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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