2017 Major Rookie '08 | Aug 07, 2017 | Daniel Leonardes | 1598 views
St. Thomas Major Rookie Cardinals are the Rookie A Green and Gold Tournament Champions!!
HUGE Congratulations to the Major Rookie Cardinals for capturing the 2017 LaSalle Green and Gold Championship on Civic Holiday Weekend!!!
The tournament started out on Friday against the host LaSalle Titans, and the bats were alive early and often, pounding out 31 hits and scoring 17 runs through 4 innings to start the tournament off with a 17-2 win. The boys had 6 extra base hits, and every player contributed by scoring or driving in a run. The defense was stellar only allowing 7 baserunners all game. It was a great start to the tournament.
Second Game was at 8:00am on Saturday, the Cardinals tackled the Ingersoll Ironbirds. The boys were READY TO GO, pounding out 33 hits and scoring 21 runs through 4 inning, fueled by 9 doubles, 4 triples and a home run. The bats were electric to say the least - at one point the ball had softened to the point we had to exchange it out! While the bats were exciting to watch, the defense was again very stellar allowing 5 baserunners in the contest!
Next game was at 4:00pm on Saturday against a very talented Kitchener Panther team. In what was a back and forth contest through the first three innings, the Kitchener team really hit the ball well and the Cardinals could not keep up, falling 20-10 in the contest. Boys still rung out 22 hits, with every player registering a hit in the contest. This left us at 2-1 in pool play, finishing second in our pool, setting up a semi final tilt with a familiar North London Nationals team.
In what all contest between the Nationals and Cardinals seem to be, the semi final was no different - a well played battle between two good ball teams. Cards jumped out early putting up 4 runs in the top half of the first, the Nationals responded with 2 of their own. Teams traded runs in the second, and heading into the 5th, the Cardinals were up 5-4. Then in the 5th, our leadoff man Kolton B got the party started with a hard it single, which was followed by a Tayven B single, and a Luke T triple to cash 2 runs. Parker V sacrificed in Luke T, then Chase C two out rally with a huge double, followed by a rocket single by Hayden B, who both scored on a clutch double by Kaden L. The Cardinals scored 6 in the inning, and then locked down defensively in the bottom 6, setting the stage for an 11-4 lead heading into the 6th. Kolton again lead us off with a hard hit single, and then Tayven B smoked a triple to cash Kolton in what proved to be a key run putting the game out of reach. Great Rookie baseball game, with the Cardinals coming out ontop 12-4, and in the process booking a ticket to the final!
In the final, the Cardinals faced up against the same Kitchener Panther team that handed us our loss earlier in what was sure to be a big hitting, back and forth affair. And it was just that! The Panthers held the lead 5-3 heading into the 3rd inning, when the Cardinal bats came alive in a big way, scoring 5 in the third, 5 in the 4th and 4 in the 5th to pull to a 17-6 lead. The Cardinal defense held in tight against a big hitting Panther squad, and did not allow a run in the 4th or 5th inning, to seal the victory and the tournament win!
The weekend’s success was only possible because every member of the team made a meaningful contribution in each game. The effort of the players was awesome throughout, at the plate, while playing D, and in the dugout. Team has come together so well, and they'll remember this win for a long time.
The team wishes to thank their parents, grandparents, siblings and friends for their support (loud support!) throughout the weekend. Went a long way with the guys! Thank you!