eric Wakeman) vs. Burlington 5 (LP- Chris Cooney)

Pickering 10 (WP- Mark Cheeseman) vs. Milton 3 (LP- Justin Volpato, HR- Craig Howse)

 

Consolation Finals

Ilderton 11 (WP- John Ambrose) vs. Burlington Juniors 4

 

Championship Finals

Pickering 0 (LP- Brad Binns) vs. Thornhill 12 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Kyle Moloney)

 

THORNHILL REDS - 2014 TILLSONBURG TOURNAMENT CHAMPIONS

The Niagara Metros ran the table and won the Vaughan tournament today.  The Metros were rather impressive, dominating in every game they played.  In round robin play they beat Leaside 11-4, North London 20-0 and Strathroy 5-3.  In the playoff rounds they beat Vaughan 11-6, Erindale 7-4 (in extra innings), and beat Strathroy again in the finals by an 11-3 count.  All in all, Niagara scored 65 runs and allowed just 20 in their 6 games.  A very impressive effort to say the least.

 

The Strathroy Royals also had a good weekend.  They went 2-1 in round robin play and beat Leaside and Pickering in the playoff rounds before bowing out to Niagara.  Their only two losses came at the hands of the champions.

 

The Erindale Cardinals and Pickering Red Sox also made successful runs in the tournament, making it to the semi finals.  The Cardinals went 2-1 in their opening round before beating Newmarket in the quarter-finals.  The Red Sox went 2-1 in the opening round and beat Thornhill in the quarter-finals.  That's back to back deep runs in tournaments for Pickering in consecutive weekends.

 

 

 

FRIDAY

 

Etobicoke 2 (LP- Andrew Hyde) vs. Pickering 5 (WP- Patrick Vecchiarelli)

Thornhill 4 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Tyler Cattapan) vs. Erindale 2 (LP- Zach Laurin)

Newmarket 1 (LP- Dave MacPherson) vs. Brampton 3 (WP- Zach Sloan, SV- Joey Nonis)

East York 2 (WP- Mark Sikorski) vs. Etobicoke JR 0 (LP- Brandon Habibi)

Leaside 4 (LP- Chris Goodale) vs. Niagara 11 (WP- Paul McKenna)

North London 0 (LP- Sean Thomson) vs. Burlington 13 (WP- Cam McKnight)

Vaughan 1 (LP- Daniel Pelley) vs. Strathroy 12 (WP- Craig Steadman)

 

SATURDAY

 

Erindale 12 (WP- Ian Bala) vs. East York 4 (LP- Myles Swartz)

Etobicoke 9 (LP- Kyle Angelow) vs. Newmarket 12 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Dan Telford)

Pickering 5 (WP- Brad Binns) vs. Brampton 1 (LP- Joe Ferreira)

Thornhill 6 (WP- Tyler Cattapan) vs. Etobicoke JR 4 (LP- Harrison Gaudet)

Leaside 11 (WP- Andrew Morales) vs. Vaughan 3 (LP- Matthew Laise)

Strathroy 4 vs. Burlington 3 (LP- Chris Cooney)

Niagara 20 (WP- AJ Clark) vs. North London 0

Thornhill 4 (LP- Phil Owen) vs. East York 9 (WP- Jack Malone)

Newmarket 8 (WP- Brent Heaslip) vs. Pickering 3 (LP- Steve Horsley)

Erindale 6 (WP- Andrew Mullin) vs. Etobicoke JR 5 (LP- Adam McBride)

Etobicoke 11 (WP- Andrew Perryman) vs. Brampton 7 (LP- Steve Hough)

Leaside 17 (WP- Brian Pressnail) vs. Burlington 15 (LP- Andre Rienzo)

Strathroy 3 (LP- Jason Schneider) vs. Niagara 5 (WP- Brandon Beattie)

Vaughan 15 vs. North London 0

 

QUARTERFINALS

 

Newmarket 2 (LP- Ryan Fedrigo) vs. Erindale 12 (WP- Mike Morely)

Thornhill 7 (LP- Chadwick Cameron) vs. Pickering 15 (WP- Mark Cheeseman, HR- John Bell)

