Stingers golden in Orillia

Orillia - The North Bay Stingers captured the Gander Ross Memorial Select Tourney here on the weekend. Solid pitching, steady defense and live bats were the recipe for a third straight tournament title this summer for the North Bay Stingers Blanchfield Roofing Bantam Select Baseball team. The club amassed 55 runs on 53 hits and the pitching staff allowed only eight runs in four games.

The Stingers went 2-0 in round robin play to advanced to Sunday’s semi-final and eventually the championship game. In their round robin opener vs Mississauga North the Stingers wasted no time sending 11 batters to the plate in the first inning, scoring eight. Miguel Champagne went three innings allowing two hits, while recording four strikeouts. Jake Tougas pitched a shutout inning in the fourth and recorded two strikeouts to close out a 19-2 victory.

In game two the Stingers rallied early and often against Mississauga Forest Glenn on their way to a 12-2 win. Champagne and Tougas shared the pitching assignment, going two innings each.

Mississauga Forest Glenn earned their semi-final berth and a return matchup with the Stingers when they defeated the Mississauga Majors in quarterfinal play. However the rematch with the Stingers returned the same result as the Stingers advanced to the finals with a 14-3 win. Tougas went the distance on the mound allowing three hits, while recording 2 strikeouts in four innings.

The Stingers faced the Mississauga Twins in the championship game. Champagne went four innings, recorded two strikeouts and gave up one hit. Dale Valade closed out the final three innings recording five strikeouts of shutout ball. The Stingers had sixteen hits enroute to a 10-1 championship victory.

All twelve Stingers players recorded hits over the weekend. The Stingers roster includes Valade, Tougas, Chris Kangur, Ryan Scott, Champagne, Thomas Hamilton, Nick Scott, Matt Blanchfield, Jeremy Poeta, Joe Poeta, Joey Puddister and Tyler Besner.

The Stingers are scheduled to participate in the Barrie Minor Baseball select tourney on August 17th to 19th, before heading to the S.O.B.A. All-Ontario Championships in Richmond Hill August 31st to September 3rd.

Submitted to BayToday.ca