Not even a bit of rain could cool off the red hot Napanee U15 Express, who are now 5-0 at the U15 Men’s Canadian Fast Pitch Championships in Wilmot, On.
In their third game of the tournament yesterday morning the U15 Express came out strong in the top of the first with five runs. Bryce Rebertz hit a two-run shot over the fence followed by a Finn Barton single and Jacob Moore scored Owen Kish and Barton with a triple. Moore took the mound in the bottom of the first striking out three of five batters. In the second the Express added two more with a Dylan Kemp home run. They continued to play stellar D on the way to a 12-0 win over Chatsworth. Moore had eight strikeouts against 23 batters in five innings.
In their fourth game the Express, with Kayden Thompson on the mound against the Tara Twins, took a 2-0 lead in the first with a Dylan Kemp home run scoring Matthew Airhart who was on base with a single. Thompson was strong and retired the first six batters. With the Express up 4-1 in the fourth, the weather came in for a three-hour rain delay. The Express were able to hang on with Kemp taking the mound for the last three innings, retiring all 9 batters with 5 strikeouts.
The Express kept the train rolling against Quebec on Friday, coming out in the top of the first with three runs, with singles from Airhart and Kish who scored Kemp who was on with a walk. Barton scored Kish with a triple. Brody Nielissen led off the second with a double, eventually coming around for another run. Napanee continued to have great pitching with Moore on the mound with seven K’s in 13 batters giving up only one hit. Kish and Barton each went 3-for-3 in the game. They went on to mercy Quebec 10-0 after four innings.
Napanee will face the NL Selects tonight at 7 p.m. and then face the host Wilmot Thunder tomorrow morning at 11 a.m. to wrap up the round robin ahead of the playoff round.