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Monday, August 25, 2008
C.O.B.A. PLAYOFFS, SENIOR NATIONALS, AND A FEW OTHER THINGS
The St. Catharines Metros would like to
extend congratulations to the Erindale Cardinals, who "ran the table" at the C.O.B.A. 10-team double-knockout playoff tournament
on the weekend. The Cardinals defeated the Glanbrook Grizzlies 4-3, on Sunday, to go 5-0 during the tourney, thus winning
their first C.O.B.A. Major title in 5 seasons. Erindale defeated Glanbrook in Game 1 of the tourney, before winning
games against Burlington, Oakville and Milton (last year's Playoff Champs), before the tournament clinching decision over
the Grizz. The Metros would also like to congratulate the Grizzlies for advancing to the finals, after losing their
first game...winning 3 straight, in the process. In one of those games, (against Brampton) Glanbrook's Tim Sogan threw
a complete-game 7-inning no-hitter. Way to go, Tim !!
At the Senior Nationals this past weekend,
the news was not too good for the Oshawa Royals, who picked up 3 Metros players, to help them compete in the tourney.
The Royals finished the round-robin at 1-3, and missed advancing to the playoff round. Oshawa dropped a tough 3-2 decision
to Nova Scotia on Saturday, and were eliminated before Jason Ermers (who was scheduled to start in the quater-final) could
get on the mound. British Columbia, who in round robin play defeated the other Metros starter Dustin Turner,
went on to win the Championship with a 10-8 victory over Quebec. The other Ontario team, represented by the Windsor
Stars, beat Nova Scotia 10-4, to win the Bronze medal. Congrats to the Stars, and to the Royals for terrific showings
at the 2008 Nationals.
As mentioned in yesterdays article, we'll
be updating our website over the course of the fall and winter months...pretty much every week. We know there are a
lot of local, National, and International visitors to our website, who are interested in all things Senior Baseball in Ontario.
And we are happy to oblige.
The first order of business in this off-season,
is to finalize the Metros 2008 statistics. We have done that. Just click on the "Standings / Stats" link to the
left of this page, and then find the links to the final Batting and Pitching Statistics for the season. Look for a post-mortem
on the 2008 Metros baseball season next week...right here at metrosbaseball.ca.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
METROS SEASON COMES TO AN END ON SATURDAY
The St. Catharines Metros' outstanding
season came to an abrupt end on Saturday at the hands of the Milton Red Sox. And it happened the way it usually
does when St. Catharines loses...not scoring enough runs to back excellent pitching. The Metros managed just 2
hits behind T.J. Tavender, to drop a 6-3 decision. This came on the heels of a very tough loss the night before in Mississauga,
when Oakville scored 3 runs with 2 out in the 7th and final inning, to defeat the Metros 5-3. The 2 losses eliminated
St. Catharines from the 10-team double-knockout C.O.B.A. Playoff Tourney.
In Friday's game, the Metros, once again,
managed just 3 hits off of Oakville starter Matt Cockburn...but found themselves ahead 3-2 in the 7th. St. Catharines
got 2 outs, with 2 men on base, before Jeff Jarockis doubled to tie the game...and then Marc Walton singled in 2 more, to
win it for the A's. The late Oakville heroics spoiled a very gutsy, well-pitched game by Metros' starter Ian Horner.
Horner, normally a relief pitcher, was pressed into service as a starter when Dustin Turner and Jason Ermers were asked to
participate at the Senior Nationals. Ian went 6 2/3 innings (his longest outing in his 2 years with the Metros)
and took the loss, allowing 8 hits and 5 runs. He walked 3 and struck out 6. Ryan Villers, who came into relieve
in the 7th, allowed the decisive hit by Walton, and a walk before retiring the side.
The main problem for the Metros was their
inability to solve Oakville's Cockburn, on the mound. The young righty, pitched 6 innings, and allowed just 3
hits, and 3 runs (1 earned). He walked 3 and struck out 5. A's ace, Gord Robertson pitched the 7th inning for
the save. Joe Roach and Tim Collins collected singles for St. Catharines, while Jonathan Paul had an RBI single.
Roach added another RBI with a groundout.
The loss sent the Metros into Burlington
on Saturday, in a do or die situation, but once again, the Metros were shut down...this time by Milton starter Brian Stewart.
