Padres power past Cardinals to clinch back-to-back NDBL Junior titles

Written By BRIAN LOCKHART

The Creemore Padres are the North Dufferin Baseball League Junior Division champions for the second consecutive season after winning the final game 10-0 over the Innisfil Cardinals on Thursday, Aug. 21.

It was Game 4 of the championship series.

The two teams, who also met in last year's final, began the championship series on Aug. 13. The series was disrupted by rain, with three games postponed.

Game 4 was delayed twice before finally being played in Innisfil.

The opening games were split with Creemore taking Game 1 by a score of 11-1. In Game 2, the Cardinals came out on top, winning 3-2.

In Game 3 on Aug. 17, the teams traded runs early, with Innisfil leading 5-4 after two innings.

Creemore responded with two runs in the third to retake the lead. They added four runs in the fifth inning and three more in the sixth.

The game was called due to darkness, giving Creemore a 13-7 win.

Both teams delivered big hits in the game. Brady Wynne hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, while Michael Dawe tripled. Sebastien Pasquali and Caden Firlotte each doubled, and singles came from Tyrus Harper, Jackson Levely, Ethan Robertson and Pasquali.

Creemore racked up 16 hits, including a three-run homer from Josh Hanley and a two-run shot from Seth Walker. Liam Reynolds had a standout performance at the plate with two singles and two doubles. Joseph Parke, Aidan Pain and Ben Nicholson each had two singles, while Danny Herman, Nic Guthrie, Dale Critchley and Anson Dupuis added one hit apiece.

In the final game, the Padres dominated, scoring one run in the second inning, four in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.

The Cardinals had scoring chances, leaving 12 runners on base.

In the first inning, they loaded the bases, but Creemore's ace Guthrie struck out the next three batters to escape the jam.

Only four Innisfil players recorded hits: Aidan Farrow doubled, while Brennan Hedrick, Dawe and Pasquali each singled.

Creemore's offence was powered by three home runs from Herman, Guthrie and Dupuis. Dupuis also singled, as did Pain, Nicholson and Dylan Brown.

Guthrie's pitching was key to the win. Over five innings, he allowed no runs on three hits, walked seven and struck out 14.

Pain was called in for relief again and pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.

Dawe started for Innisfil, allowing seven runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked six, hit one batter and struck out three.

Noah Ubogi entered in the fifth to record the final out and pitched the last two innings, giving up three runs on two hits, hitting one batter and striking out one.