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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