As in the previous game, the Metros found themselves ahead, leading 1-0 after 4 innings, on the strength of an Andrew
Sorochan home run. But the Red Sox finally got to T.J. Tavender (who is also normally a relief pitcher) to tie
it in the 5th, before exploding for 5 runs in the 7th to win going away.
The Metros' lack of pitching depth showed
itself again, as Tavender was forced to finish the game, even though he had nothing left in the tank. T.J., as mentioned,
went the distance, and gave up 6 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits. He walked 5 and struck out 6. In addition to Sorochan's
home run, the Metros got a double from Joe Roach to round out the Metros' anemic 2-hit attack.
So, with the loss on Saturday, the Metros
season comes to an end. Despite St. Catharines' exit from the C.O.B.A. Playoffs, they did have an outstanding season,
winning the Johnson Division title, as well as the Anson Buck Trophy, emblematic of being the top team in the
C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League, over the course of the entire 27-game season. In addition, the Metros turned a corner
at the Elimination Tourney, (advancing to Sunday for the first time in 5 years), were the London Lakeside Tournament
Champions, for the 2nd straight year...and sent 3 boys to Nationals. Not too shabby!
We'll be keeping you up to date with all
matters relating to Ontario Senior Baseball, over the course of the entire off-season...so, please, make one of your weekly
internet visits ... "metrosbaseball.ca". Thanks for reading...
Friday, August 22, 2008
TURNER PITCHES WELL, BUT LOSES TO B.C. AT NATIONALS
Dustin Turner, of the St. Catharines Metros,
was given the honour of starting the opening game of the 2008 Senior Nationals for the Oshawa Royals yesterday. And
while Turner pitched very well, the Royals couldn't defeat the powerhouse team from British Columbia, losing a 6-3 decision
in Game 1 at Brandon, Manitoba.
Turner went the distance on a 5-hitter,
and allowed 6 runs (5 earned) while walking 4 and striking out 10. His tidy 107 pitch effort was matched by Shawn
Schaefer of B.C., who also tossed a complete game 5-hitter.
The Royals get back at it today, with
two games, as they take on Newfoundland at 10:00 and Manitoba at 5:30. The Metros' Jason Ermers is the probable
starting pitcher in the Manitoba game.
In the other game involving Ontario yesterday, the
Ontario 1 team, represented by the Windsor Stars, got yet another complete game 5-hitter...from Adam Myers, as they defeated
Alberta 2-1.
BACK HERE AT HOME...
The St. Catharines Metros have a
busy couple of days ahead of them as they wrap up their C.O.B.A. Major League Playoffs. Tonight, the Metros travel to
Mississauga Valleys Park to take on the Oakville A's in a 7:30 start. The A's edged Milton last night, to remain
undefeated (along with St. Catharines and Erindale), at this point in the tourney.
Depending on the outcome of tonight's
game, the Metros will either be playing Saturday morning at 10:00 in Milton or at 1:00 in Burlington in their 3rd game.
And if they win at least one of the next two games, they will guarantee themselves a trip to the final four, and a 4:00
matchup in Burlington.
With all this baseball over the
next couple of days, we won't be able to update this website until after the tournament ends, on Sunday. Best of luck
to both the Metros, in their search for a C.O.B.A. Major Playoff Championship, and the Oshawa Royals in their pursuit of a
National title.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
METROS CRUISE TO WIN OVER MISSISSAUGA IN GAME 1
The St. Catharines Metros went into Mississauga
North on Wednesday night, and scored early and often to back the 6-hit pitching of Rob Nixon. The result was a 12-2
win over the Tigers, in Game 1 of the C.O.B.A. Major League double-knockout playoff tournament.
St. Catharines got on the board with one
unearned run in the 1st, and then put up 4 in the 2nd and 2 more in the 3rd. The final blow came in the 5th as the Metros
scored 5 times, without recording an out, to win the game in a 5-inning mercy. Brad Namtzu had quite a game to lead
the Metros with the bat. He scored the first run, added an RBI single in the 2nd, an RBI Sac Fly in the 3rd, and a 3-run
homer in the 5th...for a total 5RBI's on the night. Joe Roach collected 3 singles and 2 RBI's, while Jono Marcheterre
doubled and singled. Ryan Villers and Rocco Spano singled twice, with Spano driving in a run, while Justin Czorny hit
a 2-run double and Jonathan Paul, an RBI single. The other hit and RBI came from the bat of Tim Collins in the Metros'
14 hit assault. Jay Woodford had 2 hits and an RBI for the Tigers.
