The Canada Day long weekend was a fine one for baseball at the Cloverdale Boulanger tournament and the PeeWee AA Tyees did not disappoint their fans.
Game one took place Saturday afternoon against the Richmond Chuckers. Wyatt Dumont started on the mound and pitched three impressive no hitter innings. Braydon Penn relieved and pitched two solid innings without a hit as well. Breydan Riecker and Owen Lagos went 3/3 and Wyatt Murray and Carter Hall both hit monster home runs out of the park. The team played solid defence throughout the game. Ryan Deagle and Riecker made some nice stretches at first, Murray made a beautiful double play and Gareth MacDonald made a nifty play at third base. The Tyees shut out the Chuckers in a 14-0 mercy win. Dumont was named MVP for a job well done on the mound.
On Sunday morning, the Tyees were back at the park early to face the White Rock Tritons. Ethan Vaton was starting pitcher and he put up 3 2/3 innings with only 45 pitches thrown. Lagos came in to relieve. Riecker went 2/2 with a double, Deagle got two doubles, Vaton hit a double and a triple, and Hall and Murray each had beautiful hits as well. The Tyees also demonstrated good patience at the plate. Murray made an outstanding defensive play at short stop. The Tyees mercied the Tritons 16-5 in the 5th inning and Vaton was named MVP for stellar pitching and offence.
Sunday afternoon, the Campbell River squad met the Aldergrove Dodgers. Murray started on the mound and threw three terrific shutout innings in 42 pitches and Riecker relieved and impressively did the exact same. Hall came in to pitch the seventh inning. Catcher Dumont gunned a runner stealing at second and Deagle put in a solid effort at first. Landon Bowers and Deagle each had noteworthy hits. Murray got MVP honours for his pitching and for hitting a dinger.
The Tyees advanced to the Semifinal game which took place Monday afternoon against the Abbotsford Angels and it proved to be a nail biter. Hall started on the mound and pitched four innings allowing only two runs before Dumont took over and shut down the Angels offence completely. Murray and Hall both went 2/3 with solo home runs and Bowers and Riecker each got a couple of hits as well. Riecker made a big catch in the sun at deep centre field and catcher Lagos threw a couple of runners out on the base paths. Kye Benoche made some nice plays at second. The game was tied at two at the bottom of the seventh inning and there were bases loaded for the Tyees with two out when Benoche stepped up to the plate and drew a key walk that brought the winning run home. The final score was 3-2 for the Tyees and Lagos was awarded the MVP for his fine job behind the plate.
The finals took place Monday evening against the Tsawwasen Athletics, who were also undefeated in the tournament. After dealing with a stomach bug all day, the determined Murray still started on the mound and pitched an incredible 5 2/3 innings with many strikeouts against a hard hitting team. Vaton came in to relieve him. Catcher Hall gunned a runner out stealing second and Lagos made a nice catch in right field. Penn made a solid play at third. Penn, Lagos, Dumont and Bowers put up great hits but it wasn’t quite enough this time against the very skilled Athletics and the Tyees would have to accept second place in the 8-4 loss. Penn received the nod for MVP for his nice hits and defensive play.
The team has some exhibition games ahead of them in July before they play in Zones in Comox and then host the PeeWee AA Provincials July 27th-30th at Nunns Creek Park.