HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1993-07-07, Page 13Fingal edges Selects 1-0
Fingal catcher Steve Goris, left; tried to put the tag on St. Marys Selects Doug Levy but he
was not on time as Levy helped the Selects to a 7-2 win in the first of two finals games at the
Exeter Chrysler Imperials Fastball Tournament on the weekend.
Nelson Walker Top Pitcher
Don Rae - Most Valuable Player
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Bards
Fingal 1, St. Marys Selects 0
St. Marys Selects 7, Fingal 2
Toronto 6, Chepstow 1
Buffalo 3, e)akvilk 0
$Parma 6, Glencowl"�^%
'Fullarton 6, Springfields
St. Marys Nighthawks 4, Belmore
"Steelhawks 3
Belmore Stingers 3, Merlin 0
Buffalo 11, Toronto 4
Oakville 6, Chepstow 1
Sarnia 11, Belmorc;Steelhawks 0 > ;j
Fullerton 9, St. i=aillt4;
BoluoreStingers 8s''I'oronto 5
Oakville 3; Mitchell
Sarnia t Fullerton 0
Oakville 8, Belmore Stingers
Sarnia 5, Buffalo 4
Finja110, Buffalo 0
Sall a 10, St. Marys Nighthawks 1 <'
Fittga113, Mitchell 1
Fingal %;St. Marys Selects 1
St m Selects 8. Sarnia 0
St Mar 'Nighhawks 4, .Springfield
Fingal 5, Belmore-Stingers 0
St. Marys Setecii St .Pauls 1
Mitchell 6, McYi
St. Marys Selectt'3 St MarysNight-
hawks 2
Belmore S . -. xrlca.5,B.ullarton 4
SL Marys Selea.Y; t p
Jtuls 5, Glen aja
%l{
2
Jeff Shipley of the St. Marys Selects missed on this swing but
he had three home runs during the three-day tournament.
First place
Fingal - $1,200
Second place
St. Marys Selects - $600
Third place
Sarnia Ransons - $300
Fourth place
St. Marys Nighthawks - $200
16 teams at fastball tournament
By Fred Groves
T -A staff
EXETER - It seems that when
the St. Marys Staffens Selects come
to the Exeter Men's.Fastball Tour-
nament, Sunday becomes a very
long day.
The Selects, who lost a close 1-0
to tournament champions Fingal,
had to play four straight games in
the double knockout event to reach
the final game. St. Marys has made
it to the finals the past three years.
Fingal play in the St. Thomas
District League and are currently in
second place behind Shedden Pests.
Two years ago, St. Marys, the de-
fending champions, and last year's
South Perth Men's Fastball League
champs, also had to play four
straight games but that year, were
beaten by the hosts.
Sunday in Exeter, Fingal pitcher
Nelson Walker had his rise ball and
changeup working well and only
gave up four hits in the seven in-
ning contest.
As indicated by the score, this
was a pitchers' duel which pitted
• Nelson, who won the tournament's
mop Ritches Award, against St.
Marys' ace Don Rae who was
named the Most Valuable Player.
Walker hurled 24 innings and
gave up just 10 hits while striking
out 32. Rao worked 39 innings and
struck out 52 while allowing just
five walks.
Rae pitched back-to-back games
against Fingal, winning the first fi-_
nal game as Fingal started Kevin
Taylor who have up two quick runs
in the first inning.
St. Marys won the first game, a
7-2 decision and other than the 1-0
loss, their only other defeat in the
16 -team tournament was also to
Fingal.
Pinch runner .wiios it: In the fi-
nal, Rae gave up a hit to Fingal's
Jeff Carr and Terry Johnston went
in to run for him.
With two out, Johnston scored
the lone run of the game when he
tagged up from third -and came
home on a Steve Goris sacrifice fly
to left field.
The best chance to get on the
board during the game for St. Mar-
_____ - n -
ys came in the second inning when
John Moore walked and moved to
third when Frank Mueller singled.
With two on and two out, the Se-
lects couldn't get a run in as John
Bell flew out to centre field. '
jtelects 7. Finea12
The third game of the day for St.
Marys saw both Doug Levy and
Jeff Shipley come up with a single
-and-a-homerun-in-a 7 -2 -win.
After going .up 2-0 in the bottom
of the first inns* the Selects add-
ed five more in .the bottom of the
fifth. Fingal's two runs came in the
top of the sixth on two hits.