Leaside 2 vs. Strathroy 3

Niagara 11 (WP- Justin Ayles) vs. Vaughan 6

 

SEMI FINALS

 

Erindale 4 (LP- Andrew Mullin) vs . Niagara 8 (WP- Justin Ayles)

Pickering 6 (LP- Patrick Vecchiarelli) vs. Strathroy 7

 

FINALS

 

Strathroy 3 vs. Niagara 11 (WP- Justin Ayles)

 

2014 VAUGHAN TOURNAMENT CHAMPS - NIAGARA METROS

 

 

FRIDAY

Lakeside 4 (LP- Alex MacLeod) vs. Erindale 8 (WP- Ian Bala)

Mississauga 15 (WP- Jordan Petruska) vs. Ilderton 1 (LP- John Ambrose)

East York 9 (WP- Jack Malone) vs. Milton 6 (LP- Justin Volpato)

St. Thomas JR 0 vs. Thunder JR 5 (WP- Tylr Lawrence)

Sarnia 3 vs. Exeter 4

Windsor 1 (LP- Matt Rustulka) vs. Michigan 6

Etobicoke 3 (LP- Bryan Vardzel) vs. Tecumseh 5 (WP- Zack Breault, HR- Mitch Delaney*walk-off)

Leaside 8 (WP- Ryan Donnelly) vs. Oakville 3 (LP- Marc Walton)

 

SATURDAY

East York 4 (WP- Mark Sikorski*no-hitter*) vs. Ilderton 0 (LP- Jordan Townshend)

Thunder JR 6 (WP- Shane Courtney) vs. Erindale 0 (LP- Kevin Lucas)

Milton 7 (WP- Ian Zettle) vs. Exeter 0

St. Thomas JR 9 vs. Oakville 4 (LP- Kyle Fisher)

Lakeside 4 (LP- Kevin Furtney) vs. Tecumseh 8 (WP- Cody Seremack, HR- Matt Stezycki)

Windsor 4 (LP- Steve Teno) vs. Etobicoke 5 (WP- Kyle Breitner, HR- Brett Sanders (2))

Mississauga SW 3 (WP- Kyle Porter) vs. Sarnia 0

St. Thomas JR 4 vs. East York 6 (WP- Patrick Smith)

Lakeside 3 vs. Milton 13 (WP- Tyler Wilson)

Michigan 3 vs. Etobicoke 4 (WP- Kevin Breitner)

Mississauga SW 1 (WP- Billy Hurley) vs. Leaside 0 (LP- Jorge Frugoni)

Tecumseh 10 (WP- Brandon Lindquist) vs. Oakville 4

Windsor 2 (WP- Mike Czerwieniec) vs. Erindale 0 (LP- Mike Morely)

Michigan 13 vs. Exeter 2

Sarnia 2 vs. Leaside 9 (WP- Andrew Morales)

Tecumseh JR 12 (WP- Webber Snow, HR- Keifer Quick) vs. Ilderton 4

 

SUNDAY

Mississauga SW 0 (LP- Kyle Trudell) vs. Michigan 6

East York 9 (LP- Jerome Werniuk) vs. Leaside 12 (WP- Jordan Anderson, HR- Adam Campbell)

 

Thunder JR 5 vs. Michigan 2

Tecumseh 8 (WP- Mitch Kramer, HR- Barry Keith) vs. Leaside 0 (LP- Scott Donnelly)

 

Finals

Thunder JR 4 vs. Tecumseh 5 (WP- Matt Stezycki, SV- Eric Carducci) (10 innings)

 

TECUMSEH THUNDER - 2014 LAKESIDE CHAMPIONS

 

FRIDAY

Etobicoke 4 (WP- Andrew Hyde, SV- Bryan Vardzel) vs. Thornhill 3 (LP- Chadwick Cameron)

WAA 5 vs. Strathroy 6

Niagara 12 (WP- Daniel Veres) vs. Oakville 0 (LP- Alex Gowing)

Ivy 4 (LP- Todd Gowen, HR- Todd Gowen) vs. Newmarket 5 (WP- Victor Simon, HR- Liam O'Brien, Josh Caruso)

