The Times Advocate, 2008-09-24, Page 2524
SPORTS
Times -Advocate
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Exeter Mosquitoes are Ontario champions
EXETER - After
qualifying for the 12 -
team tournament one
week before by beat-
ing Goderich in the
last inning of the final
game, the Exeter
Mosquitoes travelled
to Cottam on Labour
Day weekend and
after six hard fought
games were crowned
Ontario `D'
Champions.
With only three sec-
ond -year players and
the rest of the team
first-year players, this
was quite an accom-
plishment for the 10
and 11 -year-olds
Exeter came from
behind in every game
they won, except in
the finals.
Before the first
game started the
team suffered a blow
with Jaidyn Butler
having to sit out with
flu like symptoms.
A couple hours later
Butler had to have
emergency surgery to
remove his appendix
and would be lost for
the weekend, leaving
the team with only
nine players.
With Butler one of
the regular pitchers
and the number five
batter, the boys knew
they would have to
pull together and step
up their game and try
to win this for `Butsy'.
Exeter 7 versus
McGregor 3
The McGregor team
came out strong scor-
ing two runs in the top
of the first liming
Starting pitcher
Cullen Mercer then
settled their bats
down for two consec-
utive three up, three
down innings, includ-
ing four strike outs.
With one out in the
fourth, and Mercer at
his maximum pitch
count for the day,
hard throwing Shane
Barker took the
mound next.
In the bottom of the
fourth with the score
still 2-0, the Exeter
bats came alive, scor-
ing two to tie it up on
hits from Barker,
Cody Merner, Nate
McDonald and Ray
Delbridge.
Exeter came back in
the fifth to score three
more to take the lead
and two more insur-
ance runs in the six.
Leading the attack
were Barker, Merner
and Justin McCarter
with two hits each
while Jon Baker,
Mercer and McDonald
had one each.
Barker pitched
through the sixth,
allowing only one run
and striking out four
in his three innings of
work.
Merner came in for
the save in the sev-
enth retiring three
batters on five pitches.
Evan Hayter made a
nice play at third base
for the final out.
Exeter 17 versus
Dover 4
Saturday morning
Dover started out
strong, scoring one in
the top of the first.
They were still lead-
ing in the third inning
4-3 before Exeter
started a rally and
never looked back,
batting around the
order, scoring 14 runs
by the end of the
fourth.
The mercy rule
came into effect in the
fifth to end the game.
Exeter 7 versus
Belle River 3
The second oppo-
nent of the day for
Exeter was a strong
Belle River team.
After being down
early, Exeter rallied
back to take a 4-2
lead and sealed the
deal with three more
late in the game.
Mercer led the team
offensively with two
solid hits while Baker,
Barker, Merner,
McDonald and Evan
Hayter with one each.
Mercer and Barker
pitched well, holding
the Belle River bats at
bay for four innings,
giving up only two
runs between them
and striking out three,
while staying under
their pitch count lim-
its, keeping them
available for the next
day.
McDonald was
called on in relief,
pitching three stellar
innings under pres-
sure, giving up only
two rims and striking
out six.
Exeter 9 versus
Waterdown 7
Exeter's third game
of the day involved
the only two undefeat-
ed teams left in the
tournament.
With Waterdown
getting a bye earlier, it
was only their second
game of the day and
they had most of their
pitching staff avail-
able.
Exeter head coach
Darwin Barker called
upon Baker for pitch-
ing duties, who had
only made one pitch-
ing appearance all
year.
After giving up two
runs in the first,
Baker settled in and
pitched the game of
his life, battling into
the fourth inning not
giving up another rim
and striking out two,
throwing 71 pitches.
Once again, after
being down early
Exeter fought back to
take a 6-2 lead.
Delbridge, another
pitcher with only one
appearance all year
relieved Baker, doing
a great job keeping
the Waterdown bat-
ters in check until the
seventh inning
After Waterdown
scored four runs in
the top of the seventh
and had two more on
base, Merner was
called upon and came
in to strike out the
next three batters to
end the game.
Port Colborne 15
Exeter 5
The first game
Ontario champions -The Exeter Mosquitoes captured the OBA championship over the
Labour Day weekend in Cottam.The team is front from left, Ray Delbridge, Cullen Mercer, Jon
Baker, Jaidyn Butler, Shane Barker, Nate McDonald, Cody Merner, Chad Dawson, Justin
McCarter and Evan Hayter. Back: coaches Brent Dawson, Darwin Barker, Jeff Butler and Marty
Merner. (photo/submitted)
Sunday was against a
strong Port Colborne
team with only one
loss.
Exeter started off
strong with a walk to
leadoff batter Baker, a
Mercer single, a
Barker triple and a
Merner single to take
a 3-0 lead.
Port Colborne came
back with four to go
ahead.
In the third
McDonald doubled in
McCarter and Merner
to give the lead back
to Exeter 5-4.
After that, Exeter
ran out of gas and
Port Colborne rallied
back with five runs in
the fourth and six in
the fifth to end the
game.
