By Christine Rivet, The Record
OWEN SOUND — The two-time defending champs stumbled out of the gate at the Canadian senior men’s fastpitch championship over the weekend.
The Kitchener Hallman Twins dropped their first two games at this eight-team tournament, a 5-2 decision to Quebec and a 7-1 verdict to Newfoundland on Sunday.
“We just struggled all day. It might take us two or three days to get accustomed to playing together again,” said field manager Doug Eidt after his Twins suffered the defeats.
The Twins, who folded this past off-season following four decades of continuous operation, were pulled out of mothballs late this summer by sponsor Jim Hallman so they might vie for a three-peat at the nationals.
But not all of the Twins from the team’s glory days, including a pair of International Softball Congress world titles in 2008 and 2009, are currently with the club.
First baseman Blair Ezekiel, who drove home Kitchener’s Canadian title-clinching run in 2009, had the chance to rejoin the Twins for this tournament.
He opted to suit up for his home province, Newfoundland, along with his two brothers, Brad and Kyle.
“This whole year has been weird,” said Blair Ezekiel, 30-year-old geologist who played for Albaugh, Iowa at the most recent ISC world tournament.
“There’s been a void all summer (without the Twins). It goes as far as the team emails, jokes with the guys and not seeing the guys you’ve been with every weekend for three years.”
Ezekiel’s heavy-hitting West Side Charlie’s squad from St. John’s looks to be the early favourite here.
Against the Twins, Sean Whitten tossed a two-hit gem for the Newfoundlanders who got a three-run blast from Justin Gill and a two-run homer from Steve Mullaley. Click here to continue reading.