HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1991-08-21, Page 17Homeward bound - Brian Rivard of the Exeter Express headed for
home during second inning action of Sunday's game. Rivard was
Head to OBA finals
Express ounwenSound _
out at the plate but it didn't matter as his team won the OBA
playoff game 22-1.
By Fred Groves
EXETER - After taking an early
exit in last year's Ontario Baseball
Association playoffs, the Exeter
Express have gained a berth in this
year's provincial senior 'D' champi-
onship tournament.
Sunday afternoon at the Alvin
Willert Field, the Express crushed
visiting Owen Sound 22-1, taking
a series sweep, two games straight.
The day before the score was a lot
closer as Exeter won 4-3.
"Today we got to them early and
we had a full team here. We were
short five or six yesterday," said
Express third baseman Barry
Baynham after Sunday's game.
Saturday, Exeter left 16 batters
stranded, but on Sunday took a 12-
0 lead in the first inning before
leaving seven aboard.
Exeter coach Joe Fulop was a lit-
tle bit surprised at the difference in
the scores in just 24 -hours but he
said the quality of the ball might
have had something to do with it.
"(Kevin) Drager said the balls
they used yesterday (Saturday)
were mushy and when our guys hit
them, they just didn't go any-
where."
Drager pitched a six -hitter on
Saturday and the next day started
at shortstop.
On Sunday the Express sent 16
batters to the plate in the first in-
O
0
0
ning which saw them pound out
eight hits and combined with four
walks and a couple of Owen Sound
errors, built a big lead.
"Today the guys were just bang-
ing the balls and their guys were
done. They (Owen Sound) used
their five best guys yesterday and
they had nothing left," said Fulop
of the oppositions pitching.
Owen Sound sent six different
pitchers to the mound, two in the
first inning.
The highlight of she game was
obviously the first Inning when, af-
ter Exeter starting pitcher Marty
Merner sent Owen Sound down in
order the Express bats got very hot.
Don MacDonald singled, went to
third after a bad throw by the Owen
Sound catcher to second and scored
on Rob Dickey's single. Dickey
scored when Dave Shaw clubbed a
double down the third base line and
both Shaw and Kevin Hem, who
had walked, came home on D'Arcy
Martin's ground rule double which
hopped over the centre field fence.
Owen Sound changed pitchers
but Baynham singled and Pete Riv-
ard walked to load the bases for
Drager. With just one out he
launched one foul by just a few
feet.
However he got on with a field-
ers' choice to score another run.
With two out and MacDonald and
•._:4 .•f)• • �'-•
-431/4
Chain Sow
O
Dickey aboard for the second tim
in the inning, Shaw doubled again
clearing the loaded bases to up the
score to 10-0.
Base hits by Hem, an error that
got Martin to second and the Ex-
press had two more runs.
e "We have good pitchers but we
don't have the depth. We lost two
starters in Gilley (Paul Gilmour)
and Atts (Dave Atthill)."
The Express won the OBA three
years ago when it was held in Exet-
er.
OBA bound: Last year Seaforth
eliminated Exeter in the OBA
playoffs but the Express head to
Tillsonburg for the finals on La-
bour Day weekend after not only
beating Owen Sound brit Seaforth.
If there is a que3tion mark in Exl
eter's quest for the OBA it's,pitch-
ing.
We have to go the short route,
we can't lose our 'fust game," said
Baynham.
"I'm hopeful, it all boils down to
what our pitching does," said Fu -
lop.
Earlier in the season, the Express
• llhd trouble getting the ball acxost
the: plate but they have a quality
staff ,now with aces Merner and
Drager. Leftie Paul Elston, coming
off an injury will help and so will
Scot Davidson, Doug Schade and
Scot Russell.
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Football at South Huron
Is vanishing
his time last year, the
South Huron Panthers
football program was
all excited about being
accepted into the London Con-
ference Football League.
Now, it looks as though the
Exeter high school is on the
fringe of losing its program en-
tirely. This fall they have no
league to play in, and athletic director and senior football coach Ron
Bogart, is looting for a series of exhibition games which means it
could be the eof football at South Huron.
Last year in the London league, both the South Huron junior and
senior teams made it to the divisional playoffs and compiled 3-2-1
overall records.
It was very costly for the Panthers to play as they shelled out
$3,500 for travel and other costs plus a whopping $1,500 for the
mandatory drug program even though they only had one sport repre-
sented in the London secondary school association.
At the end of last season, Bogart and junior coach Dave Cox at-
tended a meeting with the other football schools.
"We kind of had the impression they had the schedule drawn up
and we weren't part of it," said Bogart.
And why have the Panthers been shunned from entering the Lon-
don Conference, especially after they showed they can keep up?
"I'm up in the air. Nobody will come out and give us a straight an-
swer," said Bogart.
He does think however the reason for not being allowed back in is
simply because of numbers. The league has to have an even number
of teams, last year there was an imbalance and South Huron round-
ed out the conference.
This fall, Regina Mundi will have a senior team and Strathroy
will just have a junior squad.
The London Conference last year, made South Huron pay the full -
$1,500 for its drug program and was insisting on more money for --
first aid personnel gt each game.
"We refused to pay for first aid people because they wouldn't
come to Exeter. So we got our own."
So what happens now, what becomes of a tradition that has been
ongoing at South Huron for more than 35 years?
Bogart has not given up his fight to fmd his program a place to
play. Already he has . two exhibition games lined up but admits the
equipment doesn't come out of storage unless there are at leant five
games.
He is still trying to get in touch with the convener of the Sarnia-
Lambton league but won't know until the fust day of school if there
will be exhibition games set up with that group.
With the increasing cost of equipment, a helmet is over $200,
football programs all over have folded. South Huron used to be in
the Huron -Perth league but all the other schools have bailed out and
some have even sold their equipment.
"I hate to see it die at•anytime," said Bogart of his favorite sport.
Four years of high school football, another five years on the uni-
versity gridiron and 32 years coaching in Exeter, a fall without foot-
ball would almost be too much to bear for Bogart
"It's meant a' lot to me, it's always been a tradition."
But that tradition is soon vanishing, and soon it may just become
a memory. Money is not a factor because Bogart has always come
up with the funds. It's not lack of competition because the Exeter
boys have proven they can butt heads with anyone.
• There weal 38 senior and 35 junior players last year at South Hu-
ron, the commitment and dedication is there but that too may soon
disappear.
sidelines
by
Fred
Groves
• Hockey season is quickly sneaking up and the Lucan Irish, OHA
Junior 'D' finalists, are already making a few moves. Thursday
morning head coach Ken Needham was pleased to announce he will
be joined on the bench by assistant Jamie Pearce.
Pearce, a defenceman with the club the past four seasons, will be
in charge of the blueliners for the 1991-92 season. Pearce replaces
Cliff Dickey who announced his retirement.
The Irish open training camp Tuesday, September 10 at 8 p.m. at
the Lucan Arena. Any players eligible can contact Needham at 666-
1554 or 666-0410 or manager Ken Freeman at 227-4303.
Ice Capades skater Kathy Merner of Zurich was one of the fea-
tured skaters last night at the Brantford Civic Centre. She helped
kick off the Canada Games for the physically disabled during the
opening ceremonies.
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