Morning Star Staff
The Tim Hortons Canadians warmed up for the Interior Zone Bantam AA baseball playoffs by going .500 at a Vancouver tournament last weekend.
Dax Defelice smacked a pair of grand slams as the Canadians opened with a 9-3 win over the Nanaimo Pirates. It was 6-3 in the sixth when Caden Bracken singled and Nick Cherkowski and Nathan Nesbitt drew walks to set the table for Defelice.
Corey Anderson started on the mound with Cherkowski taking over after 2 2/3 innings for the victory. Defelice also doubled and singled.
Vernon then lost 9-3 to the Vancouver Yankees with Jarod Leroux, Nesbitt and Soucy sharing the pitching. Nesbitt and Anderson each had two hits.
The Burnaby Braves outlasted the C’s 8-6 with Anderson taking the loss.
Nesbitt hurled three innings and Soucy went four as the Canadians shut down the Kamloops Riverdogs 5-0. Kamloops managed three hits.
Cadon Bracken, Nesbitt and Defelice all supplied two hits, while Soucy, Leroux, Zach Orchard and Noah Foufoulas each added one.
The Canadians are in the Zones this weekend in Kamloops. They meet the Rutland Rockies, Riverdogs and West Kelowna Diamondbacks in round-robin.
Meanwhile, the Vernon Kal Tire Pee Wee AA Canadians clipped the Port Coquitlam Cardinals 6-2 in Sunday’s final of the Burnaby Fun Tournament at Harwood Park.
It was 1-1 after five innings with Carter Morris striking out five over four scoreless innings before giving the ball to Chase Batchelor.
Morris finished the fourth inning with two K’s before catcher Eric Foufoulas assisted Ryan Gamage at first for the third out.
Brayden Beacom singled in Batchelor for Vernon’s first run.
With the game tied 1-1 in the top of the sixth, Batchelor mowed down the first batter and caught a pop fly on the mound for the second out. Morris knocked a line drive down at short and threw to Gamage at first for the third out, holding PoCo to a 2-1 lead.
Batchelor singled in Landon Harison to tie the game and Morris drove a two-run double to right field before Falcon Thomas singled in two runs.
Batchelor fanned two batters in the seventh before Beacom scooped up a grounder at second and tossed to Gamage for the final out. Chris McIntosh was named Vernon’s MVP.
Kal Tire rallied to stop the Kelowna Cubs 4-3 in the semis.
Game MVP Batchelor homered with a runner on in the sixth inning as Vernon took the lead for good. Trailing 3-1 after a 30-minute rain delay, McIntosh homered to get the rally started. Gamage beat out a single to set the table for Batchelor.
Pitching duties were shared by starter Gamage and relievers McIntosh and Morris.
The Canadians outlasted the Tsawwassen A’s 10-7 Saturday night. Beacom worked 4 1/2 innings, followed by Jack Janzen and Matthew Hansen. Gamage stroked a two-run double to centre field, bringing in Harison and McIntosh.
Over-the-fence-dingers in the third were recorded by MVP Nakoda Parker and Morris, while McIntosh, Gamage and Batchelor all hit RBI-doubles. In the fourth, Janzen doubled in Thomas and Parker singled in Janzen and Hansen brought home Parker.
Vernon blanked the Cardinals 3-0 with Gamage earning MVP and iced the Ridge Meadows Royals 11-2 with Morris taking MVP, in other preliminary games. Morris nailed an over-the-fence two-run homer and Janzen tripled versus the Royals.
