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Indians compete in ISC Tournament
sarniasports.com August 26th, 2011


The Alvinston Indians traveled to Quad Cities and Moline, Illinois, for the 2011 ISC Tournament, which was held from August 13-20. Alvinston was ranked #18 heading into the 46 team tournament, and finished in the top 12 last year, and were looking to prove that last year was no fluke for the small town team. The Indians were without two very integral parts of the team for the week, as outfielder Ryan Chapman, and ace Shaun Winship were unable to attend the tournament, so they'd have to battle hard to repeat last year's performance.

In game #1, Alvinston squared off against the Cal-State Builders from Seattle, Washington on Sunday, August 14. Offence was hard to come by both teams in this game, as the Indians sent veteran Brad Young to the mound, while Cal-State countered with big righty Kevin Kamueller. The Indians threatened in the second and third innings, leaving the bases loaded, and runners on first and second respectively in those innings, but failed to score. In the sixth inning, a single by Cal-State and a stolen base, followed by a single scored the first run of the game for a 1-0 lead. In the seventh, Young allowed a double to deep centerfield, and then relief pitcher Ryan Swift allowed a single that plated the second run. Alvinston's offence sputtered in this game, and they lost by the final score of 2-0. Chris Drew, Ryan Swift, and Jeff Ingram had the only hits for Alvinston in the contest. Brad Young pitched 6 1/3 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 7 hits, with no walks and 6 strikeouts, suffering the hard-luck loss.

In game #2, Alvinston went to the field against the Stockton Itialian Athletic Club from California, and this game was a very memorable one. Indians sent pitcher Ryan Swift to the mound and early on he struggled. Chris Drew tripled for Alvinston with 2 out to get things goinng for Alvinston in the bottom of the first inning, and he was promptly singled home by Kyle Mitchell, to give Alvinston a 1-0 lead. However, Stockton went to work in their half of the second, touching up Swift for 4 singles and 2 runs, to take a 2-1 lead. Swfit would then retire Stockton in order in the third inning, but in the fourth, a solo home run by Stockton widened their lead to 3-1. However, Alvinston kept things close in the bottom of the fourth when Drew singled again to fire the Alvinston engine, advanced to second via a pass ball, and then scored on an RBI single by pick-up Matt Stagg. Now with the score 3-2 in favour of Stockton, Swift finally was starting to settle in and retired Stockton without allowing any runs in the fifth and sixth. And his work on the mound, got things going for the Indians in the sixth inning, when they finally squared matters, when Drew tripled for his third hit of the game, and his second triple, and then advanced home safely via a pass ball to tie the game at 3's. Both teams went scoreless in the seventh, so this game went into extra innings. Stockton threatened to take the lead in the 8th, but Swift left two on and got out of the inning. He then retired the Athletic Club in order in the ninth inning. In the tenth, Ryan Swift's catcher Matt Swift led off with a single for Alvinston, was promptly sacrificed to second by Andy Triest via the bunt, but the top of the order was unable to cash Swift for the game's winning run. In the eleventh, Drew was at it again, singling to lead off the inning. He was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Mitchell, but again the Indians were unable to get the big hit to give them the win. In the twelfth, with Swift still battling on the mound, he allowed two singles and the Indians prevented a run from scoring on a play at home plate by the Swift's to erase what would have been the go ahead run for Stockton. In the 12th, both Swift's singled to lead off the inning, and finally Andy Richardson, pinch-running for Ryan Swift scored the winning run on a pass ball, as the Alvinston Indians defeated the Stockton Italian Athletic Club, by the final score of 4-3 in 12 innings of ball, in what was a more then 2 hour ball game, where the Indians fought for every base, to even their World Tournament record at 1. Chris Drew was 4/4 for Alvinston in the game and he scored 3 of the 4 Alvinston runs in the game, while Matt Swift was 3/5 in the game with a double. Ryan Swift was the winning pitcher for Alvinston, tossing all twelve innings, allowing 14 hits, 1 walk, and fanning 11 Stockton swingers, to earn the hard fought win.

