Niagara Falls Review Article on Snapper Shootout

[Al's Fastball News]

Received: 6/6/07 3:16:44 PM 
From:  "Dan Bernard" <dan(at)autoexportcanada.com> 

   
Subject:  Niagara Falls Review Article on Snapper Shootout  
    

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For full article and picture please click on the link.
 
http://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/webapp/sitepages/content.asp?contentid=555348&catname=Sports&classif=
 
 
Snappers, Brewers split title

DAN DAKIN

Monday, June 04, 2007 - 02:00 

Sports - The Niagara Snappers won their home fastball tournament
for the third time in four years Sunday, but there's a catch.


The Elora Brewers also took the win. 

The two teams had to settle with splitting first place when a
massive downpour over Centennial Park in Virgil forced the game
to be called after just four innings. This meant despite Niagara
holding a 3-2 lead, the game hadn't gone long enough to make
it official. So, the two clubs shared the glory and nearly $3,000
in prize money for first and second place. 

The Snapper shootout was started in 2004 as a way for the internationally-ranked
Snappers fastball team to raise money for its travel program
and to provide another competitive tournament in Southern Ontario.


Niagara won it the first year with a 10-3 win over St. Catharines
and then they repeated the championship in 2005 with a 4-0 shutout
over American-entry Ashland Merchants. Last year, the field was
increased to 16 teams from 12, but the Snappers struggled and
missed the finals entirely. It was The Rise, a team from Pennsylvania
that won the title. 

This year, the Snappers were unbeatable - going 3-0 in pool play,
which included a win over defending ISCII champions Tavistock.


In the quarter-finals, Niagara narrowly beat Glencoe 9-8, but
hammered Palermo 10-3 in the semis to face Elora. 

The game was back and forth before the dark clouds finally opened
up to end the contest in the top of the fifth inning. 

The tournament is considered something of a precursor to the
annual International Softball Congress II Tournament of Champions,
which is a North American championship of sorts for men's fastball.
It will be held Aug. 14 to 18 in Kitchener. 

The Snappers finished fifth in 2005, but failed to qualify last
year, which was a major disappointment for the squad. This year,
the club has already been invited to the ISC tournament, which
has been one less thing to worry about. 

"That takes a lot of pressure off of us," said Snappers manager
Bill Weaver. "We can totally concentrate on preparing for the
tournament." 

Weaver said the success of the team over the years is the result
of continuity in the lineup. 

"It's a lot of chemistry. We've been together for nine years.
We make an addition here and there, but it's that same core group,"
he said. 

The Snappers are undefeated in the local Golden Horseshoe Fastball
League, while they've lost just three games - all to league-leading
Orillia in the ISC play. 

With the Snapper Shootout out of the way, the Snappers resume
their schedule tonight at Ker Park with an 8:30 p.m. game against
Scotties. The next ISC game is in Jarvis June 13. 

ddakin at nfreview.comBASEBALL 
 

________________________________
 
Dan Bernard
Logistics & Transportation Manager
A&T Leasing
(905) 988-9905  office
(905) 329-3230  cell
(905) 988-5019  fax
website:  www.autoexportcanada.com
e-mail:     dan(at)autoexportcanada.com
 

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