McCarter gave it all
he had on the mound
pitching well in four
innings of work until
his pitch limit was
reached.
Another tough deci-
sion had to be made
to assure there were
two regular pitchers
left for one more
game and possibly
two.
Chad Dawson made
his pitching debut in
relief of McCarter,
showing heart and
composure in a diffi-
cult situation, throw-
ing 45 pitches to fin-
ish out the game.
Belle River eliminat-
ed Waterdown to
leave three teams
remaining in the tour-
nament, with one loss
each.
Exeter had their
name pulled out of a
hat to get the bye
directly into the finals.
Port Colborne then
knocked off Belle
River to set up a
rematch with Exeter
in the finals.
Exeter 1 1 versus
Port Colborne 5
For the champi-
onship game, Port
Colborne came in con-
fident after beating
Exeter earlier in the
day.
For a boost to
Exeter's spirit, Butler
showed up just as the
game began, after
being given a three-
hour release from the
hospital to help cheer
on his teammates.
It was an emotional
moment for the team,
watching as Butler
was rolled into the
dugout in his wheel-
chair.
A fired up Baker
started the game off
with a single, followed
by singles from
Barker and McCarter.
Merner then cleared
the bases with a line
drive triple in the gap
and then he scored on
sacrifice fly to left field
from McDonald to
give the boys an early
4-0 lead.
Mercer got the start
on the mound coming
out strong allowing no
runs and two strike-
outs over the first two
innings
He then singled to
start off the third,
stole second, moved
across to third base
on a sacrifice fly from
Barker and scored on
another sacrifice fly
from McCarter to put
Exeter up by five.
Mercer completed
five innings throwing
74 pitches while giv-
ing up four runs and
striking out four.
With the game 5-4,
Dawson led off with a
single and scored on
Baker's triple, who
was then driven in by
Mercer.
Exeter scored four
more insurance runs
on hits by McDonald,
McCarter, Delbridge
and Hayter.
Barker allowed one
run in two innings of
work, striking out two
and ended the game
to win the champi-
onship with another
strikeout and was
mobbed by his team-
mates in celebration.
After receiving
championship rings
and the trophy, the
boys did a victory lap
around the field,
pushing Butler in his
wheelchair with the
trophy.
The team thanks
Barker, his coaching
staff and manager
Anita McDonald for a
job well done.
The weekend after
Labour Day the team
travelled to the Blue
Jays game to take
part in a "Parade of
Champions" put on by
Ontario Baseball for
all OBA championship
teams.
Bowling scores
Monday Night Ladies Lane 6: Bob Pellow -
- Sept. 15 248, 650
Lane 3: Lorna Youth Bowling as at
Wernham - 186, 502 Sept. 17
Lane 4: Elaine Bantam Girls:
Datars - 235, 536 Lauren Regier - 142,
Lane 5: Mary Ann 355
Bender - 191, 480 Bantam Boys: Travis
Lane 6: Sabrina Simpson - 87, Blake
Oesch - 204, 537 Oesch - 237
Wednesday Morning Junior Girls:
Ladies - Sept. 17 Kayleigh Waring - 111,
Lane 1: Jean Palmer 222
- 187, 414 Junior Boys: Sam
Lane 2: Ruth Ann Groot - 211
Haist - 176, Marie Devan Kowall - 229,
Brunzlow - 408 511
Lane 3: Rebecca Senior Girls: Justine
Wilder - 214, 484 Anderson - 169, Cheryl
Thursday Night Regier - 462
Mixed - Sept. 18 Senior Boys: Matt
Lane 5: Les Coleman Regier - 207, 529
- 321, 731
Lawn bowling
Sept. 09
Har Brintnell
1W15, Marion
Sullivan 1W15,
Ray Consitt
1W12, Mary
Deichert 1W12,
John Batten
1W11, Marshall
Dearing 1W11
Sept. 11
Har Brintnell
1W15, Fran
Mickle 1W15,
Marshall
Dearing 1W12
Marlene Parker
1W12 Harry
Winters 1W12
Sept.16
Marlene
Parker 1W18
Dan Overholt
1W18, Marg
Consitt 1W10,
Har Brintnell
1W10, Marion
Dearing 1W09,
Fran McCollum
1W09,
Sept. 18
Marshall
Dearing 1W17,
Kathryn
Triebner 1W17,
Audrey
McGregor,
1W12, Dan
Overholt 1W12,
Pat Sullivan
1W11, John
Batten 1W11,
Mike Underhill
1W11
Exeter shuffleboard scores
Sept. 16
3 Wins:
2 Wins
Sept. 17
3 Wins:
2 Wins:
Bernice Boogemans
Marge McCurdy
Bob Boogemans
Esther Hillman
Leona Elliott
Clare Hayter
Lorraine Alexander
Esther Mawson
Millie Ross
Constance Kernick
Ron Mawson
Bob Boogemans
John Horn
Esther Hillman
Bernice Boogemans
284
207
169
153
120
334
297
285
259
233
211
182
172
160
148