Article on the Junior Nationals Day 1
Early power surge
By DOUG GRAHAM, THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD
There were not any fireworks scheduled in Monday night's opening ceremonies for the Canadian U23 fastball championship at the Napanee Fair-grounds.
But the banging bats of the Napanee North Key Construction Express did provide some fire-power offence.
The Express began their quest to make it two straight junior men's championships (and their first title on home turf) with an explosive display at the plate.
North Key slammed four home runs -- including a pair by Joel Langford in a nine-run second inning -- to dust off the host Napanee Shoeless Joe's Express 13-3 in the first action for both teams.
A good crowd of around 500 was on hand for the noon-time game. Both Napanee teams played later games Monday night but there was no doubt the opener held special status.
"It is nice to get the first game out of the way and get the W," said winning pitcher Joran Graham, who allowed only one hit and one run in his 4 1/3innings of work.
Despite his experience on the national stage -- Graham was the MVP pitcher of the qualifying round last year in Nova Scotia -- the big right-hander admitted he had some pre-game jitters.
"We don't see crowds like this anywhere else. It's definitely a new thing when there are that many people in the stands," Graham said.
"It's a big start. We want to keep it rolling from here and hopefully get the double life (finish in the top four) at the end (of the round-robin) and go from there."
Graham had lots of offence to work with after his teammates sent 12 to the plate and scored nine runs to assume a 9-0 lead.
Second baseman Langford scored a piece of championship history by hitting a solo home run in his first at-bat in the second and a two-run shot to wrap up the inning's scoring.
"It's a first for me, that's for sure. It doesn't happen very often and you're glad when it does," Langford said.
Batting from the left side, Langford belted both home runs to left centre -- the first off Jordan Wrightly and the second off Matt Hanewich -- to the base of the scoreboard beyond the fence in left centre.
"They were pitching me away and I was just going with the pitch. I just tried to put a good swing on it," said Langford, who is from Orleans and played for Fingal last year.
He was a pickup for Napanee to go to the nationals last year and earned championship all-star honours. This time around, he has played for the Express all season.
Langford was modest about his home-run outburst but did say the Express have power throughout the lineup. Cal Mc- Garvey, who was batting ninth, hit the longest blast to straightaway centre. He also had a triple and drove in three runs. Cory Alkerton, pinch hitting, had a two-run homer in the fourth.
"When you are getting home runs out of the nine hole, that's a good sign. That's how we want to start a tournament for sure," Langford said.
More: Full results and schedule Page 19 The Express finished with 13 hits over four innings -- the game ended in the fifth because of the mercy rule -- and coach Joe Lewis was happy to get 16 of his 17 players some time in the lineup. Only pitcher Ian Wallwork, who was slated to throw the late game, didn't play.
"It was great to have the chance to get everybody going and get them one look," said Lewis, who admitted that he along with the players had some jitters over opening the tournament against the host Napanee team.
"The score might not indicate how important that game was to us. The expectations would be that we should win but that's a good ball team too," Lewis said.
"They just didn't have their game and we exploded with some long balls."
Although Graham struck out the side to open the game, Shoeless Joe's responded with their defence in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Kristian Knapp took a hard grounder off the bat of Graham, stepped on second and threw over to first for the double play that got starter Wrightly out of trouble.
It was a different story in the second though. Langford took a 2-1 pitch and hit his first homer. Ryan Mills was hit by a pitch and catcher Chris Brown doubled him home. That was it for Wrightly. He had ice applied to his right hand almost immediately when he came out. That hand welt came from the opening at-bat when Mathieu Roy singled off the pitcher's hand. Most of the damage was to his pinkie finger. Team officials said he still would be able to pitch.
Henewich came on and Kyle Lloyd touched him for a double. First baseman McGarvey then struck his big blow to centre field. That shot made somewhat of a prophet out of coach Lewis.
"I said to Cal he is making me look good," Lewis said. "I was quoted before the tournament saying that any batter one through nine could get it out. Good for Cal. He got it good."
TOURNAMENT NOTES
Alkerton's home run, on the first pitch he saw, marked the third time this season he has come off the bench to hit a home run. Alkerton, the team's lone lefthander, did it twice in a tournament earlier...Kingston's Josh Lockridge, hampered by a knee injury this season, came into the game in the fourth for Graham to get some work. Lockridge faced five batters, walking three. He struck out the first batter he faced but the batter reached base on catcher Dan Burnham. The young Prince Edward Island squad, after a 9-3 loss to Owen Sound, scored its first win of the round-robin, beating Linwood 4-3. A two-run homer by Dustan Jones was the key blow in a three-run sixth by the Islanders. ... The teams flip for home-game at-bats throughout the round-robin. Saskatoon won the flip for all seven of its games. At the other end was Newfoundland, which was late for the team meeting (the team didn't arrive in Napanee until around 4 a.m. Monday). Newfoundland didn't take part in the flips and was deemed the visitor in all seven of its games. ... Shoeless Joe's fell to 0-2 with a 6-2 loss against Newfoundland. The visitors scored three in the top of the seventh to break open a close game.
Meanwhile, North Key lost 3-0 to Nova Scotia late Monday night in a rematch of last year's championship.