On the mound, the Metros' Rob Nixon was,
once again, sensational. In his last start before returning to Adelphi University in New York City, Nixon went the distance,
allowing the 2 runs on 6 hits. He walked 2 and struck out six, in a very efficient 63-pitch outing...to bring his record
to 7-4 on the season.
The Metros now receive a bye, in the 10-team
tourney format. The next game for the Garden City crew is Friday night against the winner of tonight's Milton - Oakville
matchup. That game will be in one of three parks (either Dundas, Erindale, or Etobicoke) beginning at 7:30. The
tourney continues on Saturday, with a possibility of two games, in either Burlington or Milton, before it wraps up...declaring
the C.O.B.A. Major League Playoff Champion on Sunday.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
PLAYOFFS OPEN TOMORROW NIGHT FOR METROS
The St. Catharines Metros will open their
2008 playoffs on the road tomorrow night, after clinching first place in the regular season standings, last Saturday.
Due to park availability, the Metros will make the trek to Meadowvale North Park, to play the 10th place Mississauga Tigers
in Game 1 of the 10-team C.O.B.A. double-knockout playoff tourney.
Then, in another unusual turn of events,
the winner and loser of that game will each receive a second round bye...meaning that the Metros won't be playing at Community
Park on Thursday night. Their second game of the tourney will be Friday evening (against an unknown opponent), once
again out of town.
There will, however, be a game played
at Community Park on Thursday night...involving the loser of the Brampton-Burlington first round match, and the loser of the
Glanbrook-Erindale first round match. First pitch in the 7-inning affair is set for 7:30. The tourney continues
into the weekend with the C.O.B.A. Playoff Champion being crowned on Sunday afternoon at Nelson Park in Burlington.
Rob Nixon will pitch his final game of
the season in the Metros playoff opener. The young starter then heads out to Long Island, New York, on Friday to return
to his College home, at Adelphi University.
BY
THE WAY...
Check out our new Baseball Video clip
at the bottom of this page. The Olympic baseball tournament in China, reminded us that we have a bona fide Major League
prospect from our neck of the woods. We're proud to show you the work of one of the brightest stars in the Cleveland
Indians Minor League chain...and he's from right here in Niagara.
Monday, August 18, 2008
METROS CLOSE REGULAR SEASON WITH DOUBLEHEADER LOSS
The St. Catharines Metros showed up at
Bernie Arbour Stadium yesterday, and played two games, to complete all 27 regular season games (when, just 2 weeks ago that
seemed like an impossibility). Unfortunately, that was the end of the good news for St. Catharines on this day.
After clinching the C.O.B.A. Major League pennant the day before, and playing their 4th and 5th games in 4 days, there was
just nothing left in the tank...and they were unable to muster much resistance to the hard-hitting Glanbrook Grizzlies.
The result was a doubleheader sweep by the Grizz, to the tune of 12-2 and 13-3.
In Game 1, Glanbrook pounced on Metros
starter Ian Horner, for 9 first-inning runs, on 7 hits to put the game away early. Horner suffered his 2nd loss
(against 3 wins) going 3 innings, and giving up 11 runs (7 earned), on 11 hits. He walked 3 and struck out 0.
Ryan Villers pitched 2 innings of relief and allowed one unearned run on 1 hit and 1 walk. Glanbrook starter, Tim
Sogan threw 4 no-hit innings before being relieved by Ryan Kinsella. The Metros' Jono Marcheterre and Dan Estey finally
broke into the hit column with singles (Estey driving in the 2 Metros runs) in the 5th. Mike Grilli had 4 hits
for Glanbrook.
In Game 2, Metros' starter Dan Estey was
a sacrificial lamb on the mound, as the Metros made 5 errors...leading to 11 unearned runs, in the Grizzlies' 13-3 win.
