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Braves win Thames Valley Tournament
james grant july 11th, 2011


The Sarnia Senior Braves came back from a four run deficit to defeat the Mitchell Astros 5-4 in the championship game of the 2011 Thames Valley Tournament this past weekend in Courtright.

The Braves finished with a perfect 5-0 record in the two weekend event which was held in Mitchell, Port Lambton and Courtright.

In game one of the day, Sarnia (2-0) faced Mitchell (2-0)in pool play with Nick Baljeu tossing a complete game two-hitter in leading the Braves to the 6-0 victory. Mason McCarthy blasted a three-run homerun in the third inning that cashed James Grant and Russ Muhlig. Rory Fell, Tyler Young and Jamie Barron would score the remaining Sarnia runs in the fourth with Greg Kemble and Muhlig picking up RBI. Barron, Grant, Muhlig, and Doug Amlin each had a multiple hit game.

In game two, Sarnia took on Forest City (London) and found themselves in tough down 1-0 in the sixth inning. Doug Amlin led the inning off with a single before Rick Taylor and Young loaded the bases. With one out, Kemble laid down a perfect suicide squeeze bunt that saw Taylor come into score and tie the game. Baljeu would follow with a three-run double to make the score 4-1. Forest City would add two in the seventh but fall to the Braves 4-3. Lance Hart and Fell combined for the pitching victory. Baljeu, Grant, and Amlin each had two hits.

In the tournament final, the Braves again faced Mitchell. Mike Hyde took the ball and kept the Braves in the ball game at 2-0 after four innings. Mitchell would take advantage of a dropped throw to score two unearned runs in the fifth to take a 4-0 lead.

But, as they have been doing all season, the Braves came back with three runs in the fifth as Barron, Young, and Kemble would all score on another Baljeu three-run double. Hyde would shut the door in the Mitchell half of the sixth and Sarnia would respond as Young would cash Fell with a game-tying RBI single.

Mitchell would again be held off the scoreboard by Hyde in the seventh and eighth innings. Fell would lead off the extra frame for the Braves with a single to right. Barron and Young would both lay down perfect bunts and beat out the throws to first base to load things up for Kemble. On the second pitch of the at-bat coach Scott Finnie put on the suicide squeeze once again. Fell began to break for home and Kemble laid down his second suicide bunt of the day to win the Braves the title. Baljeu, Muhlig, Grant, McCarthy, Fell, Barron, Young and Kemble all produced hits for Sarnia while Hyde struck out four and move his record to 5-0 on the season.

Sarnia had opened the tournament by defeating the Thames Valley League Champions from Kincardine and also the London Dodgers in June.

Sarnia will be travelling to Niagara Falls later this month in preparation for their Ontario AAA Eliminations match up with the Burlington Brants.

 


 

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