Weekly Wrap (E12): Playoff Weekend Roundup
October 5, 2021|Weekly Wrap
.JPG/:/rs=w:1280 "The Rose City Thorns pose for a team photo after beating the Niagara Falls Expos 4-0 on Wednesday night to claim the 2021 NDBA championship.")
By Corey LeBlanc
https://ndbaseniormensbaseballassociat.godaddysites.com/blog-1/f/weekly-wrap-e12-playoff-weekend-roundup
Welcome baseball fans, for the final time this year, to the NDBA Weekly Wrap Up. I don't know where to begin this episode, there's so much to cover. I'm a little late for this one... (we've nearly faded into obscurity, haven't we?) I wanted to deliver a product that would sum up everything and put an exclamation point on this season.
I'll start off this wrap by giving a big congratulations to the Rose City Thorns, 2021 NDBA champions!
They went from being the team that almost didn't play this season, to sitting atop the league standings in the final week, to winning it all in entertaining fashion. What a great season!
The NDBA weekend tournament gave us a lot of incredible moments. In this edition of Weekly Wrap, I'm going to cover all the highlights from the weekend from the lot of games I attended. Each team will get a breakdown, featuring things I liked from their adventures through the double-knockout style tournament.
Players who did well got a shoutout, simple as that...
We'll, of course, be naming the three stars of the Weekend.
I'm also using this platform to officially announce that starting this afternoon, we'll be doing the first round of voting for NDBA awards. I'll post a full list of award winners once the polls close for good, so get in there and vote for your favourites!
I also want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who had a hand in making this season possible, thanks to the coaches and the players for making this shortened season feel like any other.
Now, with formalities out of the way, let's talk baseball! I've taken the liberty of making a bracket, in case anyone wanted a breakdown of the action:
Rose City Thorns (4-1)
There's a lot to unpack here, Rose City's path to victory was magical to say the least.
They used their late-season push to gain the top seed and matched up with the St. Catharines Junior Cobras in their first round series.
They began the tournament with a decisive 11-4 win over the Juniors on Friday night. Zac Decker, Daryl Poirier, Rob Nixon and Dave Knaus deliver two RBIs a piece in the first-round rout of the Juniors.
The next day, they matched up with the senior Cobras. Tyler Rose chucks seven innings and keeps it tied at one until the bottom of the fourth, when Josh Vaters launches a two-run homerun off the Thorns ace. Cobras win 4-1, which pushed the Thorns backs up against the wall in a must-win against the Fort Erie Cannons later that night.
On that night, the Thorns engaged in a four-hour marathon game against the Cannons that went to 10 innings. Tyler Wood pitches five innings of one-hit shutout ball before he ended the game in the bottom of the tenth with a base hit down the first-base line. Thorns get the 7-6 win. An instant classic to get them to championship Sunday, Wood is a hero.
They battled hard and eked out a 2-1 win over the Cobras in a rematch from the day before and advanced to the finals. Matt Porkolab threw seven innings in that game and the Thorns defense was outstanding behind him.
The finals, which took place on Wednesday night, was the cherry on top and perhaps their best all-around game of the tournament.
Tyler Wood once again came in clutch with two game-saving grabs in centerfield. Matt Pine picked up three RBIs, including a two-run triple to give his team some insurance in the bottom of the fifth.
It was all systems go once again for Tyler Rose, who pitched seven shutout innings to secure the 4-0 win and give the Thorns their first league championship since 2014. What an incredible run and a well-deserved victory.
Rating: A
Niagara Falls Expos (5-1)
I still can't believe what an incredibly talented product the Expos put on the field this year.
They added a few weapons to bolster their already solid lineup and were a force in the first three quarters of the regular season on their way to the No. 2 seed.
They first matched up with the Thorold Anchors and made a statement in a five-inning 10-0 win. Liam Jacques tosses five shutout inning and strikes out eight, while Joe Scaringi goes 3-for-3 with three RBI.
In the next round, they would finish their game against the Cannons in just five innings as well. Dallas Smith chucks five innings of one-run ball with five strikeouts. Expos get RBIs from six different players on 11 hits and cruise to an 11-1 victory to get to the quarter-final game against the senior Cobras.
That was their first of three games on Sunday. Jason Baldinelli throw for seven-complete innings and allows three hits and Ryan Langdon hits a bullet out of Oakes Park (NF) as part of a 9-1 win over the Cobras. At this point in the tournament, we're in the final four. The Expos have outscored opponents 30-2 and have only played 17 innings versus the usual 21.
They lined up next against the Alliance and were stunning the them through six innings behind Cody Lyndon after relieving Kevin Niven. An incredible rally by the Alliance in the top of the seventh left the game 5-4 and Expos shocked as they were handed their first loss.
In their elimination game rematch later that evening with Merritton, they threw Jacques once again in a do-or-die affair. He delivers with seven shutout innings of two-hit baseball. The game was scoreless until the bottom of the sixth, when Nick Cook lead off the inning with a single and Josh Thorpe would later score his pinch runner, Mitch Greco on a sacrifice fly. Expos take the semi-final game 1-0 and move on to the finals.