Estey went 2 innings and allowed 10 runs (2 earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks. He struck out 1. Brad Namtzu, Rocco
Spano, and Justin Czorny pitched an inning of relief, each...and combined to allow 3 runs (all unearned) on 2 hits and 1 walk,
while striking out 5. The Metros did manage to collect 5 hits in game 2, with Jonathan Paul leading the way, posting
a double and a single. Joe Roach doubled, while Andrew Sorochan and Jono Marcheterre singled to round out the attack.
Paul and Rob Nixon (with a Sac Fly) drove in the runs.
So, the Metros officially finish their
27-game schedule with a record of 19-8, which, as mentioned, is good enough to secure the Anson Buck Trophy as C.O.B.A. Major
League pennant winners. And as the number one seed heading into the C.O.B.A. 10-team double knockout playoff
tournament, they will meet the number 10 seed, the Mississauga North Tigers on Wednesday evening. The park that
will host that game has not been set, as of yet. The winner and loser of that game will receive a bye to round 3, which
means that...while there will be a Thursday night game at Community Park, it will not involve the Metros. They will
play their second game of the tourney on Friday, at an out of town diamond. As soon as details are confirmed by the
league, we'll pass them on to you...right here at metrosbaseball.ca.
Sunday, August 17, 2008
METROS SWEEP DOUBLEHEADER TO CLINCH C.O.B.A. MAJOR PENNANT
The St. Catharines Metros went into Milton
on Saturday and did what they've done almost all season long...score just enough runs, and then let their pitchers take care
of the rest of the work. The Metros got a 2-hit shutout from Jason Ermers in Game 1, as they downed the Milton Red Sox
4-0. And then Rob Nixon allowed just 3 hits to the powerful Erindale Cardinals to lead St. Catharines to a 3-1 win in
Game 2. The 2 wins extends the Metros' winning streak to 8 in a row in C.O.B.A. Major League play. The Garden
City crew has also clinched 1st place overall in the league...and along with the pennant, the coveted Anson Buck Trophy.
In Game 1, lefty Jason Ermers was
magnificent, in showing everyone why he was selected to join the Oshawa Royals for the Canadian Senior Championships next
week. Ermers allowed just two singles (both to Steve Lauzon) in pitching the complete game shutout. He walked
1 and struck out 10. The Metros collected 11 hits, and scored 4 early runs off Mike Grabauskas, the losing
Milton pitcher. Justin Czorny and Wade Hill doubled and singled to lead the way, while Ryan Villers and Jono Marcheterre
added 2 hits each. Rocco Spano and Andrew Sorochan doubled, and Jonathan Paul singled to round out the offense.
RBI's were collected by Spano, Hill, Villers and Rob Nixon.
Game two was much the same story, as the
Metros scored 3 early runs off losing pitcher Alex Schmitz, and left the rest up to young Rob Nixon. Nixon was brilliant
in his complete game 3-hitter. He allowed 1 run and 4 walks, while striking out 5. St. Catharines managed just
6 hits in this one, with Jonathan Paul collecting 2 of them. Justin Czorny, Rocco Spano, Andrew Sorochan and Ian Horner
accounted for the rest of the hits while Sorochan and Nixon added the RBI's.
The two wins improves the Metros' record
to 19-6 on the season, and although the Burlington Brants won on Saturday (to improve to 18-8), with just one game left, the
best they can do is tie St. Catharines for first place in the league. And the Metros hold the tiebreaker, on the strength
of their 2-1 season series edge, head-to-head. St. Catharines have a chance to win the league title outright on Sunday,
as they travel to Hamilton's Bernie Arbour Stadium for another doubleheader...this time with the Glanbrook Grizzlies.
Game time for the first one is 12:00 noon.
Friday, August 15, 2008
METROS WIN 6TH C.O.B.A. MAJOR LEAGUE GAME IN A ROW
Question...how do you win a baseball game
when you collect only 3 hits? Well, if you use the St. Catharines Metros recipe, you A) take advantage of what
little the opposition gives you, B) make very efficient use of your outs C) let your pitchers take care of the
rest. That formula led to a 6th straight Metros win (in the COBA Major League) last night, by the score of 3-1,
over the Etobicoke Rangers at Community Park.