Mississauga SW 4 (WP- Kyle Trudell) vs. Burlington 3 (LP- Trevor Woodjetts)

Ilderton 7 (LP- John Ambrose) vs. East York 12 (WP- Jack Malone)

Erindale 4 (WP- Kevin Lucas, SV- Dan Estey, HR- Chris Novia) vs. Burlington JR 3

Pickering 8 (WP- Brad Binns) vs. Lakeside 2 (LP- Hayden Woodley)

Brampton 1 (WP- Joe Ferreira) vs. Milton 0 (LP- Ian Zettle)

Windsor 2 (WP- Jason Lauzon) vs. Bolton 0

 

SATURDAY

WAA 3 vs. Etobicoke 4 (WP- Andrew Perryman, SV- Kyle Angelow)

Lakeside 4 (LP- Alex MacLeod) vs. Erindale 12 (WP- Ian Bala, HR- Geoff Cullen, Chris Novia)

Ivy 7 (WP- Brad Grieveson, HR- Todd Gowen) vs. Oakville 1 (LP- Matt Chisamore)

Ilderton 7 (LP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Mississauga 11 (WP- Kyle Porter)

Windsor 2 (WP- Mike Czerwieniec) vs. Milton 1 (LP- Tyler Wilson)

WAA 2 (LP- Jeff Walker) vs. Thornhill 11 (WP- Phil Owen, HR- Brad Crone)

Lakeside 6 (LP- Josh Tetreau) vs. Burlington JR 12

Ivy 3 (LP- Brad Grieverson) vs. Niagara 6 (WP- Geoff Strong)

Burlington 13 vs. Ilderton 3

Windsor 5 (WP- Matt Rustulka) vs. Brampton 1 (LP- Mike Burke)

Thornhill 8 (WP- Dave Anderson, HR- Kyle Moloney) vs. Strathroy 4 (LP- Tyler Annett)

Burlington JR 0 vs. Pickering 5

Niagara 4 (WP- Justin Ayles) vs. Newmarket 1 (LP- Alex Bruce)

Brampton 8 (WP- Zach Sloan) vs. Bolton 2 (LP- Trent Barwick)

 

TOURNAMENT RAINED OUT

 

 

ROUND ONE

1. Thornhill 5 (WP- Dave Anderson) vs. Vaughan 4 (LP- Peter Westlake, HR- Matthew Laise)

- Reds squeeze by Vaughan and must not look past Ilderton.

2. Windsor 5 (WP- Matt Rustulka) vs. Martingrove 0 (LP- Adam Frydman)

- Stars were up 1-0 in the fifth but pulled away late.

3. Strathroy 15 (WP- Tyler Annett) vs. Erindale 7 (LP- Mike Morely, HR- Jon Amendola)

- Uncharacteristic score for a Royals game but they get it done.

4. Mississauga SW 3 (WP- Billy Hurley, HR- Sean Bignall, Jerome Smith) vs. Niagara 0 (LP- Daniel Veres)

- Twins show they are built for this weekend.  Bignall and Smith went back to back to account for the only runs.

5. Burlington 2 (WP- Trevor Woodjetts) vs. Etobicoke 1 (LP- Andrew Hyde)

- Brants surprise Etobicoke who now has it's back against the wall.

6. Milton 0 (LP- Tyler Wilson) vs. Tecumseh 10 (WP- Mitch Kramer, HR- Casey Power, Anthony Peticca)

- Thunder destroy Milton and show why they are the number one team.

7. Sarnia 5 (LP- Wade Babula) vs. Leaside 13 (WP- Ryan Donnelly, HR- Travis Skelton, Adam Morton)

- Leafs win as expected.

8. Bolton 14 (WP- Trent Barwick) vs. Pickering 11 (LP- Corey Jeffery)

- Bolton comes from behind then holds off Pickering threat.

9. Oakville 3 (LP- Marc Walton) vs. East York 4 (WP- Myles Swartz, HR- Jack Malone, Jesse Bartle) (8 innings)

- A's put up a fight but it's not good enough.

