Editor’s notes:
Dennis Dosman’s “TWIF” notes are always a good read, though this might be his best work of the 2011 season, with great recap of the 2011 Sr. Canadians which will go down as one of the most exciting ever.
And speaking of best work of the year, for anyone that missed them, the Ballpark Radio broadcasts of the Sr. Canadians, by Kyle Smith and Joe Todd (with a Friday night assist from Blair Setford) might well be the best broadcasts of the year. Kyle did seven of the eight broadcasts over the final weekend of the tournament, including three on Saturday and three more on Sunday, making each broadcast more exciting than the last. The championship game was an outstanding game in its own right, but I heartily recommend a listen to Kyle and Joe’s call of the game. Some Kyle-isms from the final: “If you don’t have butterflies, you’re dead”….”, and later, in the final inning….”If you have any fingernails left….”
Click here for to listen to Ballpark Radio broadcasts from the Sr. Canadians.
2011 marked the first time ever that Ballpark Radio broadcast the Sr. Canadians, which were arranged by Kyle Smith and Owen Sound’s Jamie Simpson (who did some fine color work on a couple of the broadcasts himself) The broadcasts were listened to by hundreds, and point toward the possibility of a return appearance at the Sr. Canadians in 2012.
HALLMAN TWINS WIN CANADIANS IN OWEN SOUND
Christine Rivet of the Record got it right. The Hallman Twins…a team that was disbanded earlier this year, rose from the ashes to claim their 3rd Canadian Championship in 3 years. The team had disbanded earlier this year. In June, Dave Bailey, Doug Eidt and Jim Hallman rethought that decision and committed to the Three-Peat. The Twins had chased many Ontario and Canadian championships over the past 3 dozen or so years of operation with differing amounts of success. They have now won 3 in a row, in St Thomas, in PEI and now in Owen Sound.
The preliminary rounds opened up onSunday in Owen Sound, the defending champ Twins taking the field against Darren Zack and the Quebec squad. Zack went 5 innings, Greg Garrity went 2 for Quebec and the win…the Twins were 0 for 1 losing 5 – 2, Dale Levy started the tournament 2 for 2…a pair of doubles..Greg Courneya and Andy Jackson, batting one, two for the Twins in the 2nd inning, both hit doubles, scoring Courneya to open the scoring. .Brandon Horn, starting at short stop, opened the 3rd inning with a homer, Quecbec’s Steve Savard homered in the bottom half…Matthew Lessard hit a two run homer to give Quebec a 3 -2 lead..Garrity and Savard scored in the 6th for Quebec
Sunday afternoon and Newfoundland..St John’s winning 7 – 1…Sean Whitten got the win, allowing 3 hits, 1 run and striking out 12 Twins. Andrew Phiibbs took the loss for the Twins. Allan Phibbs got the only KW run…a solo homer in the 2nd. Home runs were the offence of choice…7 of the 8 runs scored were 4 baggers….For Newfoundland…Stephen Mullaley 2 run homer, Ian Ferhman solo shot and Justin Gill a 3 run homer.
Twins 0 – 2 on opening Sunday….and facing the old rival..Owen Sound Selects on Monday morning…
The Selects Matt Leahy gave Owen Sound the win….2 hits, 0 runs…Don Scott struck out 10 Selects but was tagged for the 3 – 0 loss. Two of those runs were a 2 run homer from Ben Wideman in the 3rd.. followed by a single shot from Adam Dearborn.
Still looking for a win…the Twins now faced Port Elgin and again came up short…this time 5 – 3 with Scott Smith posting the win for the team from the town with the beautiful sunsets…Sean Winship pitched 3 innings for the Blue Devil save. Mike Riley had a 2 run homer for Port Elgin, and Matt Reinhart drove in 2. In the 4th, Pat Graham had 2 RBIs for the Twins. Chad Crawford scored on Brendon Horn’s RBI in the 5th…
Wednesday and still no wins for the defending Canadian champs and New Brunswick is next…Don Scott, ISC World Tournament top pitcher on the rubber for the Twins….Dale Levy and Rob O”Brien both homer for the Twins in the 1st inning…Terry Martin and AJ Moses score in the 2nd..Brandon Horn with those 2 RBIs, Rob O’Brien scores in the 3rd…Brian Roote’s RBI, Brendon Horn and Dale Levy score in the 4th and the 6th…
For the NewBrunswick team…Edan Welsh had solo homers in the 3rd and 5th….