Game #3 and their second of the day on Monday, pitted the Indians against the Topeka Toros, from Topeka, Kansas. The Indians sent pitcher Brad Young to the mound, and things looked real rosy through three innings of play. Especially since the Alvinston Indians had scored 6 runs, in their half of the third inning, to take a 6-0 lead! Pick-up Corey Tinline reached base via a fielder's choice, stole second base and then scored on a Jamie Shields RBI single. Young then followed suit by singling as well for Alvinston, and Drew loaded the bases for the Indians, when he reached base on a swinging strike 3, after the catcher let the ball slip to the fence. Mitchell then walked to score Shields for the game's second run. Then Matt Stagg came to the plate and crushed a 3-2 full count pitch over the centrefield fence for a grand slam, and a commanding 6-0 lead for Alvinston. But, the wheels came off for the Indians after that. Young allowed a solo shot in the fourth, and three runs in the fifth. Now with a 6-4 lead, the Indians repalced young with Ryan Swift in relief. However, Swift was obviously beat from his 12 earlier innings in the same day, and he allowed 5 runs, now putting the Toros in front over Alvinston by the score of 9-6. Jeff Lyons came in in relief of Swift, and he did his job, getting Swift and the Indians out of the inning with three straight outs. In the Indians last chance in the seventh, they were able to muster one run as Ryan Gray was hit by a pitch, and then scored on three wild pitches, but it was not enough as the Indians fell to Topeka, Kansas, 9-7.

Game #4 of the tournament was on Tuesday. A win would put the Indians into the top half of the tournament battling for the ISC Championship, while a loss would move them into the ISC II portion of the tournament, playing against the bottom half of the tournament. The Indians were matched up against the Quyon Combat Flyers, from Quebec. The Indians sent young hurler Jeff Lyons to the mound, and the kid did not disappoint. In the first inning, Joe Triest led off with a single and advanced to second via a wild pitch, and Shields copied Triest by singling as well, but the throw home was cut, Triest failed to score, and Shields was thrown out at second. With one out, both Drew and Mitchell walked to load the bases, but Alvinston was unable to cash early. Lyons went to the hill, and with one out walked a batter, but Indians catcher Shields threw him out at second attempting to steal, and Quyon ended up being put away in order. In the second inning, Lyons walked another Quyon batter, but no damage was done. In the third, Alvinston threatened, when Drew walked with two out and Mitchell doubled, but the Indians again failed to cash with two out. In the third, Lyons retired Quyon again in order, but in the fourth, the young pitcher was finally touched up for the first run of the game, when the Quyon clean-up hitter, hit a solo home run, for a 1-0 lead over Alvinston. But that run, finally jump started the Alvinston offence. Joe Triest led off the top of the fifth with a triple, and then scored via a wild pitch to knot the game at 1's. Then with one out, Drew tripled, and Mitchell quickly singled with home, for a 2-1 lead. Mitchell then stole second, and Ryan Swift walked, and Stagg reached on an error to load the bases for Jeff Ingram, who singled to score Mitchell, for a 3-1 lead for the Indians. Lyons retired the Flyers in order in their half of the fifth, but in the sixth the number 9 hitter for Quyon singled to get things going. Young was warming up on the sidelines for Alvinston, and a change seemed imminent, but the brass chose to let the young thrower do his thing on the mound, and he proceeded to get out of the inning unscathed. In the seventh, he did the same, earning his first World Tournament win at the ISC's, as a 19 year old. Lyons was exceptional tossing a 7 inning gem, allowing 1 earned run on 2 hits, while walking 2, and striking out 5. This important win, evened Alvinston's record at 2-2, and put them up against Topeka, Kansas a second time.

