Orillia Royals claim NBDL Junior Championship

August 24, 2023 · 0 Comments

Written By Brian Lockhart

The Orillia Royals have claimed the North Dufferin Baseball League Championship with a 13-2 win over the Creemore Padres in the final game held in Creemore on Wednesday, Aug. 16.

It was a best-of-five series, and the Royals won all three games to win the Anderson Trophy.

The Royals had a stellar season taking only two losses in the 20-game regular season schedule. They followed up by winning all five games in the two rounds of playoffs leading up to the title series.

The Padres were the defending Junior division champions and finished second in the regular season.

The Royals opened the final by scoring two runs in the first inning and one more in the second.

Creemore answered with a single run in their half of the second.

Orillia’s Chase Brennan hit a two-run home run in the third inning. The Royals scored two more in the fifth inning, including a solo home run from Brennan to make it two home runs for the game.

Creemore plated a lone run in the sixth inning to remove the mercy rule and went down swinging in the seventh.

The Royals recorded 16 hits. Along with Brennan’s home runs, Whyatt Winkel had two doubles and two singles. Teddy McCollum-Kuntz hit a single and two doubles. Jhett Winkel contributed a double and a single. Owen Kaczanowski hit two singles. Lone hits came from Nolan Ness-Thomas and Kobe Geofroy.

Kobe Geofroy started on the mound for the Royals. He pitched four no-hit innings, giving up one run, walking two, hitting one and striking out four Padres.

Max Rutherford came in for relief and pitched the remaining three innings, giving up one run on one hit, walking one, and striking out five batters.

Tait Lightheart pitched for Crremore. Over his five-and-one-third innings, he gave up nine runs on 13 hits, walked three, and trucked out four.

In a post-game presentation, League secretary and junior division convenor Scott Anderson presented the Anderson Trophy to the Royals.