The Metros scored a run in the 2nd on
a single by Joe Roach, a wild pitch, and two groundouts...the second one from Andrew Sorochan to drive in the run. They
extended their lead in the 4th, when Roach reached on an error, followed by a walk to Jonathan Paul. A double steal
put runners on 2nd and 3rd, and Sorochan followed with his 2nd RBI, a Sac Fly to right. Jono Marcheterre then laid down
a perfect squeeze bunt to score the charging Paul, to complete the Metros scoring. Marcheterre and Tim Collins rounded
out the offense with singles.
The rest of the work was left up to pitchers
Dustin Turner and Rob Nixon. Turner, who leaves next week to play at the Nationals with the Oshawa Royals, made his
final start of the season, and was, once again, brilliant. He went 7 innings, and allowed 6 hits and 1 run, walking
1 and striking out 11. The win improves Turner's record to 5-3 on the season. Nixon pitched the final two
shutout innings to pick up his 2nd save. He allowed 2 singles and 0 walks, while striking out 1.
The hard-luck losing pitcher was
Mark Eccleton, who allowed 3 runs (1 earned), on 3 hits. He walked 4, and struck out 2. Jon Bezanson
doubled twice, while Rob Vecciarelli added 3 singles for Etobicoke.
The Metros' win improves their league
record to 17-6, and restores their 1 game lead over Burlington, in the overall league standings. And everything comes
to a conclusion this weekend, as the Metros wrap up their regular season with 4 games. Saturday, they travel to Milton
to play the Red Sox and the Erindale Cardinals in a doubleheader...and then on Sunday, they drive to Hamilton's Bernie Arbour
Stadium, to take on the Glanbrook Grizzlies in a twinbill. Starting time for both doubleheaders is 12:00 noon.
Monday, August 11, 2008
BIG NEWS!! THREE METROS SELECTED TO PLAY AT CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS
On Monday, the Oshawa Royals were required
to submit their roster to Baseball Canada, for next week's Canadian Senior Baseball Championship Tournament in Brandon,
Manitoba. And when they did, that roster included the names of three St. Catharines Metros...pitchers Dustin Turner
and Jason Ermers, along with catcher, Wade Hill. The three Metros players accepted the invitations, and with the
blessing of Metros' management, are off to Manitoba with the Royals next Wednesday.
As mentioned in our recap of the Elimination
Tournament, both the Windsor Stars and Oshawa Royals qualified for the National tournament, on the strength of finishing 1st
and 2nd at Elims. As Provincial representatives, both teams have the right to pick up players from any team in the province,
to augment their roster. The fact that the Royals chose to take three of them from St. Catharines is a very good indication
of how far the Metros program has progressed, as well as being a credit to the talent that these players possess.
Metros' General Manager Mark Walters was
thrilled when he got the email from the Oshawa coaching staff, requesting permission to use Turner, Ermers and Hill
at the tournament. "Dustin, Jason, and Wade have played extremely well all season long, and it's exciting that their
play has been noticed by teams outside of our own", said Walters. I really think these additions will bolster
the Royals' chances to win the tourney".
Turner has pitched 44 innings this
season and has allowed a stingy 28 hits, while striking out 59. He has won 4 games and compiled an E.R.A. of 1.64.
Ermers, one of the top lefthanders in Ontario Senior ball, has thrown 47 innings and allowed just 11 walks, while striking
out 49...and has won 3 games with an E.R.A. of 3.26. He was also voted the Top Pitcher at the London Lakeside Tourney
in July. Hill has batted just .170 this season, after missing all of last year with a knee injury. However,
he is one of the top defensive catchers in C.O.B.A., and is also an outstanding "team guy". The fact that he has
caught Turner and Ermers all season will also be an asset that Oshawa will reap the benefit of.
The loss of these three players will,
no doubt, hurt the Metros' chances in the C.O.B.A. playoffs, which will be run simultaneously with the Nationals, but
G.M. Walters said that was never a concern. "This is perhaps a once in a lifetime opportunity for these three kids,
and we would never stand in their way of playing in a tournament like this". "They have all worked hard to get where
they are, and we're absolutely thrilled that they are getting this opportunity". Walters added, "This also
makes our team look good, and adds more credibility to our C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League...I just wish I could be there to
root them on in person".