We know how this ends... but what a run by the Expos, they were just shy of the repeat but should hold their heads high for what they accomplished this year. The future looks bright for this team.
Rating: A-
Merritton Alliance (3-2)
Just one hit.
That could have made the difference, it could have sent the Alliance to another NDBA final. But, their luck had finally run out...
Merritton had to be fortunate in this tournament, especially after dropping an 8-0 dud against the Cannons in round one.
Relegated early, they were going to have to go on a clean run the rest of the way - and they nearly pulled it off.
Alliance went head-to-head with the Anchors in round two, where they got a load of vintage Luke Edwards on the mound. Edwards kept the Alliance bats at bay, before Dave Collins delivers a two-run homerun in the bottom of the sixth to take a 2-1 lead. Game. Set. Match.
Next, they lined up with the Welland Chiefs and veteran, Matt Wintermute, who were fresh off a 15-5 win over the Juniors. Mark Fusco pitched five innings and had an RBI, Matt Brady with the go-ahead shot in the fifth and Kyle Parris with the six-out save. Alliance move to championship Sunday with a 5-4 win over the Chiefs.
Their first game that morning was perhaps their most brilliant of the season. Down four in the seventh Merritton roared back with a five-run inning, capped by a Matt Kerr two-run single, to take the lead against the Expos. Matt Brady pitches six innings and picks up two RBI of his own in the win.
As we saw above, their rematch later that day proved to be too much for the Alliance, and they would bow out of the tournament just one run-shy of a finals berth.
Through all the adversity this tournament had to offer, Alliance battled their way through to the semi-finals and came within one hit of a chance at the big prize.
Rating: B+
St. Catharines Cobras (2-2)
A dark horse.
The Cobras turned it on in the latter half of the season and managed to jump some spots in the final week of the season to claim the No. 5 seed.
Trending in the right direction, they felt like a plus matchup facing the fourth-ranked Chiefs in the first round.
Cobras hung tight with them until the fourth, when a Josh Vaters single in the fourth broke the game open. Bernardo Gongora goes the distance and the St. Catharines Cobras cruised to winner's bracket with a 6-3 win. Pizza party ensues.
The Cobras hung around Burger Park until their game later that same day against the Thorns, led by Tyler Rose on the mound.
It was Josh Vaters once again, putting an exclamation point on the game with a two-run homerun (the first of the Cobras season) into right-center field. Cobras win 4-1 and begin their tournament with back-to-back upsets.
They moved on to Sunday, where they ran in to the red-hot Expos, who did them no favours. Then, played a tough game against the Thorns, where they came within one run, or just one timely hit away from moving on to the next round.
The Cobras proved a lot in this tournament and we'll certainly keep our attention on some of their young guns headed into the 2022 campaign.
Rating: B
Welland Chiefs (1-2)
The Chiefs were perhaps the biggest wild card headed into playoff weekend.
They came in as the No. 4 seed, but had lost their last five games. They had the offense and the players, but could their pitching staff lead them deep into the weekend?
Their first-round matchup with the Cobras proved just too much for them.
Ben Baltru tosses seven innings, while Scott Cole, Brian Lepp and Matt Mannella pick up an RBI a piece in a 6-3 loss.
Later that afternoon, the Chiefs lined up beside the Junior Cobras and jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first inning, capped by a two-run double by Dennis Martin.
Chris Vogin pitches all five innings in the game and the Chiefs cruise to a 15-5 win over the Juniors on Saturday to set up a matchup with the Alliance at Oakes Park (NF).
Matt Wintermute pitches the entire seven innings, allowed five runs to keep his team in the game under strenuous circumstances. Cole comes through with another RBI, while Frank Barber and Mark Jaroslawski drive in runs of their own in a 5-4 loss to Merritton to end their tournament.
The Chiefs' concerns at pitching were not founded as they all threw well on the weekend. In the end, they waited on a timely hit from anybody and came up empty-handed.
Rating: C+
Fort Erie Cannons (1-2)
What a gut-wrenching way to end an otherwise solid weekend for the Cannons.
The sting of this one may linger for years to come, but the future is bright for the green and gold.
Coming in as the No. 6 seed, Fort Erie made some noise with an 8-0 win over the Merritton Alliance in round one.
Randy Kraneyk goes seven shutout innings and gives up three hits. While, Zack Fernandez and Pat Giampaolo each deliver with a pair of hits of RBIs in the win. Cannons cruise and move on to the winner's bracket with an upset victory.
In game two, they took on the red-hot Expos and fell flat footed against Dallas Smith and Co.
Royce Gooder drives in the only Cannon run in an 11-1 mercy in five innings. Josh Kuderian pitches three and two thirds innings in the loss - that's important for later. The positive of the mercy here is, it gave him and his team plenty of time to rest up before their game against the Thorns later that night.
Cannons fought hard in their final game. They overcame an early four-run deficit and took a 6-4 lead into the bottom of the fourth inning. Serge Gervais, Nick Weglarz and Chris Patterson each with RBI singles to take the lead.
