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Home My WebLink AboutTimes Advocate, 1991-09-04, Page 14Page 14 Times -Advocate, September 4, 1991 SPORTS South Perth lQaguQplayoffs Exeter eliminates Milverton, advance to semi-finals By Fred Groves MILVERTON - The lights went out here last Tuesday night but the Exeter Royals shone brightly and have advanced to the South Perth Men's Fastball League semi-finals. Although at press time it was un- certain who the Royals would face next, they will be able to take a breather from league play before advancing to the semis. Tuesday in Milverton, it took 11 innings but the' Royals beat the Magnums 4-3 to take the best -of - three series two straight. With the Royals ahead 3-2 in the top of the eighth, the lights went out and the game was delayed 20 minutes. This past weekend they travelled to St. Marys to take part in the 16 - team tournament hosted by the league pennant winning Selects. (see attached story). In game one between Exeter and Milverton, it was a pitchers' duel as the Royals' Derwyn Hodgins and Darwin Erb of the Magnums tossed a one -hitter and a two -hitter respectively. Game two saw them go head-to- head again but both struggled. Hodgins gave up six hits and Erb allowed eight. The winning run came in the top of the l lth flitting when Rod John- ston singled, advanced on a perfect bunt by Steve Neil and scored when Jim Lewis connected with a double which sailed over the right Rod Johnston ...winning run fielder's head. Johnston raced home and slid un- derneath Milverton catcher Gary Jacobs. Exeter coach was not overly sur- prised that Lewis got the big hit off of Erb. "He can hit these guys, what's that six hits in duce games?, ques- tioned Co* Olt Lewis' performance against Milverton this season. Erorrs played a big part in this one as both teams made three mis- cues. "It wasn't a classic game by any At St. Marys tournament Jim Lewis ...big base hit means," said Cook. The biggest error by the Royals came in the sixth inning when cen- tre fielder Sandy Hyde ran in front of Lewis in right field to make a catch on Don Leis. The ball popped out of Hyde's glove, luckily the Magnums did not score but they did leave two twitters stranded in thatitming: _ ; _ "Two guys just missed communi- cation, that's all, " said Cook. Exeter first .baseman Kevin Lightfoot was certain the Royals would eliminate the Magnums, 1 Royals have to settle for third By Fred Groves ST. MARYS - The St. Marys Se- lects know how to get revenge. Three weeks ago they had to take a back seat to the Exeter Royals as the Royals won their tournament with a very slim victory. Monday night, it was the Selects turn to come out on top of a close one as they edged the Royals 1-0 in the semi-final game of the St. Mar- ys Labour Day Fastball Tourna- ment. The Selects, playing their fourth game of the day and third straight, ;cored the only run of the game in. the first inning. Steve Tomkins led off with a sin- gle and moved to second when John Bell grounded out. Exeter pitcher Derwyn Hodgins got Se- lects' slugger Doug Levy to strike out and then faced Steve Neeb. In the previous game, Neeb hit a two -run homer in the bottom of the seventh inning to advance to the semis against Exeter. Facing Hod- gins, Neeb had one strike on him and then checked his swing which the base umpire saitiliti.4id not go mound. Neeb then delivllred, ai single which scored Tomtit Mr what proved to be the winning run. "I wouldn't say it made the differ- ence in the game because we didn't scone a nus anithey were going to win regardless," said Exeter coach Fred Code. "I don't think it was the right call," he added The Royals had a chance to get on the board early when they had two runners tossed out at second in the first inning. Kevin Lightfoot walked and was gunned down at second on what might have been a hit-and-run play and with two out, Jeff Shipley sin- Shuffleboard Exeter August 21 S game winners Pears McKnight 427 Steve Hrapchak 398 John Pepper 368 Ray Hodgson 343 Mabel McKnight 338 August 22 3 game whiners Pearl McKnight 390 Jeannie Harris 328 Wm. Baechler 326 Meine Eizenga 292 John Pepper 260 4 game winners Steve Hrapchak 329 Lloyd Lovell 283 June Hodgson 274 Allen Johns 268 Bea Johns 248 Hensall August 27 6 game winners Dave Woodward 467 George Dowson 432 Eileen Dowson 414 Ethel McMurtrie 399 Hugh McKay 397 Thelma Thiel 385 gled but was also out trying to take second base. "We do it