The Nationals can be closely followed
from this website: http://www.baseball.ca/seniormen/ and begins on Thursday, August 21st...as Oshawa (Ontario 2) takes on British Columbia. Best of luck to the
Royals...and especially Dustin Turner, Jason Ermers and Wade Hill. Give 'em hell, guys!
Sunday, August 10, 2008
METROS SOLIDIFY HOLD ON C.O.B.A. MAJOR LEAD WITH DOUBLEHEADER SWEEP
The St. Catharines Metros put together
two solid efforts on Saturday afternoon at Community Park, and emerged with a sweep of the Brampton Battlecats by scores of
10-3, and 5-3. The two wins improves the Metros record to 16-6, and puts them 1 full game ahead of the 16-8 Burlington
Brants, in the COBA Major League standings.
In game one, the Metros took advantage
of some shoddy Brampton defence, and added to their advantage by outhitting the visitors 10-4. The game featured the
combined contributions of Andrew Sorochan with the bat, and T.J. Tavender on the mound. Tavender, who threw 5 innings
of one-hit relief on Thursday, threw a complete game 4-hitter on Saturday. He walked 3 and struck out 6, to improve
his record to 3-1 on the season.
Sorochan led the Metros offensively, with
3 hits and 5 RBI's. Rocco Spano added a double and two singles while Joe Roach doubled and added an RBI. Tim Collins
chipped in with a 2-run single, Brad Namtzu added an RBI single and Jonathan Paul added a single, to round out the attack.
Matt Piccioni had a two-run double for the 'Cats, while Mike Burke took the loss on the mound.
In game two, the Metros had just enough
gas left in the tank to score 5 runs in the 6th inning, to steal away a 5-3 win. The Metros, playing their 4th game
in 4 days, trailed the game 3-0 after 4 innings, with Brampton starter Joe Nonis cruising along with a no-hitter.
But in the 6th inning, with two out and
nobody on base, the Metros got back-to-back-to-back doubles by Jonathan Paul, Rocco Spano and Joe Roach to narrow the gap
to 3-2. After a walk to Tim Collins, and a double steal put runners on 2nd and 3rd, pitcher Dan Estey delivered the
decisive blow of the game...a single that drove in the tying and winning runs. Estey then came around to score himself
to make the final 5-3.
Estey was a double threat on this day,
as he was lights-out on the mound, in addition to his hitting heroics. Estey went the distance to improve his season
record to 3-3. He allowed 3 runs (just 1 earned) on 4 hits, while walking 1 and striking out 4. Wade Hill added
a double to the Metros' 5-hit attack.
St. Catharines gets a well-deserved rest
for a few days, before the second half of the game-cluster arrives late next week. The Metros host the Etobicoke
Rangers Thursday night at 7:30 (Community Park), before finishing the regular season with back-to-back doubleheaders on Saturday
and Sunday. On Saturday, the Metros play Milton and Erindale at Brian Best Park in Milton (beginning at noon),
and Sunday they travel to Bernie Arbour Stadium in Hamilton, to wrap up the season with a pair against the Glanbrook Grizzlies.
The first game in the twinbill starts at noon.
Friday, August 8, 2008
METROS DODGE RAIN, LIGHTNING AND A'S
We're guessing that Mother Nature owed
it to the Metros and A's. After raining out their game twice before, there was rain and lightning everywhere last night...everywhere
but over Community Park in St. Catharines. The brief respite from the elements allowed the game to be played, and the
Metros emerged victorious over Oakville by a score of 7-5.
It looked as though the short-staffed
A's were going to walk away with the win, as they took a 5-1 lead after 4 innings, but the Metros (who had been no-hit to
that point) displayed a little lightning of their own in the 5th. After scoring 2 runs, to cut the lead to
2, St. Catharines got a big 3-run home run by Rocco Spano, to put the Metros ahead. They added one more in
the 6th, and left the rest up to reliever T.J. Tavender.
Tavender was nothing short of sensational,
pitching the final 5 innings, and allowing no runs on just one infield single. He walked one and struck out 7.
Ryan Villers started the game for the Metros and he went 4 innings, allowing the 5 runs (3 earned) on 7 hits, walking 2 and
striking out 1. Tavender got the win, improving to 2-1 on the season, while Matt Cockburn took the loss on the hill
for Oakville.
