From the Prince George Citizen
Wednesday, August 30, 2006

Twiliters are true masters of the game

by SCOTT STANFIELD, Special to the Citizen

The Stony Plain Twiliters have yet to win a game heading into this morning’s meeting with the Charlottetown Razzy’s Roadhouse Fawcetts.

But the Alberta team — competing in its first-ever Canadian senior A men’s fastpitch championship — is nevertheless looking forward to doing some damage this weekend in the championship round, even if they are destined for the lower half of the draw.

“We’re having a great time here, just a fantastic time here,” player/coach Kevin Lannon said Tuesday following a 6-2 loss to the host Prince George Black Bears. “This is the first time for most of us. We knew coming here we’d be in tough. We’ve been in some games, we’ve had some tough luck, but we’re working towards the weekend and we’ll see what we can do.

“We have 15 guys and we’re using everyone — seeing who’s going to get hot first and who’s playing well defensively and we’ll come up with a lineup Saturday that hopefully will have a winning combination there.”

Besides coaching, the 44-year-old Lannon also plays first base for the Twiliters.

“I had a couple at bats there (on Tuesday) just to get on the official scoreboard for the nationals. We’re going with a youth movement towards Saturday.”

He and a few of the senior team members won a bronze medal in the 35-and-over division at the World Masters Games last year in Edmonton.

“Out of that came this team. This is just our first time on the senior A circuit, and we’re getting our feet wet like we knew we would. But before the week is out we’re going to surprise a few people, I think.

“We’ve got a free ride to the playoffs, so we’ll take that game Saturday and see what we can do with it.”

Lannon is one of nine players in the Stony Plain lineup who originally hail from Newfoundland — the host province of the 2007 senior A nationals — as does outfielder Ron Joy, whose nephew Darrell Joy plays third base for the Saskatoon Aspen Interior Black Sox.

“This is Ronny’s first time at the nationals and he put one off the scoreboard today to get a home run, so I’m very happy for him,” Lannon said. “Yes, very happy.”

The other Newfies donning Stony Plain jerseys are brothers Daryl and Mike Tilley (pitcher and utility player respectively), catcher Cyril Walsh, second baseman Dan Corbett, third baseman James Dunphy, centre fielder Barry Sullivan and manager Mike Hynes.

The Tilleys, Corbett and utility man Scott Smith have competed at previous national fastpitch tournaments.

“We’re working towards St. John’s, Newfoundland for the nationals next year,” Lannon said. “And we’re here to see what we need to do to get competitive, so these losses to us are not devastating to us. We know that we have to do a few things for next year, but we’re here having fun.”

Stony Plain was shut out Sunday on opening day by both the defending champion St. Thomas (Ont.) Evergreen Centennials and the Jarvis Merchants from Ontario. On Monday, they lost 7-3 to Saskatoon.

The Alberta representative also faces the Vancouver Grey Sox today at 6 p.m.

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