Don Scott got the win, 9 Ks, 2 runs on those 2 Welsh HRs…Brian Newton and Donnely Archibald took the loss for NB…
Twins now on the board…and PEI is next…PEI (0-5) and the Twins (1-4) were the finalists in last year’s CASAs, this year they were fighting for the bottom of the pile, rather than the top of the heap.
Ward Gosse for the Islanders, Andrew Phibbs for the Twins..
PEI gets off to a quick start in the first…scoring 3 runs…Rowan Lam, Gosse, and M. Arsenault, Andy Jackson replied for the Twins in the second…..and Arsenault again in the 3rd this time a HR, pairing that with his double in the 1st…PEI 4 runs on 6 hits……Twins 1 run on 4 hits and 8 left on base…
Now the Giants from BC….with a record of 4 – 2, and a strong lineup of veterans…Schelenberg, Newitt, Mayson, Wenstrom, Giebrecht, the BC team was a pretournament favourite…..but favourites were losing this week….
Todd Martin on the slab for the Twins..it was time to bring the Twins back onto the W side …..and so they did…Martin held the Giants to 2 hits..shutting out BC 6 – 0…. Brandon Horn, Dale Levy and Rob O’Brien 2 hits each…Pat Graham batting 2nd, opened the scoring in the first,…. tripled and scored on O’Briens single. Allen Phibbs a solo Homer led of the 2nd…Brian Roote tripled. Chad Crawford tripled and Brandon Horn singled to score Crawford. Brian Roote walked in the 4th and Horn another RBI single…Horn scored in the 7th as well…Twins 6 – BC 0…Twins now 2 – 5 and in 8th place.
The Twins bats were coming alive, singles, doubles and homruns producing RBIs, and Todd Martin was in the park…Offence and pitching ready to carry the Twins forward..
Saturday morning, the Championship round opens…The Twins are in the single elimination round, and to meet the Port Elgin Blue Devils…loser goes home….winner goes on…
Ryan Wolfe, at his first at bat for the tournament, goes solo over the fence to announce his arrival in Owen Sound…in the 2nd Pat Graham singles and Brian Roote, over the fence for 2 more Twins runs…The Blue Devils close the gap, with 2 of their own in the bottom of the 2nd..Brent Underwood on a homer from Aaron Whitney, Ryan Dudgeon ties the game for the Blue Devils in the 5th…AllenPhibbs on base with a single in the7th…game tied, and Greg Courneyea hits a 2 run HR for the win….and on to the next game…later in the afternoon
New Brunswick…4th after pool play,….faced Don Scott…..Justin Schofield for NB..
Dale Levy, batting 3rd for the Twins..ripped his first Championship Homer off Schofied in the first inning…Tracey for NB replied with one of his own in the bottom of the 1st…Score tied at 1 after 1…The Twins hit the “go button” in the second..scoring 5 runs…Allen Phibbs a solo HR, Greg Coruneyea, a walk, Andy Jackson a walk, Brian Roote a 2 RBI single, Ryan Wolfe a walk, Brendon Horn a RBI, and Dale Levy a RBI…
In the 3rd..Allan Phibbs another solo HR, and Pat Graham brings home Greg Courneyea who singled.
4th inning…Brendon a double, Dale Levy another Homer….Rob O’Brien a double and another Courneyea RBI…
Don Scott the win 6 hits, 3 runs, 1 K…Todd Martin, 0 hits, 5Ks …and Andrew Phibbs finished the game….3 up 3 down…
Twins 11 runs…New Brunswick 3…and Twins advance to play the 6th place Owen Sound Selects. Owen Sound had been knocking off teams as well and this was looking like it might be a tight game…
Dale Levy and Allan Phibbs had other ideas…
Brendon Horn was hit by a pitch, Dale drove him home with a 2 run homer…long over the scoreboard in left….Andy Skelton replied in the bottom of the 1st with a solo homer…the only Owen Sound run of the game…
2nd inning, Twins, Graham, Roote, Wolfe, Horn, Levy all reach base on walks or singles, Obrien on an error, …RBIs to Horn (2) , Levy (1) and O’Brien (2), and Allen Phibbs (1)…
3rd inning..Single for Wolfe, 2 run HR for Dale Levy…really heating up now, single for O’Brien and another homer by Allen Phibbs, for 2 more runs..
