GOFL and the UOVMFL League Champions to meet in first ever best-of-three “regional” championship
Ottawa, ON
With Ottawa Team Easton Thunder returning from their successful 3rd place finish of 38 teams a the Tournament of Champions in Wisconsin, the Greater Ottawa Fastball League playoffs are now set to start. The Ottawa ISC II team is comprised of members of both the Kanata Team Easton and Stittsville 56ers, so the playoffs were on hold until the team’s return.
The semi-final series are best-of-five, with the winners to meet in a best-of-five final.
The first series features the #1 Manotick Lomor Printers (8-5-1) vs. #4 Kanata Team Easton. (5-7-1). Manotick, who repeated as regular season champions, finished 4th at the World Masters Games in Edmonton in July. Lomor will have Trevor Lahey, Skip Nicholson and Tony Riches toeing the rubber. Kanata will counter with Dan Konkle and Bill Gerber. ISC II All-World infielder Kevin Chevrier is a Kanata team member. Team Easton are the defending playoff champions for the last two seasons. Lomor last won the league playoff title in 2002. The series gets under way in Manotick on Wednesday August 24 at 8PM and continues with game 2 in Stittsville on Thursday August 25 at 8:30PM.
The other semi-final pits the #2 Fitzroy Harbour West Carleton Electric (7-5-2) vs. #3 Stittsville 56ers (6-7). West Carleton Electric, recent winners of their own Fitzroy Harbour Tournament, will give the ball to Bud Hanlon and Brad Porter. The bulk of Stittsville’s pitching duties will be handled by Dan Bradley, who had 14 strikeouts in a five-inning complete game win at the ISC II Tournament of Champions in Wisconsin as a member of the Ottawa team. Fitzroy Harbour were playoff finalists in 2004. Action gets underway tonight, Tuesday August 23 at 8:45PM in Fitzroy Harbour, with game 2 in Stittsville on Wednesday August 24 at 8:30PM.
Check out the GOFL website by clicking here.
In Upper Ottawa Valley Men’s Fastball League play, the playoffs have already begun with best-of-five semi-final series, with winners to meet in a best-of-seven final.
Micksburg Twins (9-4), who finished as the first seed after regular season play for the seventh season in a row, are facing #4 Beachburg NRTco (2-8), with the Twins currently up two games to none. Micksburg has ISC II All-World Designated Hitter Corey Costello as their main pitcher, with veteran Dwight Mick and bantam-aged Joran Graham getting work as well. Beachburg counters with Corey’s cousin and fellow Ottawa Team Easton Thunder pick up Shawn Costello and Jonathan Regier on the hill. Micksburg won game one (Aug 10) 6-4 and game two (Aug 17) 10-4, with Joran Graham getting both victories. Both games were in Micksburg. Brad Steege had a home run for Micksburg in game two. Shawn Costello took the loss in game one, while Jonathan Regier took the loss in game two. Matt Collins had a home run in a losing cause in game two for Beachburg. Micksburg are defending playoff champions and have won the UOVMFL playoff crown four of the last five seasons. Beachburg interrupted the Micksburg streak by winning the league crown in 2003. Game three will take place in Beachburg on Wednesday August 24 at 8:30PM.
In the other semi-final series, #2 Campbell’s Bay Royals (7-4-1) are facing #3 Shawville Hursty’s Athletics (5-5-1). The Royals currently lead the series two games to none, based on two strong pitching outings by veteran left-hander Len Burger. Matt Greer and Tony Newberry also see the ball for Campbell’s Bay, who are playing their home playoff games out of Bryson, Quebec. Shawville’s pitching duties have been handled by Todd Fraser (a member of the ISC II Team Easton Thunder) and Todd Hearty who each have one loss in the series to date. Campbell’s Bay won game one 9-4 and had home runs from Chuck Paquette and Joe McCleary. Shawville countered with home runs from Luke Murphy and Al Kuehl in a losing cause. Game two in Shawville was much closer, with the Royals eking out a 3-2 victory. Chuck Paquette had his second home run of the playoffs in this game. Campbell’s Bay were playoff finalists in 2003 and Shawville were finalists in 2004. Game three will take place in Bryson on Tuesday August 23 at 8PM with game four scheduled for Thursday August 24 at 8PM in Shawville, if necessary.
Check out the GOFL website by clicking this link.
The eventual playoff champions of both the GOFL and the UOVMFL will meet for the first time in history for a best-of-three “regional” championship.
regards,
Adam Brown
Fitzroy Harbour WC Electric Fastball
mailto:adam.Brown@ottawa.ca