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Unstoppable! Ivy and Midland storm to Provincial Titles
August 26, 2025 It was a thrilling weekend of baseball as the Ivy Rangers and Midland Mariners claimed provincial championships in their respective classifications. The Rangers triumphed in the 'A' division, while the Mariners emerged victorious in the 'C' division. The Rangers delivered an impressive performance throughout the weekend, advancing to the championship game on Sunday. They opened the tournament with a dominant 12-1 mercy-rule win over North London, followed by a 4-2 victory against Thorold and a 6-3 win over Simcoe. In Game 4, they suffered an 8-3 loss to Niagara Falls. In the semi-final, Ivy walked off Welland with a dramatic 5-4 win. They then won the draw for a bye to the final, forcing Niagara Falls and Byron to play back-to-back games. Byron advanced to face Ivy in the championship. The final was a tightly contested battle. Ivy scored one run in each of the first three innings, matching Byron's early offense, which included one run in the first and two in the second. The Rangers pulled ahead in the fourth, making it 5-3, but Byron narrowed the gap with a run in the sixth. Ivy responded with two runs in the top of the seventh. Byron added one more in the bottom half, but a game-ending throw from right field to home plate sealed the win for Ivy. Midland went undefeated in the 12-team 'C' classification tournament held in Port Hope, capping off their run with a thrilling extra-innings victory over River Canard in the final. The Mariners started strong, defeating York 10-8 and St. Catharines 7-5 to earn a bye into the third round. There, they beat River Canard 13-6 and edged Essex 10-9 in the semi-final, setting up a rematch with River Canard for the championship. The final saw both teams trade runs in the first inning. River Canard surged ahead with three runs in the third and four more in the fourth, while Midland managed just one run in the third. The Mariners mounted a comeback in the fifth, scoring seven runs to take a 9-8 lead. River Canard tied the game in the sixth, sending it to extra innings. In the ninth, Midland scored twice to go up 11-9. River Canard answered with one run in the bottom half, but a double play ended the game and secured the championship for the Mariners. New Lowell travelled to Wyoming for the 'AA' tournament, opening with an 8-4 win over Woodslee and a 7-1 victory against Tecumseh. With five of the six teams still in contention, New Lowell earned a bye into the third round. Heavy rain postponed Saturday evening's game, pushing New Lowell's next matchup to Sunday afternoon. They faced Beamsville and fell 14-3. The Knights advanced to the semi-finals, where they met host team Wyoming, ultimately losing 4-1. Beamsville went on to win the 'AA' title, defeating Wyoming. It was a disappointing showing at the 'B' tournament in Leamington for both the Owen Sound Baysox and Lisle Astros. The two teams faced off in the opener, with Lisle winning 6-4. Owen Sound then lost a close 8-7 game to Merritton. The Astros dropped a tight 8-7 contest to Corunna and were eliminated after a 7-2 loss to Fort Erie. Leamington defeated Mitchell for the championship. Also competing in the 'A' tournament in Thorold were the Barrie Angels and Bolton Brewers. The Brewers dropped their opener 6-4 to Byron and were eliminated after an 18-5 loss to Whitby. Barrie lost 9-8 to Welland and was knocked out in extra innings with a 6-5 defeat to Milton. The Creemore Padres joined Midland at the 'C' tournament but were eliminated after back-to-back losses: 3-2 to Essex and 7-2 to Clarington. |
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Padres power past Cardinals to clinch back-to-back titles
August 22, 2025 The Creemore Padres are North Dufferin Baseball League junior division champions for the second consecutive season, defeating the Innisfil Cardinals 10-0 in Game 4 on Thursday (Aug. 21) evening. The two rivals, who also met in last year's final, began the championship series on Aug. 13. The series was disrupted by rain, with three games postponed. Game 4 was delayed twice before finally being played in Innisfil. The opening games were split, with Creemore taking Game 1 by an 11-1 score, and Innisfil edging the Padres 3-2 in Game 2. In Game 3 on Aug. 18, the teams traded runs early, with Innisfil leading 5-4 after two innings. Creemore responded with two runs in the third to retake the lead, added four in the fifth, and three more in the sixth. Innisfil scored once in both the fifth and sixth innings, but the game was called due to darkness before the seventh, giving Creemore a 13-7 win. Both teams delivered big hits in the game. Brady Wynne hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, while Michael Dawe tripled. Sebastien Pasquali and Caden Firlotte each doubled, and singles came from Tyrus Harper, Jackson Levely, Ethan Robertson and Pasquali. Creemore racked up 16 hits, including a three-run homer from Josh Hanley and a two-run