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HomeMy WebLinkAboutTimes Advocate, 1996-07-17, Page 16Page 16 r • Times -Advocate, June 12, 1996 This Week in Sports... • Fury dominate Tillsonburg - page 17 • Finkbeiner carries Eternal Flame of Hope - page 18 Ben McCann delivers a pitch during the Exeter Midgets come -from -behind victory against Mitchell on Wednesday. Solid on the mound and hot behind the lumber McCann drove home three runners when he tripled with the bases loaded. Midgets come Exeter Express lose their second double-header to Tillsonburg Express seek to break losing streak against London and Lakeside EXETER - After losing a 7-5 ball game to Strathroy on Wednesday, the Exeter Express lost a double header to Listowel on Sunday losing 16-15 in the first game and 9-1 in the second. The triple loss was a discouragement for the team that has lost its last six games. The Ex- press dropped a close contest to Lakeside on July 2 and lost both games in a tournament held in London last weekend. The Strathroy game was one the Express would have liked to play over again as they stranded 11 runners on base and failed a dou- ble steal in the eighth inning which costed Ex- eter two more runs. "We had that game and we blew it," said co -coach Doug Fairbairn blaming un- necessary errors for the loss. Scot Russell pitched a strong seven innings striking out seven batters. The seven hits he did allow resulted in six runs due to a lack luster defense that misplayed many drop balls. Rick Boon relieved Russell for the eighth in- ning allowing one run off one hit. Fred Gregus led the way offensively for Ex- eter with four hits. He is close to batting .500 as is Don Macdonald who hit twice. Rob Dicky and Ron Elliott also connected for two and Dan Masse had three hits for four RBI's. Tillsonburg double header The first game of the Tillsonburg double header on Sunday turned out to be a marathon slugfest with the lead exchanging hands sev- eral times. Exeter was winning 7-2 by the bot- tom of the second inning, however, Till- sonburg scored 14 runs in the next five innings. Exeter kept plugging away but came up one run short losing 16-15. On the mound, three Exeter pitchers gave up a combined 15 hits, including three home runs. Masse lasted four innings giving up 10 runs, Pail Elston gave up five and Russell pitched a scoreless inning. Macdonald, Russell and Gregus each had four hits, Boon had three and Paul Smith and Richard Schilbe tallied for two. Co -coach Joe Fulop said the first game was a tough loss against a potential Ontario Baseball Association tourna- ment opponent. The last time Exeter met Tillsonburg for a double header they Lost both games and were hoping to return the favor at home on Sunday. But dropping the first game seemed to take the wind out of their sails as they lost 9-1 in the second game. Marty Merner pitched five innings giving up eight runs off nine hits. Boon carne in to re- live him in the last inning allowing one run off one hit. Macdonald, Gregus, Masse, Russell, Elliott, Schilbe and Bill Shore each had one hit but it wasn't enough to even the numbers on the scoreboard. "That was the worst five hours we ever had," said Fairbairn about the Tillsonburg double header. "Losing the first game was such a crushing blow mentally. Everybody kept thinking about it and we couldn't get back into the second game." The first game was marred when Till- sonburg disagreed with the umpire's call de- laying the game for fifteen minutes while they argued with the umpire and then among them- selves. It ended with one Tillsonburg player being evicted from the game. "They're all young and yappy and the coach can't control thein," said Fairbairn noting the Tillsonburg shortstop who was hurl- ing insults and challenges toward Exeter's dugout. With the South Western Ontario Senior Baseball League not even one year old, it hasn't taken the Express long to establish a rivalry, but it's not the type of rivalry coaches Fair- bairn, Fulop and the rest of the team were anticipating. "It's not like the rivalry between us and Lakeside...we really enjoy playing each other because we take it out on the field instead of yapping back and forth," he said. The Express will embark on a gruelling four games in five days schedule starting on Tues- day when they meet