Adam Prudhomme
Beaver Staff
Sage Major League Baseball manager Earl Weaver used to say, momentum is only as good as good as tomorrow’s starting pitcher.
In the case of the Napanee AFW Construction Express, with Riley Manion on the slab, momentum was perpetually on their side at the U19 Men’s Fast Pitch Canadians, held last week in Napanee.
Manion went 8-1 with a 1.72 ERA over 56.2 innings at the tournament, striking out 101 batters. Shortly after pitching the Express to gold with a complete game, two run, eight hit, nine strikeout performance over the defending champion Chepstow Lang Farms, he was named the tournament’s Playoff MVP. Prior to his gold medal performance he pitched a no-hitter against Saskatchewan’s Prince Albert Astros in the semifinals, striking out 17 while allowing just two walks.
He was also crowned the Top Pitcher of the tournament round robin.
“It’s crazy,” Manion said after he was mobbed in the middle of the diamond by his teammates following the final out against Chepstow. “To win a national championship with these group of guys is honestly the best feeling in the world. It’s so surreal.”
All told the right hander threw 833 pitches, 572 for strikes, over six days.
“Pretty sore, but we had a great week of ball,” said Manion. “From Tuesday afternoon when we started until (Sunday), it’s been absolutely one of the best weeks of my life. It’s been great.”
He was quick to credit his Express teammates for his success.
“There’s no way I ever could have done what I did without this group of guys,” said Manion. “Without the defense, without this offense. It was a full team effort.”
All week long he was locked in with his fellow WSBC Junior Men’s Softball World Championship Team Canada teammate and longtime catcher Brendan Hagerman.
“We’ve been working together for years and years,” Manion said of his backstop. “The chemistry we have, I feel fully confident in anything he calls.”
As good as he was from the pitcher’s circle, Manion also helped his own cause at the plate, batting .286 with three RBI over 16 plate appearances. He also drove in the winning run with a bases loaded sac fly in the team’s first playoff game against Prince Albert.
Sunday’s gold medal win represented the accomplishment of a year long goal.
“It’s something you work for all year,” said Manion. “To be able to actually win it at home, in front of your home crowd, it’s unbelievable.”