By DOUG GRAHAM, THE KINGSTON WHIG-STANDARD
There were not any fireworks scheduled in Monday night's opening ceremonies for the Canadian U23 fastball championship at the Napanee Fair-grounds.
But the banging bats of the Napanee North Key Construction Express did provide some fire-power offence.
The Express began their quest to make it two straight junior men's championships (and their first title on home turf) with an explosive display at the plate.
North Key slammed four home runs -- including a pair by Joel Langford in a nine-run second inning -- to dust off the host Napanee Shoeless Joe's Express 13-3 in the first action for both teams.
A good crowd of around 500 was on hand for the noon-time game. Both Napanee teams played later games Monday night but there was no doubt the opener held special status.
"It is nice to get the first game out of the way and get the W," said winning pitcher Joran Graham, who allowed only one hit and one run in his 4 1/3innings of work.
Despite his experience on the national stage -- Graham was the MVP pitcher of the qualifying round last year in Nova Scotia -- the big right-hander admitted he had some pre-game jitters.
"We don't see crowds like this anywhere else. It's definitely a new thing when there are that many people in the stands," Graham said.
"It's a big start. We want to keep it rolling from here and hopefully get the double life (finish in the top four) at the end (of the round-robin) and go from there."
Graham had lots of offence to work with after his teammates sent 12 to the plate and scored nine runs to assume a 9-0 lead.
Second baseman Langford scored a piece of championship history by hitting a solo home run in his first at-bat in the second and a two-run shot to wrap up the inning's scoring.
"It's a first for me, that's for sure. It doesn't happen very often and you're glad when it does," Langford said.
Batting from the left side, Langford belted both home runs to left centre -- the first off Jordan Wrightly and the second off Matt Hanewich -- to the base of the scoreboard beyond the fence in left centre.
"They were pitching me away and I was just going with the pitch. I just tried to put a good swing on it," said Langford, who is from Orleans and played for Fingal last year.
He was a pickup for Napanee to go to the nationals last year and earned championship all-star honours. This time around, he has played for the Express all season.
Langford was modest about his home-run outburst but did say the Express have power throughout the lineup. Cal Mc- Garvey, who was batting ninth, hit the longest blast to straightaway centre. He also had a triple and drove in three runs. Cory Alkerton, pinch hitting, had a two-run homer in the fourth.
"When you are getting home runs out of the nine hole, that's a good sign. That's how we want to start a tournament for sure," Langford said.
More: Full results and schedule Page 19 The Express finished with 13 hits over four innings -- the game ended in the fifth because of the mercy rule -- and coach Joe Lewis was happy to get 16 of his 17 players some time in the lineup. Only pitcher Ian Wallwork, who was slated to throw the late game, didn't play.
"It was great to have the chance to get everybody going and get them one look," said Lewis, who admitted that he along with the players had some jitters over opening the tournament against the host Napanee team.
"The score might not indicate how important that game was to us. The expectations would be that we should win but that's a good ball team too," Lewis said.
"They just didn't have their game and we exploded with some long balls."
Although Graham struck out the side to open the game, Shoeless Joe's responded with their defence in the bottom of the first. Second baseman Kristian Knapp took a hard grounder off the bat of Graham, stepped on second and threw over to first for the double play that got starter Wrightly out of trouble.
It was a different story in the second though. Langford took a 2-1 pitch and hit his first homer. Ryan Mills was hit by a pitch and catcher Chris Brown doubled him home. That was it for Wrightly. He had ice applied to his right hand almost immediately when he came out. That hand welt came from the opening at-bat when Mathieu Roy singled off the pitcher's hand. Most of the damage was to his pinkie finger. Team officials said he still would be able to pitch.
Henewich came on and Kyle Lloyd touched him for a double. First baseman McGarvey then struck his big blow to centre field. That shot made somewhat of a prophet out of coach Lewis.
"I said to Cal he is making me look good," Lewis said. "I was quoted before the tournament saying that any batter one through nine could get it out. Good for Cal. He got it good."
TOURNAMENT NOTES
Alkerton's home run, on the first pitch he saw, marked the third time this season he has come off the bench to hit a home run. Alkerton, the team's lone lefthander, did it twice in a tournament earlier...Kingston's Josh Lockridge, hampered by a knee injury this season, came into the game in the fourth for Graham to get some work. Lockridge faced five batters, walking three. He struck out the first batter he faced but the batter reached base on catcher Dan Burnham. The young Prince Edward Island squad, after a 9-3 loss to Owen Sound, scored its first win of the round-robin, beating Linwood 4-3. A two-run homer by Dustan Jones was the key blow in a three-run sixth by the Islanders. ... The teams flip for home-game at-bats throughout the round-robin. Saskatoon won the flip for all seven of its games. At the other end was Newfoundland, which was late for the team meeting (the team didn't arrive in Napanee until around 4 a.m. Monday). Newfoundland didn't take part in the flips and was deemed the visitor in all seven of its games. ... Shoeless Joe's fell to 0-2 with a 6-2 loss against Newfoundland. The visitors scored three in the top of the seventh to break open a close game.
Meanwhile, North Key lost 3-0 to Nova Scotia late Monday night in a rematch of last year's championship.
Labels: Junior, Softball Canada
posted by fitzroyfastball | 8/09/2011 10:12:00 pm
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