Wolverines Off To Hot Start
Western Counties Wolverines took second in Mississauga – Contributed Photo
According to head coach Brendan Spence, he was very pleased with how his team performed.
“Excellent finish for our first tournament of the season considering that we have only had one outdoor practice because the wet weather,” said Spence.
Chatham’s contingent of athletes were integral in the Wolverines’ success all weekend, but according to Spence, it was a full team effort, which propelled his team to the final against some of Ontario’s top teams.
“It was great to have a chance to see how our team stacked up against a couple of the stronger AAA teams in the province,” explained Spence. “Each and every player on our team contributed to our successful weekend.”
In game one, the Wolverines beat the Mississauga Majors 11-3. Connor Goldsmith struck out 8 batter in 2 and 2/3 innings work before Grant Spence and Greg Hay came in to relieve him. Chatham’s Evan Rogers had 2 singles and 3 RBI’s, while Spencer Marcus had 2 singles and an RBI, and Goldsmith, Jakeb Taylor, and Hay rounded out the batting with a single each.
Facing Pickering-Ajax Cubs in their second round robin game, Western Counties closed things out quickly with an 11-0 five inning mercy. Spencer Marcus was exceptional on the mound pitching 3 and 2/3 innings, allowing only 1 hit and striking out 8. Marcus was also strong at the plate, hitting two doubles, a single, and driving in two runs. Goldsmith had a 3 RBI double, while Hay, Smith, Spence, Rogers, Drew Pepper, and Ethan Lutz all had a single, with Rogers and Spence bringing in runs.
Their third game, a quarter final match up against the East York Bulldogs, saw the Western Counties Wolverines pull out a close 6-4 victory. Chatham’s Goldsmith again had a double, and added a single, while Marcus had a double. Grant Spence collected two singles, bringing in one run, while Hay had two singles and an RBI, and Breault and Rogers each had one hit apiece.
In the semi-finals, the Wolverines faced a difficult opponent, the Barrie Red Sox, but again came away with a victory, this time by a narrow 10-9 margin, to advance to the final. Using four different pitchers in the game, the Wolverines received clutch hitting yet again from Connor Goldsmith, who had a single and a triple, collecting three RBIs, and Smith, who had two singles and two RBIs.
Facing the North York Blues in the final, the Wolverines couldn’t manage their third win of the day, falling 7-1 to the Blues. Jacob Breault had two singles, and was the lone Western Counties Wolverine player to cross the plate in the final.
Pictured Above: Front (L-R) Drew Pepper, Ethan Lutz, Greg Hay, Jakeb Taylor, Kyle Blunt, Jacob Breault, Xavier Jamieson. Back (L-R) Coach J. Taylor, Evan Rogers, Coach S. Smith, Grant Spence, Spencer Marcus, Connor Goldsmith, Derek Smith, Coach B. Spence, Coach J. Jamieson