10. Brampton 12 (WP- Joe Ferreira, HR- Victor Speciale) vs. Lakeside 4 (LP- Alex MacLeod)

- The Royals bring the bats with them in game one.

11. Newmarket 7 (WP- Victor Simon) vs. WAA 0 (LP- Chris Renaud)

- Hawks make short, quick work of A's.

 

ROUND TWO

12. Martingrove 0 (LP- Mike Bannon) vs. Erindale 18 (WP- Andrew Mullin)

- Cardinals blow doors off of Martingrove and are positioned for a run. They get Vaughan next.

13. Niagara 3 (WP- Paul McKenna, HR- Dave Davidson) vs. Etobicoke 1 (LP- Gary Rose)

- Based on their draw, a two and out was a real possibility for Etobicoke, but it is still a huge surprise and big disappointment I'm sure.

14. Milton 0 (LP- Justin Volpato) vs. Sarnia 10 (Nick Baljeu)

- Red Sox lose both their games by a combined 20-0 score.

15. Pickering 7 (WP- Patrick Vecchiarelli) vs. Oakville 1

- Disappointing season continues for Oakville.  Not sure what's going on over there but they definitely should have been better than this.

16. Lakeside 4 (LP- Kevin Furtney) vs. WAA 7 (WP- Jeff Parker)

- A's win battle of bottom-feeders.

17. Ilderton 4 (WP- Jordan Townshend) vs. Thornhill 2 (LP- Brad Crone)

- Red Army pull off stunner, but with Townshend throwing, nothing is really an upset.

18. Windsor 3 (LP- Adam Myers) vs. Strathroy 4 (WP- Derek Howe) (11 innings)

- Royals win big one.  They take on league-mate Ilderton next.

19. Mississauga SW 7 (WP- Jordan Petruska, HR- Troy Black) vs. Burlington 1 (LP- Tim Sogan)

- Twins win to set up rematch of last year's final with Tecumseh.

20. Tecumseh 7 (WP- Kyle Trudell, SV- Eric Carducci) vs. Leaside 2 (LP- Jorge Frugoni)

- Leafs continue to show they are not as good as the best teams.

21. Bolton 4 (LP- Trent Barwick) vs. East York 5 (WP- Mark Sikorski, HR- Robin Fox-Pappas) (10 innings)

- It's taken EY extra innings in both of their games against weaker opponents.  A win is a win at this point of the year.

22. Brampton 3 (LP- Ryan Thompson) vs. Newmarket 10 (WP- Alex Bruce)

- There is still something about this Hawks team come this time of the year.

 

ROUND THREE

23. Vaughan 0 (LP- Daniel Pelley) vs. Erindale 7 (WP- Dan Estey)

- Vikings simply outmatched in this one.

24. Niagara 6 (WP- Geoff Strong, HR- Anthony Vacca) vs. Sarnia 2 (LP- Anthony Shepherd)

- Easy win for Niagara, who has a chance to go on a roll now.

25. Pickering 9 (WP- Peter Nash) vs. WAA 1 (LP- Jared Ferencik)

- Red Sox rebound from opening day defeat to move in to Sunday.

26. Thornhill 1 (WP- Chadwick Cameron, HR- Brian MacDonald) vs. Windsor 0 (LP- Steve Teno)

- With the way both teams had been playing lately, the better team definitely won.

27. Burlington 2 (LP- Chris Cooney) vs. Leaside 8 (WP- Jordan Anderson)

- Seems like the same ol' story once again for Burlington.  The Leafs advance in to Sunday.

28. Bolton 1 (WP- Zack Ridell) vs. Brampton 0 (LP- Zach Sloan)

- One run is all the Brewers needed to crawl past Brampton.

29. Ilderton 3 (LP- John Ambrose) vs. Strathroy 8 (WP- Craig Steadman)

- The Royals continue their success against SWBL competition.

30. Mississauga SW 5 vs. Tecumseh 9 (WP- Zack Breault, HR- Kevin Mailloux)

- Thunder exact revenge on Twins from last year's final.  Breault gave up 5 first inning runs but shut them down after that, allowing the offence to put up some runs.

