Gremlins win Hill United Tournament in Simcoe

The New York Gremlins won the eight team Hill United Chiefs Challenge tournament in Simcoe, ON this past weekend with a dramatic 5-4 win over the Grande Prairie, AB Pirates in the final. Seven of the teams were in the International Softball Congress Top 16 ranked teams.

Australian pitcher Andrew Kirkpatrick drilled a solo shot over the deep fence (275 ft) to win the game for the Gremlins in the bottom of the seventh. Zach "Zippy" Pierce took the loss. The Pirates had pitcher Riley Manion of Napanee on their roster, but he did not see any action in the final.

Hill United and Toronto Batmen lost in the semi-finals.

The Niagara Stompers lost in the quarter-final. GOFLers Matt Greer and Gregg Garrity were playing for the Stompers. Napanee U20 player Connor Brooks also played for the Stompers and pitched in their playoff game.

The other participating teams were Ohsweken Redmen, Bear Creek Express and Niagara Snappers.

The games were livestreamed on Softball Premier TV on YouTube and Facebook, with play-by-play by Blair Setford, who did an excellent job. I am not just saying that because he gave this blog a shout-out on Friday night, though it was appreciated!