Beaver Sports
The Boyer GM Napanee Express Squirt boys had another remarkable performance over the weekend, going undefeated to win the 2017 U12 Boys OASA Eastern Ontario Regional Qualifier at Haldimand Memorial Park in Grafton.
In the final game of the double knockout tournament early on Sunday afternoon, Napanee met the Tweed Longhorns who had worked their way back through the bottom of the draw following an earlier loss to Napanee the day before. This tilt would prove to be a much closer, nail-biting match-up than the previous day. Napanee scored a run in each of the first three innings to jump to a 3-0 lead. It stayed that way until Tweed responded in the sixth with two runs of their own to narrow the gap 3-2.
The Express were blanked in their half of the seventh and had little room for error as they entered the bottom half of the inning. Things got tense as the leadoff Longhorn reached second base to put the tying run in scoring position. Napanee retired the next three batters in a row to win the game 3-2 and clinch the Eastern Ontario Regional Qualifier Tournament. Pitcher Gavin Brooks was credited with the win with seven strikeouts.
Prior to that game the Express didn’t see too much drama.
They started the tournament on Saturday morning by routing a young Bridgenorth 2 Bulldog team, 31-0 in three innings. Brandon Barker recorded a no hitter.
In their second game in the Expressed faced the older and stronger Bridgenorth 1 Bulldog team on Saturday afternoon. The Express started with two runs in the first inning, another two in the third inning and four runs in the fourth to win 8-1 in 7 innings. With 13 strikeouts, Ethan Sutcliffe was credited with the win.
Game 3 saw the Express take on the same Longhorns they’d meet in the finals.
The Express plotted their way through the game, scoring runs in all but one of the seven innings to win 10-0. In a game much closer than the score would show, the Express relied on solid pitching and fielding for the win. Brooks was credited with the shutout win.
The boys remain undefeated in 25 games (including tournaments) versus U12 squirt rep teams in eastern and western Ontario this season.
They’ll look to continue their winning when they host the OASA Ontario Provincial Championship starting on Aug. 12 at the Napanee fairgrounds.
n Elsewhere in league play the Barr Homes Napanee Express U12 Girls beat the Peterborough Thunder 22 – 8 last Wednesday.
Danielle Barker pitched for the win with five strikeouts while Kristen Sutton struck out five in relief.
Napanee had four runs in the first inning on hits by Keyana Whan, Lila Pringle and Kayla Gendron.
Napanee continued to roll with five more in the second inning on hits by Elayna Jackson, Rylee Beattie, and a monster bases clearing triple by Whan.
They rolled another five in the third inning on hits by Jordyn Watson, and a bases clearing triple by Meena Peterson.
They added five more runs in the fourth with hits by Jaidyn Manion, Marlee Maracle and Watson.
They closed it out with five more in the last inning on hits by Kayla Gendron, Barker, Hannah Tulloch, Jackson and Peterson.
The Express travel to Halton Hills this weekend to play in the Halton Hawks Summer Slam tournament with hopes of bringing home a medal.