shot from Seth Walker. Liam Reynolds had a standout performance at the plate with two singles and two doubles. Joseph Parke, Aidan Pain and Ben Nicholson each had two singles, while Danny Herman, Nic Guthrie, Dale Critchley and Anson Dupuis added one hit apiece. Justin Goldie started on the mound for Innisfil, pitching five innings and allowing 10 runs on 12 hits. He walked four, hit one batter and struck out five. Caden Biemiller pitched one inning in relief, giving up three runs on four hits and walking one. Creemore's Trent Hill pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on three hits, walking three and striking out two. Pain closed out the game with 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one. In the final game, the Padres dominated, scoring one run in the second inning, four in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh. The Cardinals had scoring chances leaving 12 runners on base. In the first inning, they loaded the bases, but Creemore's ace Guthrie struck out the next three batters to escape the jam. Only four Innisfil players recorded hits: Aidan Farrow doubled, while Brennan Hedrick, Dawe and Pasquali each singled. Creemore's offence was powered by three home runs from Herman, Guthrie and Dupuis. Dupuis also singled, as did Pain, Nicholson and Dylan Brown. Guthrie's pitching was key to the win. Over five innings, he allowed no runs on three hits, walked seven and struck out 14. Pain was called in for relief again, and pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and striking out one. Dawe started for Innisfil, allowing seven runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked six, hit one batter and struck out three. Noah Ubogi entered in the fifth to record the final out and pitched the last two innings, giving up three runs on two hits, hitting one batter and striking out one. After the game, league secretary and junior division convenor Scott Anderson presented the Anderson Trophy to Brady Reynolds, Luke Millsap and Wylie Ferris of Creemore. The trio accepted the hardware on behalf of the team as back-to-back North Dufferin League champions. |
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North Dufferin clubs take aim at Provincial Titles
August 18, 2025 Eight teams from the North Dufferin Baseball League will compete in senior provincial championship tournaments taking place August 22-24. The New Lowell Knights are heading to the six-team 'AA' tournament in Wyoming. They open against Woodslee on Friday at 5 p.m. Competing in the 12-team 'A' tournament in Thorold are the Barrie Angels, Bolton Brewers and Ivy Rangers. Ivy faces North London at 10 a.m. Friday, while Barrie plays Welland at 1 p.m. and Bolton meets Byron at the same time. In Leamington, the Lisle Astros and Owen Sound Baysox will represent the league in the 'B' tournament. The two teams square off in the opening game at 2 p.m. Friday. Ten teams are vying for the championship. Rounding out the tournament action, the Creemore Padres and Midland Mariners are set to play in Port Hope at the 'C' tournament. Both teams hit the field at 4 p.m. Friday, with the Padres taking on Essex and the Mariners facing York. |
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Padres and Cardinals trade blows in junior final
August 16, 2025 After two games in the North Dufferin Baseball League's junior division championship between the Creemore Padres and Innisfil Cardinals 1, the series is tied at one game apiece. Creemore took Game 1 with a decisive 11-1 win, while Innisfil edged out a 2-1 victory in Game 2. In Game 1 on Wednesday evening in Creemore, the Padres plated seven runs in the first inning en route to their victory. They added one run in the second and three more in the third. Innisfil scored its lone run in the bottom of the third. The long ball powered Creemore's offence in the five-inning contest, with three home runs: a three-run shot from Josh Hanley and a two-run homer from Ben Nicholson in the first inning, followed by a two-run blast from Danny Herman in the third. Hanley also hit a double, while Nicholson added a single. Joseph Parke, Dylan Brown, and Josh Young contributed singles, along with two from Aiden Pain and a double by Nic Guthrie. Brady Wynne and Tyrus Harper each singled for Innisfil. Trent Hill pitched all five innings for Creemore, allowing one run on two hits. He walked three, hit one batter, and struck out six. Ethan Robertson started for the Cardinals, giving up 11 runs on 11 hits over three innings. He walked five and struck out one. Calen Biemiller relieved him, pitching one inning with one walk and one strikeout. Game 2, played Friday evening in Innisfil, began with Creemore scoring two runs in the first inning. Parke reached on an error, advanced on a single by Liam Reynolds, and scored on an errant throw. Reynolds later scored on a sacrifice fly to right field. Innisfil responded in the bottom half of the inning. Brennan Hedrick was hit by a pitch from Creemore starter Josh McBride, and Michael Dawe followed with a home run over the left-field fence. The game remained tied until the bottom of the sixth, when Dawe doubled, advanced to third on a single by Jackson Levely, and scored on a sacrifice fly by Patrick Jannetta. Innisfil held Creemore scoreless in the seventh to secure the win. McBride pitched six innings for the Padres, allowing three hits, walking two, hitting one batter, and striking out four. Reynolds recorded Creemore's only hit, though four other batters reached base on Innisfil errors. Noah Ubogi pitched a complete game for Innisfil, allowing two runs on one hit, with three walks and four strikeouts. The best-of-five series resumes Sunday in Creemore at 11 a.m. Game 4 is scheduled for Monday at 8:30 p.m. in Innisfil. |
