T.N.T.’s dynamic duo of Jeremy Tracy and Jay Herr exploded on the California Lumberkings Saturday morning combining for three home runs, four RBIs and a dominating three-hit pitching performance as the ISC II title heads south of the Canadian border for the first time ever and will reside in South Lebanon, Pennsylvania with T.N.T.

Tracy set the tone early, following a lead-off walk to Bob Wengert with a two-run home run. In the the third inning, Tracy ended Lumberkings’ starter Darren Strang’s day with a solo shot. Herr greeted reliever Ed Gaspar with a first pitch line drive HR, his record 7th of the tournament, to complete the scoring for the new champions.

The Lumberkings got two back in the 5th inning as Jon Nimmo belted another tape measure home run to score Kevin Castillo who had led off the inning with a walk. But that was all for the #2 ranked California team as Tracy shut the door the rest of the way, inducing a ground ball to second for the final out.

Herr was named the MVP and also garnered awards for Top Hitter, .571 heading into action Saturday, and Most RBIs with 16.

Tracy, who finished 7-0, was the Top Pitcher.

After three days of close competition in the round robin portion of the Tournament of Champions, the three playoff rounds on Friday produced even better games and ever-increasing pressure that culminated in two semi-finals that may never be duplicated for sheer drama.

On diamond one, Herr clobbered a rise ball from Niagara Snappers’ ace Corey Costello in the bottom of the first inning to plate himself and Tracy who had walked. The two-run lead would stand into the top of the fifth when Adam Dearborn sent one over the left field bleachers to make it 2-1. In the Snapper sixth, Costello drove a ball into right-center that was never more than 15 feet off the ground when it disappeared between the bleachers to even things at two.

With nothing settled in the 7th, the two teams headed into the eighth using the international tie-breaker rule starting a runner at second. Scott Young executed a perfect sacrifice bunt moving pinch runner Kres Anderson to third. After a walk to Jarrod Burtt, Costello hit a hard two-hopper through a drawn in infield to put the Snappers out in front 3-2. However, that was as far as the last Ontario team would get as they were unable to extend the lead.

In the home half of the 8th, Herr crushed the second pitch over the left-center bleachers for the come-from-behind, walk-off home run to send T.N.T. to the final, setting up the first all-American final.

Over on diamond two, it was a lock that a California team would make the final for the first time as the California Lumberkings were facing A-1/Taylor Farms, their rivals from upstate. A-1/Taylor took an early 3-0 lead on RBI singles by Jason Gluckman in the 2nd inning and by Greg Oliver and Jeff Twist in the 3rd.

The Lumberkings got one back in the 4th as Tim Hunt scored on a passed ball. In the top of the 7th, the Lumberkings closed the gap to 3-2 on an RBI double by Brian Teeters to score pinch runner Ryne Hicks. With the bases loaded, Tim Hunt worked A-1/Taylor pitcher Dave Drotzman for a walk to score Kasey Knight, sending the game into extra innings.

In the Lumkerkings’ 8th, ITB runner Kevin Castillo was sacrificed to third by Chris Hunt and scored on a wild pitch. Jon Nimmo then launched a massive solo HR for what turned out to the be the winning run. For A-1/Taylor in the bottom of the 8th, Rich Moore singled to score Eddie Martin. After a single by Marcus Tan and a walk to Greg Oliver, Jeff Twist bounced into a controversial game-ending double play as it was ruled that Oliver was off the baseline trying to avoid the tag.

Three games. Two extra innings games. Bases loaded pressure. Walk off home runs. Unrivaled drama. One champion. Memories that will last a lifetime. Priceless.

From the KW Record

August 20, 2007
CHRISTINE RIVET
RECORD STAFF

KITCHENER

With their familiar-sounding surnames like Wengert, Getz, Lutz and Lechtel echoing from the sound system, it was destiny that the South Lebanon TNT would come to Kitchener from Pennsylvania to find a home away from home.

The TNT ignited for three homers en route to a 4-2 victory over the California Lumberkings, in the International Softball Congress II (second-tier) championship game at the Peter Hallman Ball Yard on Saturday.

Affectionately known as The Deuce, the ISC II tourney is the little brother of the ISC world tournament for senior teams.

Thanks largely to Canadian import pitcher Jeremy Tracey, of Waterville, N.B., South Lebanon becomes the first American entry to win the intermediate title in the event’s six-year history.

