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Canadians advance to next level
By PAUL COSTANZO
Times Herald • July 6, 2009Joe Triest and the Alvinston (Ontario) Indians became pretty comfortable in Port Huron.
In three days, the Indians won six games, including a 4-3 victory against the Ohsweken (Ontario) Redmen on Sunday in the finals of the Quay Street Brewing Co. Blue Water Invitational at Pine Grove Park.
“This was great,” said Triest, who had three hits in the finals. “Anytime we can come to a different country and get treated like this, it’s great.”
With the win, the Indians advance to the International Softball Congress II Tournament as champions, a tournament they won in 2002.
The team failed to qualify for the tournament last year, the first time since they won that had happened.
“It will be fun,” Triest said. “I went last year with another team, but you want to go with your own team.”
Alvinston defeated Alexander’s Stallions 1-0 in the semifinals. Brad Young picked up the shutout in the game, and also picked up the win in the championship game.
He held the Redmen’s bats in check throughout the final, especially after the second inning. Ohsweken jumped out to a 1-0 lead on an RBI double from Robert Bomberry in the first inning. Geoff Bomberry added a home run in the second, which tied the game at 2.
Young allowed five hits the rest of the way and didn’t walk a batter.
One of those hits was a triple by Robert Bomberry, who was driven on a Curtis Cornelius single.
That made the score 4-3 in favor of the Indians, who put together their runs in the second and fifth innings.
Triest drove in two runs with an RBI single in the second. He scored on a passed ball in the fifth, before Jason Hope drove in what would be the winning run later in the inning.
The fifth came with some drama, however, as Triest and Steve Donald had initially scored on a single by Scott Smith. After the umpires discussed the call, however, Smith’s hit was ruled a foul ball, sending the runners back to the bases and drawing the ire of Indians Coach Paul McCart. Both runners eventually would score, however.
Also in that inning, Redmen pitcher Darren Zack was injured and had to leave the game. He was responsible for the two runs that scored.
In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Redmen had their own close play down the third-base line not go in their favor. A line drive was headed foul but the Indians third baseman attempted to make a play on it. The play was immediately ruled foul, but Redmen Coach Darrell Anderson felt it was played in fair territory. Had it been ruled fair, it would have scored the winning run. The Redmen batter eventually flied out to centerfield to end the game.
“That was a tough one to swallow,” Anderson said. “The umpires were a little shaky. You can’t blame the umpires, but that was a tough one to swallow.”
The Redmen defeated Port Huron Lanes Hurricanes in the semifinals, 4-3.
Thomas Hill had the game-winning RBI single in the bottom of the seventh inning to give the Redmen the lead.
In the top half of the inning, Ryan Enright had tied the game with a solo home run for the Hurricanes.
Luke Smith also had a home run in the game for the Hurricanes, while Chris Heinlein had an RBI double to drive in Greg Fowler, who had tripled.
The tournament’s final day drew a good crowd, filling practically all of the bleachers at Pine Grove Park, with several fans watching behind the outfield fence.
“It was amazing,” McCart said. “It was great weather, great hospitality and great fans.
“If I have my way, we’ll be here again.”
WINDUP: Alexander’s Stallions pitcher Dewey Dycke throws against the Alvinston Indians on Sunday at Pine Grove Park. (Times Herald photos by WENDY TORELLO)
QUICK MOVES: Alvinston Indians second baseman Joe Triest puts the tag on Alexander’s Stallions’ Nate Simmons during the Quay Street Brewery Blue Water Invitational tournament Sunday at Pine Grove Park. (Times Herald photos by WENDY TORELLO)
OUT: An Alvinston Indians player puts the tag on the Alexander’s Stallions’ Eric Williamson for an out during tournament semifinal action Sunday morning at Pine Grove Park. (Times Herald photos by WENDY TORELLO)
And, after the jump, pun intended, a companion piece on the tournament from the Times Herald.
New fastpitch style surprises former pitchers
Former fastpitch pitchers Ralph Dimmick, Carl Beach and George Collins took in some games this weekend at the annual Quay Street Brewery Blue Water Invitational Pine Grove Park.
They were surprised at what pitchers were allowed to do on the mound.
Pitchers such as Chris Heinlein of the Port Huron Lanes Hurricanes and Dewey Dycke of the Alexander’s Stallions dominated for the local teams.
Pitchers started out with their right foot or pushoff foot on the rubber. They stepped back with their left foot, jumped to the side, crow-hopped and delivered a pitch. Their right foot landed way outside the pitching circle.
So much for staying in contact with the pitching rubber.
Billy Moser of the Secory Flyers was on first base Friday night during the opener against the Hurricanes and asked the umpire when he could lead off.
Was it the second the pitcher hopped off the mound? When he did his first crowhop ? Or when the ball was released?
Moser never got an answer.
“Our hitting was good at times, but we were never able to string two or three hits together,” said Brett Mullins, the player/manager for Secory. “Of course, that’s tough to do against top-notch pitchers.
“It can be distracting with the pitcher’s motion and the hopping off the mound. It’s hard to pick up the ball with all the silliness.”
Regardless of whether tournament director Kurt Schieman brings back the fastpitch teams or returns to modified pitch, fans will come out to watch.
You couldn’t find many open seats in the bleachers or opening around the outfield Friday night.
“I know people have plans Fourth of July weekend, but the same people come out to the games every year,” Hurricanes Manager Gary Marinez said. “I hope it continues to grow because it’s a great event and a neat ballpark.”
Contact Jim Whymer at (810) 989-6267 or jwhymer@ gannett.com. View his blog at www.thetimesherald.com/sports