In addition to Spano's game-winning HR,
he added an RBI Sac Fly, while Brad Namtzu (RBI), Justin Czorny and Tim Collins (RBI) all delivered two hits. Andrew
Sorochan added an RBI groundout and Wade Hill drew 3 walks and scored twice. Gord Robertson had two hits and Matt Griffin
an RBI double for the A's.
The win moves St. Catharines into first
place in the C.O.B.A. Major Baseball League at 14-6, half a game up on the Burlington Brants. The Brants still hold
the lead in points, but the Metros have 3 games in hand. And two of those games come tomorrow, as the Metros' busy week
continues. The Brampton Battlecats come to town for a rare Saturday doubleheader at Community Park. Starting time
for the first game is 12:00 noon.
Thursday, August 7, 2008
METROS BLAST TIGERS
The St. Catharines Metros might have released
some frustration on the Mississauga North Tigers, last night in Mississauga...the Metros' first C.O.B.A. game after an up-and-down
Elimination Tournament. The Metros scored early and often, in a 13-1 drubbing of the Tigers, called after 7 innings
due to the league's mercy rule. St. Catharines took advantage of 5 Tigers errors, and pounded out 12 hits in the shortened
game, to back a masterful performance on the hill by Ian Horner.
Horner allowed a lead-off home run by
Jamaal Thelwell in the first inning...before settling down and allowing just 2 more singles the rest of the way. He
walked 3 and struck out 10, in his first complete game of the season.
Offensively, the Metros were led by Tim
Collins, who singled and added a 3-run homer...his first home run in his 2 years with the Metros. Brad Namtzu and Andrew
Sorochan collected 2 singles and an RBI each, while Joe Roach and Dan Estey added 2-run doubles. Jonathan Paul
drove in 2 runs with a Sac Fly and a groundout, while Rocco Spano and Justin Czorny added singles. And, in his final
game before returning to university in Oklahoma, Tylor Prudhomme drove in a run with a single, as well.
The win improves the Metros' record to
13-6, keeping them in a tie for 1st Place in the Johnson Division with the Burlington Brants, who also won last night.
The Metros don't get much time to rest, as the Oakville A's come to Community Park this evening for a make up of a make up
of a rained out game from June. Game time is 7:30.
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
2008 ELIMS - METROS GOOD...BUT NOT GOOD ENOUGH
The St. Catharines Metros went to Windsor,
this past weekend, with two objectives...to play well in every game and to get to Sunday evening, or Monday. They accomplished
half of what they tried for...they did play well in every game...but, after going 2-2, they failed to advance past Sunday
morning. The Metros managed to defeat East York and Etobicoke in their first two games, but lost to eventual tourney
finalists, the Oshawa Royals, before dropping a decision to the Newmarket Hawks.
The Metros looked like a force to be reconed with,
in Game 1 at Lacasse Park, as they rode the strong right arm of Dustin Turner to a 2-0 win over the Bulldogs. Turner
was nothing short of brilliant in the game that was interrupted in the top of the 5th inning, due to lightning storms in the
area. After a delay of about an hour, it was decided to resume the game the next morning in Woodslee, with St.
Catharines ahead 1-0.
Turner, who threw 55 pitches on Friday
night, came back and finished what he started on Saturday, showing no ill effects from the 12 hour delay. In all, Turner
threw the complete game shutout, allowing 2 hits, and no walks, while striking out 8. The Metros managed just 7 hits
of their own against East York ace Sean Leah, but collected RBI singles from Rocco Spano (before the delay) and Joe Roach
(the next morning) to give St. Catharines their margin of victory. Spano added a double to his totals, while other singles
went to Justin Czorny, Jonathan Paul, Tylor Pruhomme, and Tim Collins.
In game 2, the Metros faced off against
C.O.B.A. leaguemates, the Etobicoke Rangers, and played perhaps their best game of the entire year, winning by a score of
7-2. Brad Namtzu had the game of a lifetime in this one. The veteran outfielder led off the game with a double
and scored the first run, hit a 2-out 2-run single in his next at bat, and made the defensive play of the tourney, to snuff
out a potential Etobicoke rally in the 6th inning. With the bases full of Rangers and nobody out, Namtzu made an
unbelievable diving catch of a Tim Deacon fly ball, before getting up and throwing a strike to 2nd base, doubling off the
baserunner, and ending the threat.