31. East York 3 (LP- Patrick Smith) vs. Newmarket 7 (WP- Brent Heaslip)

- Doesn't matter who they have on the team, they just get it done.  Got to give it up to the coaching staff.  Still lots of work to do though.

 

ROUND FOUR

32. Erindale 3 (LP- Kevin Lucas) vs. Niagara 6 (WP- Brandon Beattie)

- The Metros got by the Cards and now have a match with Pickering to determine who goes to the final 5.

33. Pickering 5 (WP- Brad Binns) vs. Thornhill 4 (LP- Phil Owen)

- Red Sox prove to be a thorn in Reds' side, with yet another big tournament win against them.  Heartbreaking loss for the Reds, who held a 4-2 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th.

34. Leaside 8 (WP- Chris Goodale) vs. Bolton 2 (LP- Darryl Bond)

- No surprise here.  Leafs meet EY for GTBL supremacy.

35. Ilderton 1 (LP- Jamie Mann) vs. East York 12 (WP- Jake Gallo)

- Gallo cruises in mercy-shortened game.

36. Tecumseh 2 (WP- Eric Carducci, HR- Jason Marentette) vs. Newmarket 1 (LP- Mark West) (8 innings)

- Another gutsy performance by Simon.  Tecumseh was down 1-0 in the 7th.  A pinch-hit homerun by Jason Marentette tied it, and a walk in extras won it.  Tough loss for the Hawks.  Thunder go to the undefeated game vs. Strathroy.

 

ROUND FIVE

37. Niagara 3 (LP- Brandon Beattie) vs. Pickering 6 (WP- Brad Binns)

- After an opening round loss, it was hard to envision Pickering making it this far.  They get a huge win and vault into the final five.  Some teams just get it done when the stakes are the highest.  Yet another disappointing season for Niagara.

38. Leaside 7 (WP- Sean Kavanaugh) vs. East York 3 (LP- Myles Swartz)

- A disappointing finish for East York.  The Leafs turned to their top reliever to get past EY.  Will be interesting to see where they turn now. As long as they are in the mix they have a shot. They will have an edge in hitting over their next opponent.

39. Mississauga 7 (WP- Kyle Trudell, HR- John Broll (2)) vs. Newmarket 1 (LP- Ryan Fedrigo, HR- Mark Petrou)

- Surprise! Surprise! The Twins are in to Sunday night.

40. Strathroy 0 vs. Tecumseh 4 (WP- Brandon Lindquist)

- Thunder win again and get a bye into Monday morning.

 

ROUND SIX

41. Mississauga SW Twins 6 vs. Strathroy Royals 2

- The Twins jumped out to an early lead then pulled away after Strathroy cut it to 3-2.  

42. Leaside Leafs 4 (WP- Josh Howsam) vs. Pickering Red Sox 3 (LP- Christian Chavez)

- Howsam turned back the clock and gave the Leafs a big performance.  There was once a time where Sunday night would have likely been Howsam's second start of the weekend, but the Leafs made it to this point without needing their former ace.

 

ROUND SEVEN

43. Tecumseh Thunder 0 (LP- Mitch Kramer) vs. Mississauga SW Twins 3 (WP- Billy Hurley)

- It doesn't matter how they do in the regular season.  The pre-season number one team just gets it done in tournaments.

 

ROUND EIGHT

44. Leaside Leafs 4 (LP- Jorge Frugoni) vs. Mississauga SW Twins 5 (WP- James Byrnes) (9 innings)

- The Leafs led 3-1 in the bottom of the 7th and 4-3 in the bottom of the 9th but gave up the lead both times.  Tough way to end the weekend.

 

ROUND NINE

45. Tecumseh Thunder 7 (WP- Zack Breault) vs. Mississauga SW Twins 1 (LP- James Byrnes)

- The Twins suffere from a hangover and didn't put forth their best effort. This was a rematch of last year's final and this one yielded a different result. 

 

1. Tecumseh Thunder

- They were the odds-on favourites to win it all, and that is what they did.  They are the best team in the province.  The Twins are a very close second, but this Tecumseh team was just absolutely stacked this year.