early and test them. I would have done it again if the op- portunity would have come up," said Cook. The game matched two of the best pitchers in the South Perth league against each other in Hod- gins and St. Marys Don Rae. After the two base hits Hodgins set the Selects down in order the next five innings as he struck out 12. Rae gave up just a pair of hits as well, the one to Shipley and a single to Mike Desjardine in the third. "We can't depend on Derby (Hodgins) to win it all the time, we've got to get him some runs, said Cook. In the five tournament games, the Royals scored only eight runs. Rhe was by far the toughest pitcher Exeter r1Eea as he also fanned 12. "That's the best game Rae's thrown against us, and he's thrown some good ones. He deserved to win that game,' said Cook. Exeter opened the four day tour- nament with a slim 2-1 win over Woodstock followed by a 3-0 shut- out against the St. Marys Night- hawks before beating the Fullerton RNs 24 in extra innings. The Royals bowed to the tough St. Pauls Generals 3-1 before being eliminated by the Selects. "Our sticks (bats) weren't there •and we missed Mike Neil," said Cook. Neil has swung a big bat for the Royals this year and Exeter has depended on his offence quite a bit. "It's a pitchers game but we still are missing a few sticks that could have turned the game around." Exeter has entered into four tour- naments this year. They were sec - and in Melbourne, got eliminated quickly in Waterloo, won their own tourney and finished third in St. Marys. "We've got a good club and we gave it a good effort. We won more games than most teams did here," said Cook. Continued on page 15 Derwyn Hodgins ...pitches against St. Malys Exeter & District Ringette Assoc. Practice Schedule for Hensall Arena Thurs., Sept. 5 5 - 6 p.m. Novice & Petite 6 - 7 p.m. Tween, Junior, Belle Sat., Sept. 7 4'- 5:30 p.m. Tween, Junior, Belie 5:30 - 7 p.m. Novice & Petite Sun., Sept. 8 3 - 4 p.m. Novice & Petite, 4. 4 - 5 p.m. Bele��y4; ,. 5 - 6 p.m. • Junior ;,. 6-7p.m. Tween Thurs., Sept. 12 5 - 6 p.m. Novice & Petite 6 - 7 p.m. Tween, Junior, Belle Sat., Sept. 14 Ringette PROMOTION DAY 1 - 4 p.m. 3 - 4 p.m. Novice & Petite 4 - 5 p.m. Belle 5 - 6 Junior 6 - 7 p.m. Tween Sun., Sept. 15 Additional information, please call Doug Miners 229-8884 or Michele Hodgen 229-6750 who finished higher in the regular season standings, in two straight. "The way we were hitting and the way Derwyn Hodgins can throw, I'm not surprised," said Lightfoot. Hodgins was not at his finest, not only did he allow eight hits, but he had to give Randy Wicke a couple of free passes to get out of tough situations in the sixth and eighth in- nings. "He wasn't on top of his game, he was having trouble with the mound; said Cook. After the game, Hodgins went back to the mound and pointed out a large pit in front of the rubber which required him to adjust his de- livery. "He tried to compensate and he threw well enough to beat them. That's a pretty good club he beat,' said Cook. Exeter built a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Damen Neil laid down a bunt single and he scored when catcher Brian Noyes blasted a home run over the right field foul pole. The Royals could have padded their lead in the fifth after Jim Alli- son singled and Lightfoot was safe on an error. "We had our= chances but didn't score in certain spots," said Light- foot. Milverton tied the score in the bottom of the fifth when Wicke and Erb singled and Jacobs chopped one into the infield that left the Royals confused and two runs were Kippen Gun Club August 28 23 shooters Brad Mann Terry Caldwell Jamie Caldwell Fred Brall Larry Sowerby Ed Steegstra John Glazier Jody Mosurinjohn Lloyd Venner Haugh Hislock Russ Beaver Hoff Glen Grebb Dennis Boyd Bob McPherson Tim Hoff Terry Sowerby Kevin Clark Glen Mogk Dan Crerar Pat Glazier 50 50 50 25 24 24 24 24 24 24 24 '24 24 24 23 23 23 23 23 19 scored. In the seventh, Exeter's Steve Neil singled and pinch runner Mike Desjardine scored on Lightfoot's bloop single to right field. But Mil- verton came back and made it 3-3 in the bottom of the eighth when Rick Roes doubled and scored on Leis' single. The best defensive play of the game came in the third inning when Jacobs lined one back at Hodgins, it went off of his glove and Royals second baseman Jim Allison got over to the, bag, backhanded the ball and threw to Lightfoot. 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