Aug 13, 2023 | Brendan Magee | 63 views
Comeback kids fall short in WOBA finals
The U9T1 Legionnaires spent the weekend in Mitchell playing the WOBA year end tournament. Friday night saw the offence explode in a 26-5 win over the Kincardine Cardinals. Saturday morning was a wet one forcing a short delay, once they got going the boys in yellow would cruise to their 2nd win over Hanover by a 20-4 margin.
After two convincing wins to start the tournament, game three would see the U9's up against a much tougher opponent in the Clinton Mustangs. Clinton would come out flying with a 5 run first to take an 11-3 lead into the bottom of the 4th inning. Listowel would manage 2 runs in each of the 4th and 5th innings and hold the Mustangs to zero runs but would still find themselves down 11-7 heading into their final at bat. Down to their final out the young Legionnaires would score five runs in 6 at bats to roar from behind and pick up a thrilling 12-11 win to close out the round robin as the top seed with 3 wins.
Grabbing the top seed meant they would play the Saugeen Shores Sting in the semi finals on Sunday morning. Listowel lost the flip and would bat first as visitor, for the 2nd straight game it would take a while for the bats to wake up. Both teams would play incredible defence leading to the Sting holding a 2-0 lead through 6. The top of the order would come up and come through scoring 3 runs to give them a one run lead and see them three outs away from the finals. Not to be outdone, the Sting would get a couple of clutch doubles and get the tying run and send the game to extra innings. The 8th would see the Legionnaires with the bases loaded and 1 out but an unfortunate play on a line drive to 3rd would have them get doubled off to end the inning. They would play great D in the bottom of the inning and take the game to a second extra frame, again with the top of the order coming up. They wouldn't disappoint picking up 3 runs to set up a huge defensive inning. They would bend but not break and allow 2 runs in the bottom giving them another come from behind win by a margin of 6-5!!! Mitchell had beat Clinton in the other semi final setting up a battle of highway 23 with their familiar foes.
In the final, Listowel would get off to a good start picking up 2 runs and hold a 2-1 lead after 1. Mitchell would catch fire in the next few innings picking up 4 in the 2nd, 3 in the 3rd and 7 in the 4th and hold a 15-3 lead heading to the bottom of the 4th. As they had done all weekend the comeback kids got to work and picked up 6 runs in the 4th and 5 in the 5th to cut the lead to 16-14 after 5. They would shut down the Astro's in the top of the 6th and add 3 more of their own taking a 17-16 lead into the 7th. Mitchell would add 3 in the top and Listowel would only muster 1 in the bottom to fall short by a score of 19-18.
The boys played great all weekend and should be proud of their accomplishment!!