Tylor Prudhomme doubled and singled (and
added an RBI) for St. Catharines, while Andrew Sorochan and Wade Hill (RBI) singled twice each. Rocco Spano singled
and added an RBI Sac Fly. Young Rob Nixon was impressive, once again, on the mound for the Metros going the distance
for the win. He allowed 6 hits and 2 runs (1 earned), while walking 3 and striking out 3.
The win over Etobicoke sent the Metros
up against the defending Ontario Champion Oshawa Royals, and while they did hold an early 3-0 lead, the Royals formidible
offense eventually took charge of the game, leading to an 8-3 Oshawa win. Jason Ermers pitched into the 5th inning,
holding the Royals to 3 runs (and a 3-3 tie in the game) on 7 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 5. But Oshawa got a
big RBI double from Doug Wright, off Metros reliever T.J. Tavender, and the Royals rolled to the victory. Tavender
and Ian Horner finished on the mound for St. Catharines and between them, allowed 4 runs (3 earned) on 4 hits and 4 walks.
Offensively, the Metros got 2 singles each from Jonathan Paul and Jono Marcheterre, with Paul driving in 2 runs and Marcheterre
1. Brad Namtzu, Joe Roach, Tylor Prudhomme, and Andrew Sorochan added singles.
On Sunday morning, the Metros were facing
a must-win situation against their long-time memesis, the Newmarket Hawks, and when the dust had settled, the Hawks won again...this
time 4-1, ending the Metros weekend. St. Catharines sent Dan Estey to the hill, but the Hawks got to him with 3 runs
in the 3rd inning, creating a hole that the Metros couldn't climb out of. Estey went 4 innings and allowed 5 hits and
3 runs while walking 3 and striking out 1. T.J. Tavender, pitching on consecutive days, held the Hawks at bay for
3 innings, before allowing a run in the 7th. Ryan Villers recorded the final out, keeping St. Catharines in the game.
Tavender gave up a run on 4 hits while walking 2 and striking out 2.
The Metros could not mount much of an
attack against Newmarket starter Brent Heaslip, as they managed just 5 singles, and 1 unearned run. Rocco Spano, Jonathan
Paul, Andrew Sorochan, Jono Marcheterre, and Tim Collins shared in the offense.
Despite the fact that their tourney ended
before they had hoped, the Metros did play well in every game and fought hard to make strides in their pursuit of an
Ontario title. The coaching staff believe that they have accomplished this, and have a substantial base on which to
build for next year. By the way, the tournament was eventually won by the powerhouse Windsor Stars who, after losing
to the Oshawa club in the preliminary rounds, came back to beat them twice in the finals, to earn the title. Both Windsor
and Oshawa have won the right to represent the province at the Canadian Championships in Brandon, Manitoba, later this month...and
the Metros wish both teams the best of luck. Windsor and Oshawa will be great representatives of what we believe
Ontario Senior baseball is...quality ball, played and coached by quality people. Bring home the gold and silver, guys!
BACK
TO THE C.O.B.A. MAJOR BASEBALL WARS...
The Metros have to get right back on the
horse, with 4 big games in the C.O.B.A. Major League, this week. Wednesday night, they travel to Mississauga North to
play the Tigers, before returning home on Thursday for a 7:30 game against Oakville. The week wraps up on
Saturday, at Community Park, with a doubleheader against the Brampton Battlecats. The first game begins at 12:00 noon.
|
|
. The Niagara Metros are very pleased to have Cat's Caboose Dining Coach and Bar Car as their
corporate partner in 2011.
|
| Click on the logo to visit the Cat's Caboose website. |
Located in the heart of Old Glenridge,
Cat's Caboose is one of St.
Catharines' oldest and most established restaurants. The place for LIVE ENTERTAINMENT and GREAT FOOD.
. .
. Check out our Showcase Film for the period of February 13 to February 27.
Just scroll
to the bottom of this page and press "Play".
__________________________________
|
| Click to visit the "St. Catharines Standard" Website. |
Thank You: To the St. Catharines Standard for allowing us to use pictures and articles throughout this website.
. .
|
| Niagara Metros website reaches 100,000 hits on April 18, 2010. |
hits since December, 2004 Thanks for visiting 
.
|