In the 4th…Brian Roote doubles, Wolfe singles and Brendor Horn singles…
Final score…Big win for the Twins…13.- 1
Todd Martin …..3 innings, 1 hit, 1 run, 4Ks, Andrew Phibbs went 2 innings, 2 hits, and 4 Ks…0 runs…
and the semi final against Quebec was next…
Todd Martin going again for the Twins…picking up Don Scott who was on the trainer’s table almost all weekend nursing injuries…
In the first…Ryan Wolfe against Quebec’s Greg Garrity…and a walk…two outs and Rob O’Brien lights up the scoreboard with a2 run homer…
Second inning…Grey Courneyea hit by pitch…Pat Graham moves him to 2nd..and Andy Jackson scores him on a single..Brian Roote walks and Ryan Wolfe brings him home with a single..
In the 3rd…Rob O’Brien singles and Pat Graham scores him with a single…6 – 0 after 3….Change in pitchers for Quebec..Darren Zack in for GarrityQuebec’s Mathieu Roy, Quebec’s lead off hitter homers off Andrew Phibbs for Quebec’s only run, that in the 7th….Phibbs had taken over for Martin to start the 6th inning…
In the top of the 7th the Hallman Twins batted around the order….Terry Martin, singled to lead off the inning…got to 2nd on an error, Graham now at first, Andy Jackson scored Martin with a single..Brian Roote scored Graham, another single, Ryan Wolfe on base with a Fielder’s Choice, Jackson out at 3rd…Brandon Horn a single, Dale Levy a 2 RBI triple…, and Allan Phibbs a RBI single…6 more runs….and the win against Garrity and Zack..Todd Martin the win…5 innings, 5 hits, 1 run, 8 Ks…Andrew Phibbs, 2 innings. 2 hits, 1 run, 3 Ks…Hallman Twins….3Peat…with a 4 – 3 win over St John’s..
Allan Phibbs can barely walk, Don Scott can barely pitch, Todd Martin is sore and struggling, and the Twins are up against the undefeated team from Newfoundland…power up and down the batting order, Ezekiel, Ezekiel, Fehrman, Mullaley, Hill, Boland, Lewis, Ezekiel, Evely, great pitching, Sean Whitten and Sean Cleary…
The Twins open with offence right away….Ryan Wolfe singles to open the game..Dale Levy with another 2 run homer..2 – 0 after one inning and that holds to the 5th….
Todd Martin lasted til one out in the 4th…and was replaced on the rubber by Don Scott…Scott retired Ryan Boland and Mark Lewis on strikeouts..
In the 5th Newfoundland got going. Boland on first, and Brad Ezekiel at bat, Blair Ezekiel on deck..home run Brad, home run Blair, and its 3 – 2 St john’s after 5 innings…
Top of the 6th…Brandon Horn leads off with a single..Dale Levy….are you thinking another 2 run homer from Big Red..not this time..a walk…and Allen Phibbs brings in Horn…but out at 1st..Levy on board at 2nd….St John’s makes a pitching change..Whitten for Cleary….Allan Phibbs in the batters box..and Phibbs wins…another RBI for the Twins on a single…. score now Twins 4 – 3 and St John’s coming to bat in the bottom of the 6th..
Pat Boland singles, Kyle Ezekiel sacrifice bunt, Boland at 2nd..one away…Geoff Evely and Sean Boland out…on to the 7th, Scott hurting after every pitch.
7th inning, nothing from the Twins in the top….and the top of the order up for St John’s….Brad Ezekiel a single, the tying run at 1st…Blair Ezekiel pops up to Don Scott, Ian Fehrman pops up to Brendon Horn, and Steve Mullaley Ks…..Twins win…4- 3 , against a very strong Newfoundland team.
The Twins win their 3rd national championship in 3 years. They overcame a poor start, they got production from all parts of the batting order, were able to overcome injuries to their pitchers and catchers, and rode the power hitting of the top of the lineup to a come from behind Canadian title.
