I4C Victory ToC report
Carp I4C Victory Gains Experience at ISC II Tournament of Champions
Team Goes 0-4 But Led in Three of Four Games.
from Shawn Williams
Despite a winless record at the 2007 International Softball Congress (ISC) II Tournament of Champions (ToC), the Carp I4C Victory Fastball Club gained invaluable experience and were able to observe what it takes to be at a tournament of this calibre.
Carp was leading in three of the four games it played in, including a lead going into the seventh inning. In another game, the team's pitching staff had given up one hit through four innings of play before eventually falling in that contest and in its third game of the tournament, the victory jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first but were unable to hold on.
In addition, the team was missing it's top three batters, leading the team in average as well as two pitchers and a second baseman. Despite those shortages and with the additional players, Carp was able to pick-up through tournament rules, the team that assembled in Kitchener/Cambridge put forward a great effort.
In the first game of the tournament, Carp faced off against the Hamilton Hawks. Down 2-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth, Carp fought back with a run of its own when centrefielder Mike Money reached on an error. He advanced to second when John Craig, a player added from the Stittsville 56ers, grounded out to third. With two out, Matt McNish hit a triple scoring Money and putting Carp on the board. In the bottom of the sixth, Carp added two more to take the lead. Trevor Wood drew a lead off walk and when Al Read grounded out to third, Wood advanced to second. With two out, Carp native, Jon Daley, a pick-up from the Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electrics hit a double driving in Wood to tie the score at two. Money reached on an error for the second time in the game moving Daley to third where he was driven in by Craig with his third hit of the day and Carp took a 3-2 lead into the seventh.
However, the team could not hold on and Hamilton tied it when Brian Costie singled and was replaced with pinch runner, Gary Stokes. Stokes was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Rob O'Neill to tie things at three. In the top of the eigth with the International Tie Breaker in effect, Lance Winn started at second base for the Hawks. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and was then driven in on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Mike Maurice. However, the Hawks weren't finished as Ray Carr hit a solo home run to centrefield to make it 5-3 Hamilton. The Victory were not able to get anything going in its half of the 8th and for disagreeing with the base umpire on a checked swing call, Carp Head Coach and General Manager, Shawn Williams was ejected from the game by home plate umpire, Joel Balberman of Brantford. In an ironic twist to the ejection, Williams and Balberman had umpired several ISC Qualifier and provincial elimination tournaments in the past when Williams used to umpire at the ISC and Senior Men's level in Ontario.
In it's second game of the tournament, Carp faced the host Bridgeport PROForma Braves with former Waterloo Twins Senior Men's players and brothers, Jodie and Jay Schnarr. Brad Porter, added to the Carp roster from the Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electrics threw a masterful game and had given up only one hit over four innings while Carp took a 2-0 lead via a monster blast off the bat of McNish in the second and another RBI from the big right fielder when he grounded out to short allowing Daley to score from third in the bottom of the third. However in the fifth inning a controversial call at first allowed Jodie Schnarr to reach first safely. Base umpire, Roger Cheyne of Indiana ruled that Casey Poldervaart had pulled his foot off the bag at first when stretching to make the catch. That clearly was not the case and after conferring with plate umpire, Dave Norris of Westmeath, ON the call was upheld. After Schnarr stole second, Terry Eaton walked bringing the younger Schnarr to the plate where Jay made no doubt about it hitting a grand slam to straight away centrefield. It was an unfortunate turn of events for Porter who had thrown an excellent game for the Victory. Carp managed to get one back in the sixth when with one out, Read walked and advacned to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Eric Colvin. In the bottom of the seventh, Carp threatened again when Craig singled. Daley twice attempted to sacrifice Craig and when that did not work out he drove the ball right at former ISC II All-World second baseman, Mike Kelly who made the catch and doubled Craig off at first. Money kept things alive with a single and then McNish walked giving Carp another crack at tying the game or winning it in the bottom of the seventh. However, Sam Oliver of the Stittsville 56ers grounded into a fielder's choice with McNish out at second and the game was over.
In Carp's third game against Harrisburg, PA Power, the victory jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a controversial home run off the bat of Darren Featherstone in the bottom of the first. The Power players, with pitcher Kevin Brown of Kingston, a former member of the Stittsville 56ers Senior Men's team, vehemently arguing that the ball was foul. While the Power lost the arguement they took some energy from the situation and jumped on Carp starter, Neil Cooke for two runs in the top of the second. After two more hits and an error in the top of the third, Cooke gave way to Trevor Wood however, the Power kept coming and went on to score three in the top of the third to make it 5-3 for the U.S. squad and its Canadian pitcher. Carp got one back in the bottom of the sixth with McNish continuing to drive in runs. This time it was a single to score Craig from second and narrow the score to 5-4. It was McNish’s fourth RBI of the tournament and he finished with a .400 average. Harrisburg added one its half of the seventh and the final was 6-4.
In the final game of the round robin, Carp got off to a sluggish start against the second ranked California Lumberkings of Bakersfield, CA. Hits and errors contributed to Carp being down 4-0 after the first in a game that eventually ended after five innings via the run ahead rule of seven after five. Carp was down 6-0 when Canadian, Jon Nimmo, hit a monster two run blast about 325 feet over the left field fence to make the final score 8-0.
Carp will participate in the ISC II Home League Tournament in McNab/Braeside this weekend, August, 24th and 25th with the winer of the double elimination tournament getting an automatic berth in the 2008 ISC ToC in Appleton, WI. The team contiues its Greater Ottawa Fastball League (GOFL) playoff series against the Ottawa Blitz this week and will participate in the Elkland, PA Labour Day Tournament next weekend.
