What started out in May as a minor ball pilot project ended last weekend with an 8-5 victory over the top seeded Guelph Royals giving the Legionaries the ICBA Major Peewee Tier 2 title.
The ICBA year end tournament format was a round-robin schedule with the top 2 teams meeting in the final. Game 1 saw the local lads face Kitchener on Friday night. Parker Yungblut got the start on the mound and on this night his stuff proved too much for the Panthers as he only allowed 1 run on 3 hits over 5 innings. The offense took over from there putting up 12 runs on route to a 12-1 victory. Lucas Jamieson, Will Calder, Michael Uptigrove and Yungblut led the way with 2 hits each.
Game 2 was against the Guelph Royals and Uptigrove would get the start. He pitched well but run support would be an issue. Guelph managed a couple runs in the 2nd to 4th innings then Ben Bowman came in a slowed their scoring pace but the Legionaries could only manage 4 runs in the 5th as they fell 9-4. Jamieson would again lead the offense with 3 hits while Chris Enders, Uptigrove and Jeff Mock each had one.
With 1 loss the peewees had to win the next 2 games then rely on a tie breaking formula to gain birth in the finals. Next up was Cambridge and with their depleted pitching staff they proved to be little match for the determined Legionaries. Listowel scored 9 times in the 1st inning on route to a 20-2 beating. Enders would pick up the win as he almost through the complete game allowing 2 runs on 3 hits (Jamieson had to record the final out due to pitch count). Obviously there was plenty of offense but the balanced Legionaries attached featured at least 1 hit by every player.
Sunday morning would pit the surprisingly undefeated Woodstock Wranglers against the local lads. With both teams needing a win to advance the game started out slowly with the Legionaries generating several chances to blow the game open early but could only manage 1 run in each of the 1st 3 innings. Derek Fischer took the mound for Listowel and pitched a gem allowing only 6 hits over the 6-1/3 innings, however 4 of those hits came in the 4th where Woodstock would rally for their only 4 runs of the game. The game changer came in the 6th inning with Listowel ahead 6-4 and math telling them they needed more runs to advance, with the bases loaded Fischer would deliver a bases clearing triple. Listowel would tack on a couple more runs for good measure, winning 12-4 and securing a spot in the finals versus Guelph. Owen Hamilton would clean up a couple of batters in the 7th to secure the win, while Jamieson would again led the offense with 3 hits, Fischer, Calder, Yungblut, Brett MacLeod and Hamilton would all contribute 2 hits apiece.
In the finals, the local lads would again play Guelph and with only 1 win under their belt in 7 tries the Legionaries were definitely the underdogs. MacLeod would get the start and proved to be just what Listowel needed keeping the powerful Royals bats guessing for 5 innings. The gamed see-sawed back and forth as the peewees would take the early led only to have Guelph tie it up and go ahead in the 4th. The never quite Listowel youths showed great character retaking the led in the 5th with 3 runs, then add an insurance run in the 7th when Austin McGrath’s base-running prowess paid dividends. That would be enough as Yungblut would shut the door preserving the 8-5 victory and the ICBA title. In the finals, Fischer would led the hit parade with 3 hits, while Jamieson had 2. Uptigrove, Calder and Bowman all chipped in with 1 each.
Obviously the coaching staff, family and friends were very proud of the local youths not only for the victory but more about the class the young men showed. There were several occasions over the weekend where they could have gotten rattled but their character and determination always showed through. Next up is the WOBA title game on Wednesday night then on to the OBA’s in Belle River.
Front Row (L-R); Will Calder, Ben Bowman, Parker Yungblut, Derek Fischer, Owen Hamilton. Middle-Back Row (L-R); Austin McGrath, Matt MacLeod (coach), Lucas Jamieson, Rob Hollinger (coach), Brett Macleod, Chris Enders, Michael Uptigrove, Marc Bowman (coach), Reid Gooding