Ottawa, Ontario – Ontario rolled through the tournament going 6-0 to claim the 21U (Junior) Championship. It was a complete team effort getting both timely hitting and pitching.
Please see below for further details, including placement games and the final standings.
Gold Medal Game
Ontario 13 British Columbia 3
Before any championship game it’s normal for players to be a little bit nervous, especially for a starting pitcher. Joel Pierce (Windsor, ON) may have been nervous as BC jumped to a quick 2-0 lead early, but he quickly settled down allowing only one run the rest of the way as his team dominated. The team built off the momentum it gained from shutting out Québec in the semi-finals.
Every championship teams needs players to step up and to do it consistently – that player for Team Ontario was catcher Eric Cunningham (Lasalle, ON). Cunningham did it all in this game with his three hits, three RBI and three runs scored. He finished the tournament with two home runs and nine RBI. Outfielder Keifer Quick (Leamington, ON) was another player who stepped up his game, mirroring Cunningham’s three RBI and three runs scored.
Team BC was also coming into the final with momentum gained from their semi-final win, but it was their defense that could not hold up in this game. Offensively, however, they’re best players contributed with Jeff Bouchard (North Delta, BC) Corbin Henderson (Coquitlam, BC) and Carter Sherban (Abbotsford, BC) factoring into the team’s three runs. The three players combined for 23 RBI in six games.
With the win, Ontario improves from a Bronze Medal finish one year ago. Next year they will look to repeat, while BC will look to capture the medal they were so close to achieving.
Bronze Medal Game
Nova Scotia 7 Québec 1
Alex Ostrov (Timberlea, NS) opened the game with a two-run double, and that was all starter Codey Schrider (Dartmouth, NS) needed as his team made sure they would not go home empty-handed. Schrider was determined and the results also showed with offensive production that included two hits and two runs scored.
It was sweet victory for a team that lost only hours earlier, and there is no doubt that they will look to come back next year motivated to take the next step.
Semi-final #1
Ontario 3 Québec 0
Tim Black (Hamilton, ON) was brilliant on the mound allowing only three and striking out five in a full seven innings. He was able to get some early run support with Brandon Gignac (Lasalle, ON) and Chris Horwood (Tecumseh, ON) scoring in the first to go up 2-0 early. Jonathan Paquet (Ancienne-Lorette, QC) pitched very well in the loss, allowing three unearned runs in six innings of work.
Semi-final #2
British Columbia 7 Nova Scotia 1
Tyler Pentland (Ladner, BC) had two hits, including the eventual game-winning RBI single as BC booked their ticket the finals later in the day. Pentland would also do his job behind the plate, working with three different pitchers including starter Daniel Altoe (Burnaby, BC) who picked up the win.
Placement Games
Dartmouth 5 (fifth place) Prince Edward Island 4 (sixth place)
Manitoba 7 (seventh place) New Brunswick 1 (eight place)
Saskatchewan 7 (ninth place) Newfoundland and Labrador 5 (tenth place)