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Royals reign supreme at 22U Championship
August 11, 2025 The Orillia Royals are the new provincial champions in the 'A' classification of the 22U division, following a successful weekend in London. The Royals played six games over the three-day, 12-team championship to secure the title. They opened with a 3-0 win over Ancaster, followed by a dominant 13-3 victory against Windsor. On Saturday, the Royals defeated Mitchell 8-2 and edged Halton Hills 8-6. With four teams remaining on Sunday, Orillia faced league rivals Innisfil Cardinals and suffered their first loss in a close 2-1 contest. The Royals received a bye in the sixth round, forcing Innisfil and Mitchell to meet in the semifinal. Mitchell emerged victorious, setting up a rematch with Orillia in the final. Behind the strong pitching of James Pritchard for seven innings, the Royals blanked Mitchell 8-0 to win the championship and claim the provincial title. Innisfil also made a strong showing to get to Sunday play. After a 5-2 loss to Halton Hills in their opener, the Cardinals bounced back with wins over Mississauga North 11-0, Wyoming 9-5, and Ancaster 5-4. On Sunday morning, Innisfil upset Orillia before falling 3-0 to Mitchell, ending their run. Meanwhile, the Creemore Padres competed in the 22U 'B' tournament in Listowel. Creemore opened with a 2-0 win over Clinton, followed by a 6-4 victory against Leamington, earning a bye in the next round. In their third game, the Padres faced a tough Simcoe Giants squad on Saturday evening and fell 6-5. In semifinal action, the Padres met Port Lambton and trailed 10-0 after four innings. In the fifth, with one run already scored, Liam Reynolds hit a grand slam to close the gap to five runs. However, Port Lambton responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning to walk it off, dashing Creemore's hopes. Simcoe defeated Port Lambton 12-1 in the championship game to win the 'B' title. |
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Rockers defend Canadian Title August 8, 2025 Oldtimer teams from across Canada converged on Prince Edward Island over the Civic Holiday weekend for the Canadian National Oldtimers Baseball Championship. Both the Dufferin-Simcoe Rockers and the Dufferin-Simcoe Braves attended the tournament to defend their 2024 national titles. The Rockers competed in the 60-plus age division, while the Braves played in the 43-plus division. The Rockers advanced to the championship game after dominant round-robin wins: 11-1 over the Nova Scotia Monarchs, 15-2 over the Great West Legends, and 9-2 over the Hamilton Stealers. In the semi-final, they edged the Monarchs in a close 11-10 contest, then defeated the Oakville Golden A’s 9-4 in the final to retain their national title. The Braves also had a strong showing, advancing to the finals. After dropping their opening game 6-4 to the Saint John Mooseheads, they bounced back with a 16-0 win over the Halifax Mets and a 13-7 victory over the Alberta Legends. In semi-final action, the Braves faced the Mooseheads again and came away with a 7-4 win. In the championship game, the Braves met the undefeated Charlottetown Jays, who had outscored their opponents 51-2 leading up to the final. The Braves played with heart but fell short, losing 7-2. |
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Three NDBL teams head to 22U Provincials
August 6, 2025 Three North Dufferin Baseball League teams are heading to the 22U provincial championships this weekend. In the 'A' tournament in London, the Innisfil Cardinals 1 and Orillia Royals will compete in a 12-team bracket. Innisfil faces Halton Hills at 11 a.m., while Orillia takes on Ancaster at 2 p.m. on Friday. Regardless of the outcome, both teams will play a second game later that evening. Meanwhile, the Creemore Padres are attending the 'B' tournament, held in Listowel. The 10-team competition sees the Padres opening against Clinton at 1 p.m., followed by a second game at 7 p.m., win or lose. |
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Juniors enter round two
