Senior Rookies golden at Oakridge

The Stratford Foodland Senior Rookies won the Oakridge Minor Baseball Tournament on the weekend, defeating the home team 11-9 in the final game.

Stratford came out early in the game, taking an 8-4 lead into the fifth inning. Oakridge loaded the bases with none out in the fifth before Stratford’s defence, which was fantastic all weekend, completed a triple play to kill the rally.

Derek Delafranier had three hits in the final while Brett Denny added a double and a single. Ewen Flanagan, Hunter James, Tanner Johnson and Dalton Smith each added two hits.

In the semi-finals, Stratford downed Tecumseh 9-3. Jared Larder and Mitchell Casey led the offence, each hitting a double and two singles. Nolan Grasby doubled and singled and Clayton Lewis, Smith and James singled twice.

Stratford defeated Exeter 10-2 in pool play. Johnson hit two doubles and two singles, while Delafranier and Denny both doubled and singled twice. Smith added two singles and Casey cracked a double.

The first game of the tournament was a 12-2 win over Mississauga. Grasby led the offence with two doubles and a single. Denny hit a double and two singles and Delafranier added a double and a single. Reid Robinson and Nathan Hall also added two hits in the 22-hit attack.

In league play last week, the Senior Rookies defeated Guelph 14-3. Johnson led the offence with a home run and three singles. Smith and Casey both doubled and singled twice while Lewis, Denny, Hall and Robinson all singled three times.

This week, the Rookies took over possession of first place with a 25-7 romp over second-place Waterloo.

Denny led the offence with a triple and three singles. Grasby and Casey both doubled and singled three times with Johnson adding four singles. Delafranier tripled twice and Robinson hit two doubles and a single.

The win improves Stratford’s record to 13-2, while Waterloo falls to 14-3.

PHOTO: Front row, from left: Tyson Hall (bat boy), Hunter James, Dalton Smith, Mitchell Casey, Nolan Grasby, Jared Larder. Second row: Clayton Lewis, Tanner Johnson, Brett Denny, Ewen Flanagan, Reid Robinson, Nathan Hall, Derek Delafranier. Third row: Coaches Scott Johnson, Jerry Denny, Barry Grasby. (Contributed)