Tyler Pauli dives over the Singapore catcher to score a run during action July 19 from the ISF Junior Men’s World Softball Championship. (Photo by Maddy Flanagan, www.maddysphotos.com, click to enlarge)
“Now batting for Team Canada, #20, right fielder, Tyler Pauli.”
Game announcers at the 2014 International Softball Federation (ISF) Junior Men’s World Softball Championship in Whitehorse, Yukon incorrectly pronounced the 19-year-old Mitchell native’s surname “Paul-ee”, but by the time the 10-day tournament was over, fans from all over the world – and the announcers – knew the proper way to say it.
That’s the kind of tournament “Paul-eye” had.
Pauli played every inning of every one of Canada’s nine round robin games and two playoff contests, and completed the tournament as the second-best hitter overall with a .464 batting average (13-for-28) which included two doubles, two triples, one home run, four RBI, two walks and just one strikeout. He also stole three bases from the lead-off position in the batting order.
“The coolest part of the entire thing,” he said last week upon his return home, “was that by the last game everyone knew my nickname (‘Pup’)…and the announcers were saying my surname right at the end.”
Ten teams from five continents played 45 games in the round-robin tournament and although Canada had hoped for a top four finish, and even perhaps fight for a medal on their home soil, they finished a disappointing seventh.
The top four teams advanced to the page playoff round while the bottom six teams competed in a consolation playoff round. Canada, with their 4-5 round robin record, finished tied for sixth and after defeating Singapore 11-1 in their first consolation playoff game, fell 8-7 to Mexico to officially finish seventh. Click here to continue reading at the Mitchell Advocate. (More photos at link)