2. Mississauga SW Twins

- The defending champs fell just short of the gold, but that doesn't diminish how good they are as a team.  With a core group of guys still young enough to put together a few good years together, this team will continue to dominate the province.

3. Leaside Leafs

- What a tough way for them to end their quest for a Nationals berth.  Most of their key players are north of 30 and they do not have much time left to make noise.  This could have been the year for them but they will be forced to try to do it again next year instead.

4. Pickering Red Sox

- The Red Sox are a tough tournament team, and know how to win tough games.  They fell just short of a Monday berth, and are a pitcher or two away from being right back again next year.

4. Strathroy Royals

- It was a decent weekend for the Royals but I'm sure they are mightily disappointed.  They had the team and the depth to win it all, but unfortunately drew a better Mississauga team on Sunday night.

6. East York Bulldogs

- They were loaded enough to be able to win, but something just seemed off with how they had played lately.  The consistency was just not there.  If they don't retain all of their big additions for next year, then they will fade back into obscurity.  If they bring everyone back they will once again have a shot.

6. Newmarket Hawks

- There are a handful of teams who know how to win at this time of the year, and they are one of them.  They just didn't have enough depth this year.  With last year's pitching staff they probably would have been playing on Monday.

6. Niagara Metros

- This was looking like it was going to be the year for the Metros, but they once again disappointed.  Seems like you can expect them to win a couple of games in this tournament year in and year out, and that's about it.

9. Bolton Brewers

- The Brewers were able to pull off a couple of wins, and that is probably the best result they could have realistically expected.  They are world-beaters in the North Dufferin league, but they are average at best outside of it.  That being said, they do have some decent pieces and are an acquisition or two away from being pretty good.

9. Erindale Cardinals

- The window of opportunity for this team is probably very small now, if not closed already.  They can be counted on to compete with any team, but when all is said and done that is all they can be counted on for.

9. Thornhill Reds

- They exited the tournament in a horrible way, but how much further they could have gone was in question with the pitching they had left.

12. Ilderton Red Sox

- With Townshend pitching they can beat any team out there.  Without Townshend pitching, they can lose to any team out there.  Playing Strathroy and East York didn't help because they are not at that level.

13. Brampton Royals

- Losing 1-0 to Bolton has got to sting for this team.  They have some decent pieces and should continue to improve, especially if they can get some players from their good junior team.

13. Burlington Brants

- The weekend started off great with a win against Etobicoke, but they lost their next two to go home early again.  It seems as though this is the type of result this team will continue to get.

13. Sarnia Braves

- They are not all that bad and have some decent players, but they are just not good enough.

13. WAA

- They lost so many players and just didn't have enough talent this season.  It will be interesting to see how they do going forward in terms of getting talent and keeping it.

13. Windsor Stars

- They lost both of their games by one run each.  If they beat Thornhill they probably could have made a run, but they didn't.  Lets see how they re-tool in the off-season, because this type of result is not something they are accustomed to.

18. Vaughan Vikings

- They need to re-consider playing in the "A" Eliminations, unless they can add some more pieces.  With the current roster, they are not good enough or deep enough to compete at this level.

19. Etobicoke Rangers

- There's nothing to be ashamed about losing to Burlington and Niagara, but there were high hopes for Etobicoke and a two and out was unacceptable.  Not having Brett Sanders definitely hurt, but they should have been able to put up more than 2 runs.  Their best pitcher never started a game.

19. Lakeside Lizards

- Not much to write about this team, other than they went from a team that was a tough opponent to a team that didn't compete.  A lot of their games were not even close, both all season and this weekend.

19. Martingrove White Sox

- They never put up a run this weekend, and really need to re-consider whether they should have a team next season.

19. Milton Red Sox

- A two and out is not all that surprising, but with the amount of homeruns they have been hitting this year, it's hard to believe they couldn't put up a run in two games.  Their best pitchers are getting old, and probably don't have many innings left in them.

19. Oakville A's

- Their disappointing season continued this weekend.  They should not have been this bad this year.  They seem to have checked out a ong time ago.