MIDLAND, Mich. - Stratford Memorials Midget boys wrapped up their season this past weekend with a third-place finish here at the International Softball Congress World tournament.
Memorials opened the tournament with a 5-1 victory over Langford Lightning from B.C., who were looking for some payback from their defeat at the hands of the Memorials at the Canadians in Stratford earlier in the month.
Evan Kerekes continued his timely hitting with a two-out, two-run double in the top of the fifth inning, snapping a 1-1 tie. It provided starter Michael Lagace-Roote with all the support he needed to shut the Lightning down over the final three innings.
The big righthander allowed five hits and struck out 10 for the win. Lagace-Roote added a triple to help his cause, with Cody Patterson, Josh Bald and Anthony Stott all singling to aid the Stratford attack.
In Game 2, Memorials used a six-run second inning to build an 8-0 lead over Richville, Michigan as they cruised to an 11-3 victory.
Cody Patterson went the distance, tossing a two-hitter. He struck out three and walked two.
Lagace-Roote sparked the Stratford offence with a home run and triple. Ben Heinbuch singled twice, Jake Mayo and Jordon Cullum tripled, with Kirk Brown chipping in with a single.
Game 3 saw Memorials meet up with the Oshawa BBs. In a great pitchers’ duel, Lagace-Roote and Abe Leahy went toe-to-toe until a Stratford error in the top of the sixth allowed two runs to score and give Oshawa a 4-1 lead.
BBs added two more in the seventh to down the Memorials 6-1.
Mayo, with two singles, and Kerekes, Stott and Corey Tuffnail all with singles led the Memorials at the plate.
Sting battle to the end
With the Game 3 loss, Stratford needed to defeat league rival Sebringville Sting in Game 4 to stay alive in the tournament.
Pinch-hitting in the bottom of the sixth, Josh Bald delivered with a two-out, two-run single to give the Memorials a 3-0 lead heading into the seventh.
They needed the cushion as Sting refused to be eliminated without a fight, scoring two runs and leaving the tying run on base as the Memorials hung on for a hard-fought 3-2 victory.
Lagace-Roote picked up the win, firing a two-hitter and striking out 13. Tuffnail homered for Stratford, Heinbuch doubled, and Tim Ruston and Kerekes both singled off losing pitcher Ty Sebastien, who only allowed five Memorials hits.
Game 5 saw Stratford defeat the Straffordville Selects 7-1. Lagace-Roote collected his third win, spinning a two-hitter and fanning 14.
Mayo with a double and single, and Kerekes with a pair of singles paced the Stratford offence.
The Game 6 semi-final had Memorials facing the Scarborough Indians, a team comprised of players from six different teams from Ontario. Stratford fell 7-0. Scarborough then defeated Oshawa BBs 6-0 in the final.
Cody Patterson suffered the semi-final loss. He allowed seven hits, with two strikeouts.
Scarborough took advantage of a tired Memorials team to score three early unearned runs and then coasted to the victory behind ace Caleb Keeshig, who was an addition to the Stratford squad at the nationals.
Keeshig tossed a three-hitter. Lagace-Roote, Tuffnail and Stott all singled in the loss.
Two Stratford all-stars
Keeshig was named top pitcher at the ISC tournament to go with the same honours he earned at the Canadians at the beginning of August.
Infielders Corey Tuffnail and Ben Heinbuch from the Memorials were both named to the tournament all-star team as well.
