Donnacona Blue Sox win Ontario East Challenge Cup

The Donnacona Blue Sox won the eight team Ontario East Challenge Cup on the weekend with a 4-0 record, led by their ace Francis Leclair. The smooth throwing Leclair, who "toes up" in Softball Canada style, fooled batters with his drop ball and excellent pitch placement, allowing only two runs over the four games and posting a no-hitter against Team Easton as well as two one-hitters along the way. Making things even more impressive is the fact the Donnacona had only nine players for the entire weekend.

Donnacona indicated that they will accept the ToC berth to Quad Cities in 2009.

Sunday results:

Wyevale Tribe 7 Fitzroy Harbour WC Electric 0 (5 innings)
WP: Jason Giffen
LP: Bud Hanlon with relief from Steve Cavanagh
HR: Mike Kelly, Dave Drinkill x 2 (Wyevale)
This game was started Saturday night, but when the lightning started and the monsoon rains came through in the fourth, the game was push forward and continued on Sunday morning.

Donnacona Blue Sox 1 Ottawa Team Easton 0
WP: Francis Leclair
LP: Jason Smith
HR: Jonathan Darveau (Donnacona)
Scoreless through five until Darveau hit a solo shot and that was the only run the Blue Sox need for the win. While Easton did have baserunners due to some errors and four walks, Leclair had a no-hitter in this game. Smith allowed only five hits, but the solo shot was the difference.

Wyevale Tribe 7 Quyon Flyers 6 (8 innings)
WP: Jason Giffen
LP: Drew Hathway
HR: Kevin Peterson, Trace Leonard (Wyevale)
HR: Matt Greer (Quyon)
Just what Quyon needed - another extra inning game, after four in the GOFL playoffs, plus one on Friday night. Down 4-3 in the top of the seventh, Matt Greer's two run shot put Quyon up by a run. However Wyevale answered back with a run in the bottom of the seventh on an RBI by Chris Bell to tie the game. Joran Graham drove in a run in the top of the eighth, but Matt Tjart's walk off 2-RBI double in the bottom of the first extra inning eliminated the Flyers.

Ottawa Team Easton 7 Wyevale Tribe 1
WP: Dan Konkle
LP: Jason Giffen with relief from Chris Bell
HR: Mike Kelly (Wyevale)
HR: Chad Milne, Dave Tubman (Easton)
This one was close until the sixth. With the score 2-1 Easton going in the top of the seventh, Easton sent 10 men to the plate and scored five to put the game well out of reach.

Donnaconna 9 Ottawa Team Easton 2 (6 innings)
WP: Francis Leclair
LP: Dan Konkle with relief from Jason Smith and Chad Hargrove
HR: Chad Milne (Easton)
HR: Jean Pierre Savard, Mathieu Lessard, Luc Thibault x 2 (Donnacona)
Leclair gave up his first runs of the tournament but two was not enough for Easton as Donnacona used the long ball four times en route to the six inning run rule shortened game.

Congratulations to Donnacona on winning the berth and to Francis Leclair for an excellent showing in the circle for the Blue Sox.

Some tournament thoughts to follow later