July 24, 2025 Four teams remain in the junior division of the North Dufferin Baseball League as second-round action gets underway. Innisfil Cardinals 2 advanced after defeating the Richmond Hill Phoenix in three games. After a 2-0 loss in the opener, the Cardinals bounced back with dominant 16-5 and 12-4 victories to move on. The Phoenix shut out the Cardinals in Game 1 behind strong pitching performances from Luca Cutrone, who allowed just two hits while striking out six, and Christian Fava, who added six more strikeouts. Fortunes reversed in Game 2, where Richmond Hill was mercied after 4 1/2 innings. Timely hitting from Innisfil drove in runs across all four innings. Game 3 followed a similar pattern, with Innisfil outhitting the Phoenix 18-4 to clinch the series. The Orillia Royals also needed three games to advance, facing off against the Barrie Baycats. Barrie took Game 1 with a 10-5 win, but Orillia responded with 11-5 and 14-4 victories to secure the series. In the opener, Barrie outhit Orillia 11-6. However, in the next two games, the Royals overcame early deficits with clutch hitting. Ben Barzo's home run and three additional runs in the fifth inning of Game 2 sealed the win. In Game 3, Orillia plated four runs in the bottom of the third to take a 4-2 lead, eventually mercying the Baycats in the sixth while outhitting them 13-6. The Creemore Padres and Innisfil Cardinals 1, who placed first and second respectively, received byes in the first round. Creemore will face Orillia in the next round. Notably, Orillia was one of only two teams to defeat Creemore during the regular season, though Creemore won the other two matchups. Creemore hosts Game 1 on Sunday at 1 p.m., followed by Game 2 in Orillia on July 29. If necessary, Games 3 and 4 are scheduled for July 30 and 31. The two Innisfil teams will square off in the other series. In regular season play, Innisfil 1 won two of the three meetings. The Cardinals' series begins this evening (Thurs.) at 7 p.m. Game 2 is set for Monday, with Games 3 and 4 scheduled for July 29 and 30 if needed. Each series is a best-of-three or first-to-four-points format. |
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Padres Clinch Top Spot in Junior Division July 14, 2025 The regular season for the Junior Division of the North Dufferin Baseball League wrapped up over the weekend with the Creemore Padres securing first place overall. Creemore capped off a dominant campaign with a record of 15 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie for 31 points - finishing a full ten points ahead of the second and third place teams. The division featured seven teams competing in an 18-game schedule, with the top six originally set to advance to the postseason. However, the Bradford Tigers, who were in sixth place, forfeited two games last week, resulting in their suspension and removal from league play. As a result, all remaining teams will now move on to the playoffs including the Richmond Hill Phoenix, who were sitting in seventh place. Beyond Creemore's commanding performance, the standings were tightly contested. Both Innisfil Cardinals teams finished with 21 points, while the Orillia Royals and Barrie Red Sox ended the season tied at 18 points. Creemore and Innisfil 1 have earned first-round byes. The opening playoff matchups will feature Innisfil 2 facing Richmond Hill and Orillia taking on Barrie. Schedules are being finalized with July 16 the earliest the series can start. |
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Knights win tournament
June 30, 2025 The New Lowell Knights took home first place in their Canada Day weekend tournament with a commanding 13-2 victory over the Dufferin-Simcoe Braves in the championship game. The Knights and Braves met in the championship game Sunday with New Lowell scoring four runs in the first inning followed by six in the second. In the third, they plated two more runs and tacked on another in the fifth for good measure. Dufferin-Simcoe scored one run in the second and a home run from Chad Purchase added another on the scoreboard. The consolation game followed a similar pattern, with the Barrie Angels outperforming the Mansfield Cubs in a 9-0 shutout. The eight-team tournament which started Friday evening was delayed Saturday morning when overnight rain soaked the diamond. Thanks to the hard work of the Knights' crew, all Saturday games were played and Sunday's schedule proceeded without a hitch. Tournament awards included Eric Lanoue of the Barrie Angels, who was named Best Pitcher after throwing a no-hitter over six innings with nine strikeouts in Sunday's game. Best Batter honours went to Chad Purchase of the Dufferin-Simcoe Braves, who went 5-for-9 with five runs scored including two home runs. Josh Hanley of the Knights was named Tournament MVP after going 4-for-9 with three runs scored including two home runs. Tournament Scores: Lisle 10 - Mansfield 2 |
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Knights Host Tournament June 27-29