Team Goes 0-4 But Led in Three of Four Games.
from Shawn Williams
Despite a winless record at the 2007 International Softball Congress (ISC) II Tournament of Champions (ToC), the Carp I4C Victory Fastball Club gained invaluable experience and were able to observe what it takes to be at a tournament of this calibre.
Carp was leading in three of the four games it played in, including a lead going into the seventh inning. In another game, the team's pitching staff had given up one hit through four innings of play before eventually falling in that contest and in its third game of the tournament, the victory jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first but were unable to hold on.
In addition, the team was missing it's top three batters, leading the team in average as well as two pitchers and a second baseman. Despite those shortages and with the additional players, Carp was able to pick-up through tournament rules, the team that assembled in Kitchener/Cambridge put forward a great effort.
In the first game of the tournament, Carp faced off against the Hamilton Hawks. Down 2-0 heading to the bottom of the fifth, Carp fought back with a run of its own when centrefielder Mike Money reached on an error. He advanced to second when John Craig, a player added from the Stittsville 56ers, grounded out to third. With two out, Matt McNish hit a triple scoring Money and putting Carp on the board. In the bottom of the sixth, Carp added two more to take the lead. Trevor Wood drew a lead off walk and when Al Read grounded out to third, Wood advanced to second. With two out, Carp native, Jon Daley, a pick-up from the Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electrics hit a double driving in Wood to tie the score at two. Money reached on an error for the second time in the game moving Daley to third where he was driven in by Craig with his third hit of the day and Carp took a 3-2 lead into the seventh.
However, the team could not hold on and Hamilton tied it when Brian Costie singled and was replaced with pinch runner, Gary Stokes. Stokes was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Rob O'Neill to tie things at three. In the top of the eigth with the International Tie Breaker in effect, Lance Winn started at second base for the Hawks. He moved to third on a sacrifice bunt and was then driven in on a sacrifice fly off of the bat of Mike Maurice. However, the Hawks weren't finished as Ray Carr hit a solo home run to centrefield to make it 5-3 Hamilton. The Victory were not able to get anything going in its half of the 8th and for disagreeing with the base umpire on a checked swing call, Carp Head Coach and General Manager, Shawn Williams was ejected from the game by home plate umpire, Joel Balberman of Brantford. In an ironic twist to the ejection, Williams and Balberman had umpired several ISC Qualifier and provincial elimination tournaments in the past when Williams used to umpire at the ISC and Senior Men's level in Ontario.
In it's second game of the tournament, Carp faced the host Bridgeport PROForma Braves with former Waterloo Twins Senior Men's players and brothers, Jodie and Jay Schnarr. Brad Porter, added to the Carp roster from the Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electrics threw a masterful game and had given up only one hit over four innings while Carp took a 2-0 lead via a monster blast off the bat of McNish in the second and another RBI from the big right fielder when he grounded out to short allowing Daley to score from third in the bottom of the third. However in the fifth inning a controversial call at first allowed Jodie Schnarr to reach first safely. Base umpire, Roger Cheyne of Indiana ruled that Casey Poldervaart had pulled his foot off the bag at first when stretching to make the catch. That clearly was not the case and after conferring with plate umpire, Dave Norris of Westmeath, ON the call was upheld. After Schnarr stole second, Terry Eaton walked bringing the younger Schnarr to the plate where Jay made no doubt about it hitting a grand slam to straight away centrefield. It was an unfortunate turn of events for Porter who had thrown an excellent game for the Victory. Carp managed to get one back in the sixth when with one out, Read walked and advacned to second on a wild pitch and scored on a single by Eric Colvin. In the bottom of the seventh, Carp threatened again when Craig singled. Daley twice attempted to sacrifice Craig and when that did not work out he drove the ball right at former ISC II All-World second baseman, Mike Kelly who made the catch and doubled Craig off at first. Money kept things alive with a single and then McNish walked giving Carp another crack at tying the game or winning it in the bottom of the seventh. However, Sam Oliver of the Stittsville 56ers grounded into a fielder's choice with McNish out at second and the game was over.
In Carp's third game against Harrisburg, PA Power, the victory jumped out to an early 3-0 lead on a controversial home run off the bat of Darren Featherstone in the bottom of the first. The Power players, with pitcher Kevin Brown of Kingston, a former member of the Stittsville 56ers Senior Men's team, vehemently arguing that the ball was foul. While the Power lost the arguement they took some energy from the situation and jumped on Carp starter, Neil Cooke for two runs in the top of the second. After two more hits and an error in the top of the third, Cooke gave way to Trevor Wood however, the Power kept coming and went on to score three in the top of the third to make it 5-3 for the U.S. squad and its Canadian pitcher. Carp got one back in the bottom of the sixth with McNish continuing to drive in runs. This time it was a single to score Craig from second and narrow the score to 5-4. It was McNish’s fourth RBI of the tournament and he finished with a .400 average. Harrisburg added one its half of the seventh and the final was 6-4.
In the final game of the round robin, Carp got off to a sluggish start against the second ranked California Lumberkings of Bakersfield, CA. Hits and errors contributed to Carp being down 4-0 after the first in a game that eventually ended after five innings via the run ahead rule of seven after five. Carp was down 6-0 when Canadian, Jon Nimmo, hit a monster two run blast about 325 feet over the left field fence to make the final score 8-0.
Carp will participate in the ISC II Home League Tournament in McNab/Braeside this weekend, August, 24th and 25th with the winer of the double elimination tournament getting an automatic berth in the 2008 ISC ToC in Appleton, WI. The team contiues its Greater Ottawa Fastball League (GOFL) playoff series against the Ottawa Blitz this week and will participate in the Elkland, PA Labour Day Tournament next weekend.
posted by fitzroyfastball | 8/22/2007 05:06:00 pm
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