Named the 35-team event’s outstanding pitcher, Tracey’s complete-game three-hitter in the final took care of the defence.

His mighty stick, which accounted for a pair of homers and three RBI, provided the necessary offence.

“Our team is mostly all Pennsylvania Dutch,” said TNT field manager Lee Lutz, whose squad amassed a nine-game winning streak in Kitchener. “There’s lots of Mennonites and Amish where we are from, too. It was great coming up here. People here were really nice to us. It was like home a little bit.”

South Lebanon’s third baseman Jay Herr who added a homer in the final was named the tournament’s top hitter. He rang up tournament-leading 16 RBI and batted a glittering .571.

The Bakersfield-based Lumberkings staged a fifth-inning rally, scoring two runs off John Nimmo’s round-tripper. But Tracey retired nine of the next 10 batters he faced.

“We fell a little bit short but we had a pretty good run at it,” said Lumberkings relief pitcher Mike Egerdeen. “That’s the way it goes sometimes.”

Born and raised in Kitchener, Egerdeen, 37, is an electrical contractor based in Maple Ridge, B.C. The Bluevale Collegiate grad is one of three Canucks on the Lumberkings’ roster.

South Lebanon bounced the tourney’s top-seeded Niagara Snappers 4-3 in semifinal play.

Kitchener Outlaws right fielder John Sexton was named to the tournament’s all-star team.

In the ISC’s 19 and under North American championship tournament, McDermott’s of Baltimore, Md., captured the title with an 8-1 win over the Glanworth (Ont.) Gators.

The days of Ontario domination at the ISC II Tournament of Champions has ended (for this year, at least) as five of the seven pools were won by American teams, six of the Elite Eight were from south of the border and three of the Final Four come from below the 49th.

A howling wind seems to have blown in a changing of the guard at the ToC as the eight American teams in the tournament flexed their collective muscles and pushed most of the Ontario teams to the sidelines.

The upsets started in the first playoff game as wildcard Port Elgin Blue Devils finally woke up their slumbering bats and mercied the Harriston Mercury’s 9-1 before falling to A-1/Taylor Farms from California. It took A-1/Taylor nine innings to outlast the scrappy Ashland Merchants team 5-3 after Ashland eliminated the upstart Rockwood Rush. Rockwood had earlier turned out the lights on Pennsylvania Power 3-2.

Another wildcard, Jarvis Rock, ended the hopes of the Elora Wellington Brewers with a walk-off two-run HR by Brian Auld and were then knocked out by South Lebanon T.N.T. The final wildcard, Keating’s Fitness, eliminated Wyevale Tribe and Shakespeare Falcons, before getting dumped by T.N.T. in the the last quarter-final of the night.

Cutro Professional Inspections got a walk-off HR from Shaun Winship to eliminate the Bridgeport Braves before getting raked by the Niagara Snappers in the second round. The Snappers, in an all-GHFL quarter-final, triumphed in a 1-0 nailbiter to end the hopes of last year’s finalist Palermo Athletics. The last Ontario hope, Niagara Snappers, will play T.N.T. in the first semi-final.

California Lumberkings woke up their slumbering bats late in the game to eliminate Glencoe Astros 3-1 after Glencoe had disposed of Alvinston Indians 2-0. The Lumberkings would go on to eliminate Hoffman Rise 3-0, setting up an all-California semi-final matchup against A-1/Taylor.

Possible MVP candidates include Jeremy Tracy of T.N.T., Trevor Falk of Niagara and Jeff Twist of A-1/Taylor while Top Pitchers include Tracy, Jeff Van Hooser of Ashland, Corey Costello of Niagara, A-1/Taylor’s Dave Drotzman and Mike Egerdeen of the Lumberkings.

All three of the ISC II games on Championship Saturday can be heard at www.ballparkradio.com with both semi-finals starting at 9 am.

Several playoff positions in the 24-team ISC II playoff bracket came down to the wire as the final two games of the night determined the final postions of no less than six teams.

With first place on the line in Pool G, the Hoffman Rise shut out Elora Wellington Brewers 5-0 in the second-last game on the schedule behind the stellar pitching of Rich Haldane and a massive solo HR by Matt Daley over the new scoreboard on Budd #1!