June 22, 2025 The 2025 New Lowell Knights baseball tournament showcases eight teams in the three day event from June 27 to 29. The Knights are joined by the Owen Sound Baysox, Dufferin-Simcoe Braves, Creemore Padres, Lisle Astros, Barrie Angels, Orillia Majors, and Mansfield Cubs. Opening action begins on Friday night with a game at both the New Lowell and Lisle diamonds. Friday, June 27 Saturday, June 28 Sunday, June 29 2025 New Lowell Knights Tournament Schedule (PDF) |
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2025 All-Star Game Cancelled June 10, 2025 The North Dufferin Baseball League has cancelled the 2025 All-Star Games originally scheduled for July 5, due to the inability to secure a host for both the senior and junior division matchups. The All-Star Games have long been a highlight of the league's summer schedule, offering a showcase of player talent, sportsmanship and baseball excellence. Despite efforts to explore alternative arrangements, the league executive determined the cancellation was the most viable option this year. This marks the first cancellation of the All-Star Game since 2001, excluding years impacted by extraordinary circumstances - namely, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021. The games were also rained out in 2013. "We understand the disappointment this may bring to players, coaches, and fans," said president Jarrett Vanderpost. "The All-Star Games are a cherished tradition, and this decision was not made lightly. We look forward to continuing the tradition next season." |
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Larmer wins big at NDBL Awards
March 10, 2025 The North Dufferin Baseball League celebrated and recognized the outstanding accomplishments of players and teams from the 2024 season at its annual awards presentation held on Sunday, March 9, 2025. The big winner of the event was Jack Larmer from the Barrie Baycats in the junior division. Larmer won multiple awards, including best batter (.556 average), best on base percentage (.647), and most home runs at seven, the highest since 2006. He was also named the most valuable player for the division. In the senior division, Ben Sterritt of the Bolton Brewers was recognized as the best batter (548 average) and had the best on base percentage (.667). Sterritt's teammate, Brett Chater, scored the most runs with 36 and was named the MVP of the senior division. Bryan Post of the Owen Sound Baysox won his second consecutive home run title with seven homers while his teammate Trevor Smith was named best pitcher. Their coaches, a father-son duo of Don and Ryan Bartley won the coach of the year award. Brett Beardsall of the Orillia Majors was voted best catcher and the most sportsmanlike award went to Emerson Pendleton of the Mansfield Cubs. Josh McBride of the Creemore Padres received the best pitcher award in the junior division and his teammate Anson Dupuis was voted the most sportsmanlike player. A highlight of the event was the presentation of the prestigious President's Award to Pete Kinghan for his years of service and dedication to baseball in the NDBL. Kinghan's remarkable career includes coaching the Creemore Braves juniors, the Creemore Braves senior team, and the New Lowell Knights. Over the course of 40 years, he has won 17 league championships, three provincial titles, and served 24 years as league statistician with two stints as president in 2003 and 2014. Kinghan is the eleventh person to receive such an award since it was created in 1984. After the awards, the league membership met to begin planning for the 2025 season. Current plans have a 22-game schedule for the 12 senior teams and a 17-game schedule for the eight junior teams. |
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Death of Ron Pegg
January 22, 2025 The following message is issued by the North Dufferin Baseball League Executive upon learning of the death of Ron Pegg: "The Executive of the North Dufferin Baseball League is saddened to learn of the death of Ron Pegg who died yesterday. "Ron was a passionate individual for the sport of baseball in the Province of Ontario serving on executive positions in the York Simcoe Baseball Association (YSBA) and the Ontario Baseball Association (OBA) for decades. In fact, his tenure with the OBA had him and his wife, Cathy, working from the "office" inside their Flesherton area home. "His passion continued with the founding of Flesherton Minor Baseball and the Western Ontario Baseball Association, and the OBA newsletter, "Baseball Bits" started in 1979. "Ron also contributed extensively in our league coaching both senior and junior teams in Flesherton, with a number of the junior teams winning championships in the 1990s. He also served on the executive, joining as vice president in 1997 and serving as president in 1998. His wisdom and support of the NDBL was immeasurable with our affiliation with the YSBA and our autonomy. "As a result of his tireless efforts to promote the sport, he was a life member of both the OBA and YSBA in addition to being inducted into the OBA Hall of Fame in 2016 in the Builder Category. "On behalf of the league we extend condolences to his wife Cathy, his children Jamie, Rob, and Stacey, and his family and friends." |
