Sandlots: Ontario Cup winners, 2012 draft, Rizquez makes US team
*RHP Cal Quantrill (Port Hope, Ont.) pitched Ontario to a gold medal win over Saskatchewan in the Canada Cup
2011 MLB Scouting Bureau camps sked
2011 Canadians in the June draft
By Bob Elliott
It took a while, but Ontario scored in the bottom of the seventh to beat the Green Machine and win gold at the annual Canada Cup in Moncton, N.B.
Scarborough’s Mitch Triolo hit a fly ball with the bases loaded to score Milton’s Nathan DeSouza with the winning run as Ontario defeated upstart Saskatchewan 3-2.
The other 2/3 of the big three on the national stage -- British Columbia and Quebec -- were no where to be seen when it came time to play for golf.
Saskatchewan saw to that edging B.C. 7-6 in the semi-final on Nolan Benesh’s bases clearing double, and beating Quebec 4-3 on Jonathan Harpestad’s pitching in quarter-final play.
Ontario reached the final as right-handers Michael Clouthier and Dayton Dawe combined on a one hitter blanking Manitoba 2-0 in the semi-final. Guelph’s Clouthier pitched five innings, walking four and striking out three. London’s Dawe took over with a man on in the sixth with the game scoreless.
Dawe allowed a two-out single after a walk, bringing the potential lead run to the plate. Dawe got a ground ball out and Ontario moved to the gold medal game.
Ontario broke up the scoreless game in the sixth when Bruce Yari and Toby Handley singled and Triolo hit a two-run single.
Saskatchewan scored a pair in the first of the gold-medal game on Jager Toffan’s triple.
Maple’s Zac Sardellitti homered in the second and Windsor’s Jake Lumley singled in the tying run in the fifth setting the stage for the bottom of the seventh.
With one out, DeSouza walked, Windsor’s Jacob Robson and Lumley singled to load the bases for Triolo.
Port Hope’s Cal Quantrill restored order taking over in the third, did not allow a run or a hit. He walked two and fanned four, picking up the win and player of the game honours.
Triolo led Ontario hitting .370 (10-for-27) with seven RBIs, followed by Robson and his .333 mark (8-for-24) with two RBIs, while Lumley hit .308 (8-for-26) with an RBI and Yari .308 (4-for-13) with two RBIs.
Ontario made only three errors in eight games and allowed only one stolen base. Triolo at short and Lumley at second were flawless in the field.
Etobicoke third baseman Johnny Caputo, Windsor outfielder Brett Siddall, Triolo, Robson and Quantrill were named to the all-tournament team.
For Ontario coach Marc Picard of Windsor, Ont. it was his 14th Canadian title (seven juveniles, four Canada Cups, one Summer Games, one junior and bantam title at Vaughn in 2010).
Picard and his staff of Joe Siddall and Scott Robinson selected from the:
Ontario Terriers: Adam Anderson, Georgetown, Michael Clouthier Guelph, Dayton Dawe, London, Nathan DeSouza, Milton, Nick Dimpfel Richmond Hill, Toby Handley, Whitby, Cal Quantrill, Port Hope, Zac Sardelitti, Maple, Travis Seabrooke, Peterborough, Bruce Yari, Waterloo.
Windsor Selects: Jake Lumley, Windsor, Justin Orton, Ruthven; Daniel Procopio, Etobicoke, Jacob Robson, Windsor, Brett Siddall, Windsor.
Toronto Mets: Johnny Caputo, Etobicoke, Mitch Triolo, Scarborugh.
Oakville A’s: Blake Weston, Oakville, .
Ottawa-Nepean Canadians: Alexandre Gagne, Orleans.
Sarnia Braves: Jake Marks, Brights Grove.
On to 2012: Only 42 weeks until next year’s draft. The top Canadians are expected to be 6-foot-4 Jeff Gibbs, a former Blue Jays pick in 2010, who pitched on Cape Cod this summer. Gibbs was 0-1 with for the Chatham Anglers in seven games.
Gibbs had three straight outings in which he did not allow a run, including four zeros against the Harwich Mariners, but walked 11 and struck out eight in 10 2/3 innings.
The East York right-hander will pitch for the University of Maine Black Bears and coach Steve Trimper. Gibbs pitched eight innings -- one run and two hits and three walks -- striking out eight in a 4-1 win over Florida International in the Chapel Hill, N.C. NCAA regional,
The next two are 6-foor-5 Ryan Kellogg, a Whitby lefty who pitches for Rob and Rich Butler’s Ontario Prospects and 6-foot-2 right-hander Dawe, with Scott Van deValk’s Ontario Terriers. Both also pitch for Greg Hamilton and Canadian National Junior Team.
Kellogg worked a scoreless inning at the annual Under Armour All-American Game at Wrigley Field last weekend.
North York outfieldr Gareth Morgan had two at bats in the game and ex-manager Larry Bowa raved about Morgan’s future on MLB Network, which televised the game.
Former Markham Mariner Carson Kelly was also in the game.
Risky bidness: There were over 100 players looking for spots at the USSSA All-American Games in Kississimee Fla. last weekend. Hamilton outfielder Andris Rizquez earned first team All-Americans honours and is on next year’s team.
The U.S. team heads to tournaments this fall, possibly Mexico, and next year in France.
Right-hander Skylar Janisse of Maidstone, Ont. made the same team last year.