The five runs allowed by Elora was enough to give Palermo the advantage for the best second-place team and a bye into the second round. With Palermo’s move, Bridgeport slid into the first-round game against CPI.

In the last game of the round robin, Waterdown Hammer edged Ottawa Team Easton Thunder 4-3 to claim second-place in Pool F and avoid a first-round date with defending champion Tavistock who will face the Thunder. Waterdown will take on Kitchener Phoenix who needed a win over A-1/Taylor Farms to squeak into the playoffs.

Despite losing to both Ottawa and Ashland, Port Elgin managed to snag one of three wild cards based on fewest runs allowed. Jarvis Rock also grabbed a wildcard with a wild win over Harriston as did Keating’s Fitness with their win over Shakespeare Falcons after the latter clinched their division with an extra innings win over Alvinston Indians.

CPI nabbed third in their pool with a win over Quyon Combat Flyers … Niagara dropped Wyevale to third in Pool A with a convincing 6-3 win … Bridgeport sowed up second in Pool B dumping Hamilton 7-1 … California Lumberkings remain undefeated after an 8-0 shellacking of Carp … Rockwood Rush back into the playoffs via a three-way tie-breaker working in their favour and against Kingston Cowboys and Ingersoll Crush.

Gm 71 9:00 am Budd 1 Port Elgin Blue Devils vs Harriston Mercury’s – Ballpark Radio
Gm 72 9:30 am Budd 2 PA Power vs Rockwood Rush
Gm 73 9:00 am Kinsmen 1 Ottawa Thunder vs Tavistock Merchants
Gm 74 9:30 am Kinsmen 2 Glencoe Astros vs Alvinston Indians
Gm 75 11:00 am Budd 1 CPI vs Bridgeport Braves – Ballpark Radio
Gm 76 11:30 am Budd 2 Kitchener Outlaws vs Waterdown Hammer
Gm 77 11:00 am Kinsmen 1 Jarvis Rock vs Elora Brewers
Gm 78 11:30 am Kinsmen 2 Wilkes-Barre Keating’s Fitness vs Wyevale Tribe
Gm 79 1:00 pm Budd 1 Castro Valley A-1 Taylor vs winner Gm 71 – Ballpark Radio
Gm 80 1:30 pm Budd 2 Ashland Merchants vs winner Gm 72
Gm 81 1:00 pm Kinsmen 1 Perkasie Hoffman Rise vs winner Gm 73
Gm 82 1:30 pm Kinsmen 2 Bakersfield California Lumberkings vs winner Gm 74
Gm 83 3:00 pm Budd 1 Niagara Snappers vs winner Gm 75 – Ballpark Radio
Gm 84 3:30 pm Budd 2 Palermo Athletics vs winner Gm 76
Gm 85 3:00 pm Kinsmen 1 South Lebanon T.N.T. vs winner Gm 77
Gm 86 3:30 pm Kinsmen 2 Shakespeare Falcons vs winner Gm 78
Gm 87 5:00 pm Budd 1 winner 79 vs winner 80 – Ballpark Radio
Gm 88 5:30 pm Budd 2 winner 81 vs winner 82
Gm 89 7:00 pm Budd 1 winner 83 vs winner 84 – Ballpark Radio
Gm 90 9:00 pm Budd 1 winner 85 vs winner 86 – Ballpark Radio

Pool A
Niagara Snappers 4-0
Harriston Mercury’s 2-2
Wyevale Tribe 2-2
Jarvis Rock 1-3
Blackburn Bombers 1-3

Pool B
California Lumberkings 4-0
Bridgeport Braves 3-1
Pennsylvania Power 2-2
Hamilton Hawks 1-3
Carp I4C Victory 0-4

Pool C
A-1/Taylor Farms 3-1
Tavistock Merchants 3-1
Kitchener Outlaws 2-2
Linwood 86ers 1-3
Bucktown Bees 1-3

Pool D
Shakespeare Falcons 3-1
Alvinston Indians 3-1
Cutro Professional Inspections 2-2
Keating’s Fitness 2-2
Quyon Flyers 0-4

Pool E
South Lebanon T.N.T. 4-0
Palermo Athletics 3-1
Glencoe Astros 2-2
Mitchell Mets 1-3
Ottawa Valley Raiders 0-4

Pool F
Ashland Merchants 3-1
Waterdown Hammer 3-1
Ottawa Thunder 2-2
Port Elgin Blue Devils 1-3
Hickson Reds 1-3