TOURNAMENT AWARDS
Catcher…Pat Boland N/L
1st Base..Steve Savard Que
2nd Base..Trevor Johnston BC
3rd Base..Darryl McKinnon Port Elgin
Short ..Kevin Schellenberg, BC
O/F Mark Johnson PEI
O/F Dale Levy Kitchener
O/F Jason Hill N/L
Utility Ryan Thompson, Owen Sound
Pitcher Seah Whitten N/L
Top Pitcher Sean Clearey N/L
Top Batter Ian Ferhman N/L
Round Robin MVP Steve Mullaley N/L
Playoff MVP Allen Phibbs Kitchener
Some Stats Playoff
Allan Phibbs ……588 Bat Avg..3 runs …10 hits…3 HR, 7 RBIs,
Dale Levy…..571 Bat Avg..8 runs …8 hits…1double, 1 triple, 5 HRs, 15 RBIs,
Brandon Horn…438 Bat Avg,..5 runs, 7 hits, 4 RBIs
Brian Roote…400 Bat Avg..6 runs, 6 hits, a double and a HR…3 RBIs
Ryan Wolfe…308 Bat Avg..5 runs, 4 hits, 1 HR, 2 RBIs
Rob O’Brien…294 Bat Avg…5 runs, 5 hits, double, HR…5 RBIs
Pat Graham…286 Bat Avg..3 runs, 4 hits…2 RBIs
in round robin play
Dale Levy led the Twins..409 Bat Avg..9 hits, 1 HR
Rob O’Brien…389 Bat Avg, 7 hits, 3 RBIs
Allen Phibbs..316 Bat Avg..6 hits 3 RBIs
Pitching Championship Round
Andrew Phibbs…3 games…5 innings…allowed 4 hits…1 run…earned…8 k’s ….1.40 ERA
Todd Martin…5 games…19 innings…allowed 18 hits…8 runs…earned,…4 walks…33 ks..3 wins…ERA…2.95
Don Scott…3 games..7 innings…allowed 10 hits…3 runs…earned, 2 walks, 7 ks, 2 wins…and ERA 3.00
Other notes..
3 Major Wins, Canadians, ASAs, and ISCs… this summer for the following…Ryan Wolfe, Brendon Horn, Don Scott, Pat Graham, Andrew Phibbs
And a great week of fastalll…congratulations to the Owen Sound Selects and the host committee…it was a great tournament…
And so ….on to the next two events and the end of the season…
First…this weekend…the South Perth League Championship tournament in Milverton beginning Friday nite with 3 games
7:30 pm…Shakespeare 12 – 10 vs Linwood (4 – 18)
9pm…..Sebringville 9- 13 vs Breslau 9 – 13
9pm…..Mitchell Mets 12 – 10 vs Mitchell Royals 8 – 13 – 1
Saturday…
10 am…Hickson 13 – 9 vs Tavistock Jrs..0 – 22
At noon
Wellington Sox…20 – 2 vs winner of Shakespeare/Linwood
KW Cubs 13 – 9 vs winner Hickson/Tavistock
at ten am…
Elmira 17 – 5 vs winner Sebringville/Breslau
Kitchener Outlaws 14 – 7 – 1 vs winner Mitchell/Mitchell
and so on thru to Sunday..
Some SPL stats…
Home runs…Corey Tinline Outlaws 9 …..Jeremy Creeden Sox 5……Dan Mitchell Cubs 5….Dale Levy Sebringville 5…..
with 4 homers…Rob Faulhaufer Shakespeare, Adam Hiller, Cubs, and Brian Krohn, Outlaws
Strikeout leaders
Don Scott….Sebringville 120
MarkVanVliet….Hickson 118
Fred Follings..Shakespeare 109
Andrew Phibbs..Breslau 107
Mel Ross…Wellington and Casey Halstead …Elmira 93
Ryan French …Cubs 90
Kevin Buckly…Outlaws 82
Dan Martin ..Elmira 79
Luke Raymer Shakespeare 63
More next week..including the schedule for the ISC OCC qualifier in New Dundee set for Sept 16 17 and 18…
See you at the ball yard…
Dennis Dosman
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