In game #5, the Indians sent Ryan Swift to the hill, to get his revenge against Topeka, who hammered a tired Swift one day earlier to come from behind to defeat the Indians. On this day, this was not the case, as Swift threw a gem for Alvinston. Swift would end up tossing a complete game 7 inning shutout game, allowing no runs, on two hits, while walking 3 and striking out 7 Topeka swingers. Offensively for Alvinston, the local contingent got things going in the second, when Mitchell doubled, and then scored on an RBI single by Young. In the third, Alvinston put two more runs on the board, when Tinline singled to lead off the inning for Alvinston, and he scored on an RBI triple in the gap by Joe Triest. Triest would then score when Ryan Gray reached base via an error, for a 3-0 lead. Alvinston then added one more in the fourth inning, when Stagg and Young both singled, Ingram walked to load the bases, and Tinline singled to score Stagg. That was all the offence Alvinston needed, as they went on to a 4-0 win over the Toros from Topeka, Kansas. Kyle Mitchell, Corey Tinline, and Brad Young were all 2/3 in the game for Alvinston.

The Indians were now 3-2 on the week, and their next game was against the #11 ranked Owen Sound Selects, the same team they eliminated last year 2-1 to send them to the round of 16. This year however, Alvinston would not be surprising Owen Sound, and they'd be ready to send the Indians home this time around. The Indians sent pitcher Brad Young to the mound, and the crafty veteran was up to the challenge. In the first inning, Owen Sound loaded the bases with one out, but Young escaped with no wounds, holding Owen Sound off the scoresheet. In the second however, Young wasn't so lucky, as the catcher for Owen Sound doubled with one out, and then with two out, the leadoff hitter Wideman hit a two run home run, to put the Selects up 2-0 early. Young went to work in the third inning, allowing nothing across, and in the top of the fourth, Alvinston finally got things going. Shields singled to start things off, and with one out, Mitchell and Stagg both walked to load the bases. With Young at the dish for Alvinston, there was a pass ball, and Sheilds was able to count the first run for Alvinston, narrowing the lead to 2-1 for the Sound. Both teams went in order in the fifth, but in the sixth, Alvinston squared matters, when with one out, Mitchell hit a solo shot over the left centre field fence, to notch the game at 2's. Young then went back to work in the 6th, and retired Owen Sound again in order, which was the fuel the Indians needed to have a productive seventh inning. The leadoff hitter for Alvinston was pinch hitter Jeff Ingram, and the big man crucshed the first pitch he saw over the left field fence for a solo home run, putting the Indians ahead for the first time, 3-2. Tinline then singled for Alvinston, and advanced to second via a pass ball, Joe Triest followed with a single to put runners on first and third, and then a clutch single by Shields, scored Tinline for an important insurance run for Alvinston, and a 4-2 lead. The Indians needed only 3 outs now, to upset the Selects two straight years. Young went back to work and induced a fly ball first out. But, two straight singles by the 8th and 9th hitters for Owen Sound, meant Alvinston went to the bullpen for Swift, to come in and hopefully save the game for Young. On the second pitch by Swift, both runners advanced on a wild pitch to second and third, but Swift settled down, getting the leadoff hitter to smack a ground ball hard to Drew at third for the second out, and then Triest made the third out defensively to end the game. The Indians had done it again, they upset the Owen Sound Selects yet again, sending the 11th ranked team home with a 4-2 victory.

The Indians were now into the round of 16. They could finish no worse then 16th overall, but they had bigger dreams, and were hoping to build momentum after the exciting Owen Sound win. Later on Wednesday, they would face Pete's Blues, from Mascoutah, Illinois. Swift went to the hill for Alvinston, but unfortunately he struggled early, allowing 2 runs in the opening stanza. Pete's Blues would touch him up for another run in the second and third, for a 4-0 lead. Young came in in relief and was effective holding Pete's Blues off the scoreboard for a couple of innings, but Alvinston could not get the clutch hit to get back into the game. The Indians left two runners on in both the third and fourth innings, and single runners on in the fifth, sixth, and seventh innings, but could not cash. Young would allow one run in the seventh, and the Indians fell by the score of 5-0, and were eliminated from the ISC World Tournament, with a 4-3 record, and a 15th place respectable finish.

All-in-all, the Indians had another great performance at the ISC World Tournament. They battled real hard to score runs all week, and fought hard for their 15th place finish. Great weather and great ball was played all week, and the Indians hope to be headed back to the World's next year in Midland, Michigan in 2012!

 


 

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