Pool G
Hoffman Rise 4-0
Elora Wellington Brewers 3-1
Rockwood Rush 1-3
Kingston Cowboys 1-3
Ingersoll Crush 1-3

Day Two

The two California teams in the ISC II Tournament of Champions both moved into command of their respective pools with a pair of victories yesterday, but it was the less heralded A-1/Taylor Farms team from Castro Valley that impressed many observers. A-1 began their day with a 5-1 thrashing of the defending champion Tavistock Merchants with John Bishop picking up the win over Ryan Cummings on Budd #2. A-1/Taylor then moved down to Budd #1 and scored a 5-4 seventh inning walk off win over the Bucktown Bees as Dave Drotzman picked up the win in relief of Matt Barnes. Philip Martin was the hard luck loser in relief of Lee Hopkins.

Elsewhere, the California Lumberkings continued their winning ways, edging Pennsylvania Power 6-5 in eight innings before dumping the Hamilton Hawks 7-4. Mike Egerdeen got his second win of the tournament pitching two innings in relief of starter Darren Strang in the first game while Ed Gasper notched his first ISC II victory in the nightcap.

Palermo Athletics split a pair on the day, trashing the Glencoe Astros 9-1 in the opener before dropping a 4-3 9-inning heartbreaker to T.N.T. In the latter game, the teams went into the 8th tied at 1 and both scored. Palermo pushed two across in the top of the 9th before a controversial call at third helped T.N.T. score three in the home half of the 9th with Jeremy Tracy taking the win for the Pennsylvania team.

Waterdown Hammer made an impressive debut in Pool F, waxing the Port Elgin Blue Devils 6-2. The Hammer rode the veteran arm of Rod Fevreau for five innings as he held down the hard-hitting Blue Devils. Tim Neill pitched the final two innings for the save.

Rockwood Drexler Construction Rush split their two games, dropping a 5-0 decision to Elora Wellington Brewers before dumping the Kingston Cowboys 10-3 in Pool G action. Elora also beat Ingersoll Crush 2-1. The Crush were the hard luck team on the day, blowing a 6-2 lead over the Hoffman Rise to lose 8-7 in 8 innings.

In Pool D, the Shakespeare Falcons upset Cutro Professional Inspections 5-3, leaving CPI needing a victory over Quyon Flyers Thursday to secure a playoff spot. CPI picked up their only win thus far with a 4-0 win over Keating’s Fitness Wednesday morning.With a pair of wins so far, Shakespeare should be a lock to make the playoffs.

Pennsylvania Power rebounded from the loss to the Lumberkings to defeat I4C Victory 6-4 … Harriston and Wyevale staged a rematch of their two games at the Innerkip qualifier with Harriston coming out on top in this one 8-4 … The Niagara Snappers all but wrapped up Pool A with a pair of convincing wins, bombing Blackburn 7-2 and rocking Jarvis 8-1.

Standings
Pool A
Niagara 3-0
Wyevale 2-1
Harriston 1-1
Blackburn 1-2
Jarvis 0-3

Pool B
California 3-0
PA Power 2-1
Bridgeport 1-1
Hamilton 1-2
Carp 0-3

Pool C
A-1/Taylor 3-0
Tavistock 2-1
Bucktown 1-1
Kitchener 1-2
Linwood 0-3

Pool D
Alvinston 2-0
Shakespeare 2-0
Keating’s 1-1
CPI 1-2
Quyon 0-3

Pool E
T.N.T. 2-0
Palermo 1-1
Glencoe 1-1
Mitchell 1-1
Ottawa Valley 0-2

Pool F
Ottawa 1-1
Ashland 1-1
Waterdown 1-1
Port Elgin 1-1
Hickson 1-2

Pool G
Rise 2-0
Elora 2-0
Kingston 1-1
Rockwood 1-2
Ingersoll 0-2

THURSDAY AUGUST 16 WEBCASTS:
10:30 AM
Quyon, QC Flyers vs Oswego, NY Cutro Professional Inspections

12:30 PM
Ottawa, ON Team Easton Thunder vs Port Elgin, ON Blue Devils

2:30 PM
Alvinston, ON Indians vs Shakespeare, ON Falcons

4:30 PM
Niagara, ON Snappers vs Wyevale, ON Tribe

6:30 PM
Tavistock, ON Merchants vs Moraviantown, ON Bucktown Bees

8:30 PM
Elora, ON Wellington Brewers vs Perkasie, PA Hoffman Rise

It was Opening Day at the ISC II Tournament of Champions and there were several outstanding ball games marking the close level of competition between all of the teams at the ToC. The opening pitches were thrown out by Jonathan Baker and Tom Clancy following the introduction of the teams, officials and host committee.