London at home. Coach Fairbairn said they are determined to snap their losing streak against London on Tues- day, however, coming off six tough losses, Fairbairn admitted their biggest challenge will be keeping moral up. Exeter will play Lake- side, the first place team, on Friday before meeting London again for another double header on Sunday. Results of Tuesday's game were not known at press time. "They're all young and yappy and the coach can't control them." from behind twice Centennials ;end s� EXETER - Trailing 6-5 the Exeter Midgets scored four runs in the sixth inning to beat the visiting team from Lucknow 9-6 on Sunday. Exetef,pitchec Paul Gregus stepped on the luoygd fpf, oer,ijrings of scoreless relief pitching to pick Up the win He also engineered Exeter's comeback in the second inning when he singled, stole second and scored on a single by Scott Reid for Exeter's first run of the game. Reid then scored on a Darryl Parsons double to left field. Jeff Reid followed with a sacrifice fly to cap the three run rally. Parsons singled again bringing home J.J. Anderson who snuck on second base after an error turned his single into a double. Parsons crossed the plate compliments of a bast hit from Regan Neilands. Neilands then scored on an error which also allowed Kyle Fenwick to reach third base from first. Dan Finkbeiner singled to round up the score at 9-6 for Exeter. Overcoming deficits seems to be a trend for the Exeter midgets who also defeated Mitchell in a one run come -from -behind game last Wednesday. With Exeter trailing 7-1 in the fourth inning they exploded for five runs capped off by Ben McCann who stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and hit a triple. He later came in to score on a wild pitch to make it 7-6 after four innings. Mitchell scored one run in the top of the fifth, but Exeter tied it up with two in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Jeff Reid and Scott Reid hit hack to back singles. Parsons popped out trying to bring his teammates home but Fenwick picked up the slack to score Jeff Reid. Scott then scored on a wild pitch. Exeter's tieing run came in sixth inning when Mike Degroot crossed home on another errand pitch. With Gregus on third and Ben Glavin on first, the Mitchell pitcher tried to pick off Glavin who was poised to steal second. Gregus scored the winning run in the ensuing run-down and Glavin eventually ended up safe on sec- ond. . After a slow start to their season, the Exeter Midgets are savoring their hard-fought victories and hope to extend their winning streak to three games when they meet Clinton for back -to` --back games scheduled for Sunday in Exeter and Wednesday in Clinton. Baseball roundup =-11t________41; lacy 3 - Crediton 17 at Hensel! 19 ' Pitchers: Annette Grotentraast, Andrea Glavin On base 3 time!: Grotentraast. Margaret Geurts, Nikki Cyr, Heidi Muller On bale twice: Glavin, Amber Lord, Krista Hodge, Danielle Pertschy, Kristen Steeper, Jenna Becker, Melody Mungar On base once:Amanda Yearley Stare of the game: Geurts (grand slam home nm), Muller (big hits at plate) July 9 - Crediton 9 vs Hibbert 13 Pitchers: Geurts, Glavin On bate 3 time,: Geuns, Cyr On base twice: Lord, Muller, Becker, Yearley On base once: Pertschy, Glavin, Munger, Grotentraast Stars of the pme: Cyr (all round star), Becker (positive attitude) July 12 - Crediton 15 at Pullarton 12 pffclera: Grotentraast, Glavin On base 3 thugs: Gtoseetraast, Glavin, Geurts, Muller, Pertschy On base twice: Cyr, Munger, Steeper On base once: Lord, Andrea Doroschenko Stars of the pme: Steeper (3 fur 3 at plate), Pertschy (big catch) July 3 - Dashwood I 1 vs Grand Bend 0 Pitchers: Mark Laye (3 strikeouts) Top hitters: Jesse Schroeder (double. single) Andrew Kinsman (two single) Cam Beck- er, Brayden Lord, Brent Morrison (singles) July 14 - Dashwood 5 vs Goderich 17 Pitchers: Schroeder (2 strikeouts), Kinsman (3 strikeouts), Lord (2 stamina) July 15 - Dashwood 3 vs Listowel 2 Pitchers: Mark ).aye (2 strikeouts), Lord (1 strikeout), Kinsman (1 strikeout) Top hitters: Schroeder (2 singles), Kinsman (triple), Cal deLange (singk) LONDON - The Exeter, ;eu- nnials showed signs of a tight edule with two losses last week, bringing their seven game winning streak to an end. In a rain -plagued visit to Lon- don on Monday night, the