Fingal reached the finals unde-
feated as they knocked off Mitchell
13-1 and beat Buffalo 10-0 before
beating St. Marys 5-1.
This year's tournament, the 12th
Annual, and this year called the Ex-
eter Chrylser Imperials Classic, had
several strong teams playing in-
cluding Sarnia Ransons who lost 5-
3 in an exciting semi-final game.
The Selects had little trouble with
the Ransons in the opening game of
the tournament. an 8-0 decision.
Sarniagot another shot at the Se-
lects after they eliminated St. Mar-
ys Nighthawks, the fourth place
team, 10-0 Sunday morning.
The Nighthawks, one of five
South Perth League teams entered,
gave the Selects a tough battle late
Saturday night in a game which
went 10 innings and saw a 3-2 win
for the Selects.
Nighthawks pitcher Scott Brook-
shaw who threw well all weekend,
did not allow a Selects run until the
seventh inning.
Tournament tidbits :...Thar
were several familiar faces at the
South Huron Recreation Centre dia-
monds on the weekend, Fingal's
Jeff Carr is a former Exeter Senior
'A' Mohawk and Springfield's Doug
Todd used to play fastball in
town...St. Marys Selects picked up
Frank Mueller for the tournament
and the pitcher -outfielder is a pro-
fessional wrestler...Selects' Shipley
and Levy were both candidates for
the MVP as Shipley had three
home runs and Levy had eight hits
in 18 trips 'to the plate and was
strong defensively. ,
I
T
Fastball teams are beating the odds
am a little in awe
over athletes who can
beat the odds.
The odds, can mean
overtaking many obstacles
whether it be inconsistent offi-
ciating, beating a favoured oppo-
nent or tackling weather which
simply is not meant to be played
in.
Take this past weekend for example.
I watched as 16 ball teams at the Exeter Men's Fastball Tourna-
ment sweated it out in temperatures which left many people look-
ing for shade anywhere they could find it.
There was no one who passed out of heat exhaustion that I knew
of and that's -a bit of a surprise considering what some of the teams
NW to go through
The 4t. Marys Selects played four games in a row. That's what
they had to do because it was a double knockout tournament. So,
they were on the diamond for well over seven hours in weather
which most people including myself found it hard to get a breath
just walking around.
Big Doug Levy of the Selects is a team leader who 1 have never
seen get upset and he was one of several St. Marys players who
were flawless in their play...Levy and the others beat the odds.
sidelines
by
Fred
G roves
It doesn't matter if they just missed winning the tournament by a
single run, they still beat the odds because they never quit like one
team on the weekend did.
St. Marys second baseman John Bell is another player who beat
the odds. Not only was he out in the heat, but he was hit by a pitch
right on the wrist but he never missed an inning.
It hampered his play a great deal as evident by his throwing but
he hung in there.
Credit due: In the game of fastball we tend to give a lot of cred-
it to those who play in a higher calibre league, in this case, I am
referring to the St. Thomas and District League.
Fingal, the champions at the weekend tournament play in that
league and they have to play second -fiddle to the St. Thomas
Pests.
The Pests, which this year include Exeter pitcher Derwyn Hod-
gins arc undefeated in 15 league games. Fingal is close behind de-
spite having several older players.
Some people may believe that the intermediate teams such. as St.
Marys are no match for senior clubs. The Selects certainly proved
them wrong.
Getting back to Hodgins for a moment, it's good to see the local
men's team, the Meter Chrysler Imperials have kept their chin up
and continued to be competitive despite not having anactr on the
mound.
Overcome: What the team has done is compensated with Dan
Heiwood, Jeremy Mason, Mikc Neil, Steve Cook and Rick Scrim-
geour. No great arms but they get the job done.
This year, Exeter has scored as many if not more runs than they
have in the past. It's nice to sec the attitude change because for the
past several seasons it's been the norm to get a couple of runs and
then hope Hodgins can hold them.
The Ontario Junior Development League's decision to have their
Junior 'D' all-star game at one location for three years and the
teams share in the profhs is a good one
Although there is pressure put upon the hosts, ip this case the
Lucan Irish, all the teams arc required to help and then they share
in the profits.
Only one problem with this though, how do you monitor -the
contribution made by each team. You could have one club which
offers a minimal amount of service .bJt still get a share of the
wealth.
On thc other hand you've got the ha working teams and they
get the same amount. What to do?
The Westem Junior 'B' Hockey League has this type of all-star
game format and it seems to be working well, if anything it may
bring the league a little closer together.