A-1/Taylor Farms’ Dave Drotzman had the highlight of the day, tossing a no-hitter against Linwood 86ers in a 2-0 victory for the California team which is making its debut in ISC II. The two runs of support are two more than Drotzman received all of last year.

The top-ranked Niagara Snappers needed extra innings to knock off the Harriston Mercury’s 2-1. With both teams scoring a run each in the first inning, Corey Costello and Scott Smith took over and kept the offences at bay. Costello finished with 16 strikeouts while Smith sat down 14 Snappers in a row at one point. The Snappers loaded the bases in the top of the eighth, scoring a run on a sac fly by Trevor Falk and Costello was able to close the door on the Mercury’s in the bottom of the 8th to seal the win.

Tavistock opened their championship defence with a nervous 5-4 win over Kitchener Outlaws. The Merchants jumped out to a 5-1 lead and starter Ryan Cummings managed to shut down a furious Outlaw rally in the sixth before Steve Cook came on for the save in the 7th.

The host Bridgeport Braves took on the California Lumberkings in a rematch of last year’s Opening Ceremony game. Things looked good for the Braves as they jumped out to a 1-0 lead on Jodie Schnarr’s lead-off home run, but the new and improved Lumberkings took a 2-1 lead in the second inning only to have Jay Schnarr score the tying run in the 4th. The Lumberkings took the lead for good in the 5th as 21-year-old Kevin Castillo drilled an RBI single and held on for the 3-2 win.

Jason Giffen and the Wyevale Tribe showed that their victory at the Innerkip qualifier was no fluke as prevailed in a pitcher’s duel with veteran Dave “Farmer” Martin of the Jarvis Rock. Giffen spun a one-hitter for a 2-0 win.

The Ashland Merchants, playing for their manager Roger Hershey who is at home recovering from a stroke, rode the right arm of Jeff Van Hooser to a convincing 4-0 victory over Ottawa Team Easton Thunder.

Alvinston Indians, winners of the recent Ontario Intermediate Eliminations, overcame a 3-1 deficit to beat Cutro Professional Inspections 4-3 … Other impressive wins came from Port Elgin Blue Devils, Keating’s Fitness and T.N.T. as they each pounded out mercy wins … Hamilton Hawks managed a split on the day, beating Carp I4C Victory 5-3 and dropping a close 3-2 decision to PA Power … Carp was named the winner of the inaugural ISC II Best Dressed Team Award for their black jersey’s trimmed in silver and white.

Scores

Wyevale 2 Jarvis 0
Hamilton 5 Carp 3
Castro Valley 2 Linwood 0 – Dave Drotzman no hitter
Bucktown 2 Kitchener 1
Ashland 4 Ottawa 0
Keating’s 11 Quyon 2
TNT 14 Ottawa Valley 0
Alvinston 4 CPI 3
Niagara 2 Harriston 1 – 8 innings
Rise 10 Rockwood 1
Glencoe 5 Mitchell 4
PA Power 3 Hamilton 2
California 3 Bridgeport 2
Kingston 8 Ingersoll 0
Blackburn 1 Jarvis 0 – 8 innings
Shakespeare 3 Quyon 2
Port Elgin 9 Hickson 0
Tavistock 5 Kitchener 4

Wednesday Broadcasts on www.ballparkradio.com

10:30 AM
Oswego, NY Cutro Professional Inspections vs Wilkes-Barre, PA Keating’s Fitness

12:30 PM
Waterdown, ON Hammer vs Port Elgin, ON Blue Devils

2:30 PM
Ephrata, PA PA Power vs Carp, ON I4C Victory Consulting

4:30 PM
Palermo, ON Athletics vs South Lebanon, PA T.N.T.

6:30 PM
Moraviantown, ON Bucktown Bees vs Castro Valley, CA A-1/Taylor Farms

8:30 PM
Harriston, ON Mercury’s vs Wyevale, ON Tribe