Cen- tennials failed to score on sever- al good plays and ended up on the wrong end of a 4.1 romp at the hands of Forest United, a team Exeter beat two weeks be- fore. Despite good offensive play by Ruud Veldhuizen and solo runs by Dan Martens and Jeff Lin- gard, the host team broke through Exeter's defense and made their shots count. However, Exeter ruined Lon- n's shutout when Veldhu- n's long bending shot slipped the keeper's bands for vin game win streak thelone.goal :.:, •. ,:; , • On Friday night In St Co. lutnbae,'the Centennials hid a better game despite missing sev- en players, but lost the tight con- test l-0. Ryan Carroll and Luke Sims were called up from the Under 19 squad to fill the roster and each contributed to the team's strong play. The Cen- tennials carried the play in the first half with Carroll and Lin- gard just missing on quality scoring chances. Exeter applied pressure in the, second half but couldn't pull the trigger leaving the St. Columban keeper unscathed. The host team managed to scone after a goal -mouth scram- ble. • pndaunted, 3the Centennials r er* gave' np giving it.'evet' .& thing they had in the final' 15' minutes remaining. Carroll hearty tied the game when he blasted the ball over the cross- bar after catching the keeper out of the play. The back-to-back losses puts an end to one of the longest win- ning streaks in the club's his- tory, but that didn't sur - •prise anyone on the team. "Although we've been win- ith ,'tlhe games have been loser than they should be," said Cen- tennials goal keeper, George McEwan. Their mid -week game sched- Poker runners show off power boats. By Chris Skalkos T -A Reporter GRAND BEND - Hundreds of people lined along the pier in Grand Bend on Saturday to see some of North America's fastest powerboats skim the waters of Lake Huron. Approximately 20 off shore rac- ing boats participated in the third annual Lake Huron Poker Run held in grand Bend over the week- end. Sponsored in part by Power Boat- ing Canada Magazine and Snap On Tools Canada, Grand Bend hosted the event which attracts boaters from Ontario, Quebec and the United States. The run is designed more for pleasure than competition. Each boat stopped at the designated checkpoints located at Bayfield and Kincardine harbors where the cap- tain was given a sealed envelop containing a single playing card before returning to Grand Bend. At the end of the Poker Run the cards are revealed and the crew holding the best poker hand was de- clared the winner. The event was not a race, but rather an opportunity for the own- ers to show off their high-powered crafts and promote offshore boating in Canada. Spectators were treated to a close-up look at luxurious boats such as "Power Quest" owned by Ric Burlie. The 38 foot fountain with stand- up head room in the air conditioned hull boasted all the modern con- veniences of home; and boats such as the 36 foot scarab owned by Michel Miller from Montreal. His boat, appropriately called "2 Fast 4 U" is powered by four race - tuned Mercury outboard engines. With each engine producing- 300 horsepower, the boat is capable of a top speed of 117 m.p.h. While docked, the crews mingled with spectators allowing boating enthusiasts a close look at these unique and expensive water crafts capable of unorthodox speeds. The event also provided an ec- onomic boost for the three shore- line communities as it drew a large number of spectators. Marinas also benefited as boaters paid for thou- sands of dollars worth of gas dur- ing the run. • ` 'tile over the last five weeks has' left them unable til. practise"and it's beginning to tike it's toll on the team. "We had to shuffle people in unfamiliar positions on the field and without practise time, they're having.";, trouble ad- justing," said MEwan. Halfway through - the season, there were six teams huddled to- gether at the top of the division. • Each one Is working hard for first place and in the process, are progressing as a team. Some- thing the Centennials must do If they want to join the race for first. "We have to keep up to these teams," said McEwan. "Raw tal- ent alone won't do it." Fury win John Watson beats a Tillsonburg defender as he moves the ball upfleld to score his second goal of the season. The Fury beat Tillsonburg 4-1. See story on page 17.