The Campbell River Pee Wee Tyees came within one run of their second consecutive tournament title of the summer season before settling for silver at the Noel Rehaume Memorial tournament last weekend in Pitt Meadows.
Facing host Pitt Meadows in Sunday's final, the Tyees pushed the game to extra innings before falling 7-6 to claim second place. Riley Sutherland was named the team's MVP for the game.
Playing some of their best baseball of the year, the Tyees started off the tournament with an 11-10 win over the Agassiz A’s. With the game tied in the bottom of the fifth, Sutherland scored on a sacrifice by Branden Lambert to win the game. Offensively, Gage Windle went 2-for-2 at the plate with two singles, Ethan Millar hit a double, while other singles went to Robert Gurney, Bryce Idiens and Sutherland. Pitching duties were shared by Brodie Gardner, Austin Gurney, Cam Bell, Sutherland and Millar. Millar and Lambert were game MVP’s.
Game two saw the Tyees down the Chilliwack Cougars 13-6 in an offensive outburst. Millar hit a triple in the bottom of the second, Doubles went to Gurney, Sutherland, Windle and Millar, while singles were hit by Idiens, Gardner, Sutherland and Gurney. Windle, Gurney and Laine Rogers all shared in the pitching effort, and Gurney snared the game MVP.
The Tyees secured first place in their pool with a 7-6 win over North Langley. Campbell River got solid pitching from Rogers, Idiens and Sutherland which helped calm the Langley bats. Robert Gurney had two singles, while other singles went to Austin Gurney, Bell, Millar, Sutherland and Idiens. MVP honors went to Bell for his solid defensive play.
The semifinal was a rematch from the Surrey tourney two weeks prior, as the Tyees battled into extra innings against the Kamloops River Dogs. Again, it was the solid offence and stingy defence of the Tyees that won them the game and punched their ticket to the finals. With the score tied at 5, the locals headed into the top of the eighth inning and exploded for four runs. This was highlighted by a deep triple by Rogers that drove in Austin Gurney and Bell. Rogers scored on a single by Windle, who in turn scored on a single by Cam Vaughan. Sutherland, Rogers and Millar all pitched in an impressive display of control and speed, while MVP went to Rogers.
The Tyees head to Duncan this Friday for the Island Zone Tournament where they will attempt to qualify for the Pee Wee AA provincials.