Josh Kuderian (we saw him earlier, remember) pitches for six more innings, surrenders two hits, but an error in the tenth inning puts a runner on base and a Tyler Wood single ends the game... and the Cannon's season.
Rating: C
.JPG/:/cr=t:0%25,l:0%25,w:100%25,h:100%25/rs=w:1280 "Luis Rodriguez bats a ball to the opposite field during a game against the Niagara Falls Expos on Friday night at Oakes Park (NF).")
Thorold Anchors (0-2)
Of the eight teams involved in the NDBA playoffs, nobody got a tougher draw than the Thorold Anchors.
It all began in the final week of the NDBA season, when the Anchors sank to seventh in the overall standings. They drew a first-round matchup with the Niagara Falls Expos.
Things were, uhm.. not so good for the Anchors in this one. They started Justin Vescio-West, who was cruising until he left the game with a shoulder injury in the bottom of the second.
Expos exploded for five runs the very next inning and walked away with a 10-0 win in just five innings. Relegating the Anchors to the wrong bracket early on.
In game two, they ran into a disgruntled Alliance team, who were just upset by the Fort Erie Cannons in round one.
Luke Edwards spins a gem through five innings, before Adam Bartlett open the scoring by stealing home plate in the top of the sixth. Not to be denied, Dave Collins ended the Anchors season the very next inning with a two-run bomb to take a 2-1 lead.
Daniel Krasulja gets doubled off at second to end the seventh and the Anchors take the early bow out in the 2021 playoffs. They'll be better years to come for this emerging team.
Rating: C-
St. Catharines Junior Cobras (0-2)
Well, what more can we say about the U22 group's first season in the NDBA?
The winless Juniors came in to the tournament as the number eight seed, though showed up energic and eager to get their first win against the Rose City Thorns.
They came out gunning, taking a 2-0 lead into the bottom of the second. Then, later tied the game at four on a Connor Gambell double.
Rylie Gambell pitches and keeps the ship steady through half the game before the flood gates opened and the Thorns jumped way out in front. Juniors drop their first round matchup 11-4 to the Thorns.
In round to the next day, they squared off with the Welland Chiefs at Burgar Park. Connor Gambell started and surrendered five runs in the first... Chiefs led by as much as 7-0 before the Juniors roared back to make it 7-5, perhaps a last gasp.
Connor and Rylie combine for two RBIs, Ben Dobrowlski and Elliot Speck each pick up one of their own. Juniors drop out with an 11-4 loss to the Chiefs in round two to end their campaign.
All in all, the Juniors battled hard all season. No matter where they end up next season, they'll have this experience under their belts and I wish them luck in 2022!
Rating: D
THREE STARS
It's the playoffs version of Three Stars, I'm so excited to hand out some nods for the first time in awhile. The players on this list deserve their stature and should be considered my picks for playoff MVP. Of course, we'll be voting for that throughout the week, remember to check @NDBAsenior for polls.
I have a lot to say about our stars, so let's dive in!
THIRD STAR - Tyler Rose (Rose City Thorns)
An absolute work horse. Tyler Rose did it all in the 2021 post-season.
On the mound, he had a 2-1 record. Of course, one of his wins was a 4-0 shutout of the Expos in the finals.
When he wasn't pitching, he was holding it down at shortstop, making plays from the left side of the field with precision. He made no errors in these playoffs.
But, of all the things Rose achieved on the field over these five game, his emotion was bar none a key factor in his inclusion on this list.
Often Rose was the most vocal, he was first to greet scored runners at the dugout, first to let the opposition know his team was getting fired up. In their loss to the Cobras, Rose was visibly shaken, his team seemed to follow suit.
For leading the new generation of Thorns, Tyler Rose is the third star in these NDBA playoffs.
SECOND STAR - Joe Scaringi (Niagara Falls Expos)
Seemingly out of nowhere, the Expos have had a revolution at shortstop in Joe Scaringi.
You could argue a lot of guys in baby blue belong on this list, but none stood out to me quite like Scaringi.
He went 6-for-14 at the dish with 5 RBI through his team's five games. Most of his production on offense came in the early going. But, that's not the kicker.
In the second-half of the tournament, Scaringi routinely made plays on defense that had no business being made. Some saved innings, save saved entire games. The importance of his glove on the left side was pivotal in the Expos going as far as they did.
For coming up clutch with and without the sticks, Joe Scaringi is my pick for second star in the NDBA playoffs.
FIRST STAR - Tyler Wood (Rose City Thorns)
The kids from Rose City came to play in the big dance and this guy delivered some of the best moments in the entire post-season.
An NDBA rookie, Tyler Wood stepped in to the centerfield roll and quickly made his way up the starting lineup.
Batting second for the Thorns lineup, Wood didn't wait long to get involved in some playoff dramatics. When he stepped on the mound in game three against the Cannons and dominated for five innings, I began to wonder if there was anything he wasn't going to do. Then, he scored the game-winner.
In the finals he made at lest two gave-saving catches in the outfield, he was virtually everywhere all weekend long.
For an excellent performance on both sides of the field, Tyler Wood is the first star in the NDBA playoffs.
