Fortin, Gisiger lead Bonivital to Winnipeg tourney win
The Bonivital Black Sox did a lot of high-fiving and handshaking beating the Parkland Expos to win the 12-team Winnipeg Classic midget triple-A tournament. Photos: Norm Senden.
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
WINNIPEG _ Besides his lumber, Trey Fortin carried his family name with him to the plate in the final of the Winnipeg Classic midget triple-A tournament.
And playing for the Bonivital Black Sox, Fortin had a pair of hits and knocked in two runs in an 8-4 win over the Parkland Expos in the championship game. A total of 12 teams from four provinces competed in the four-day event.
Fortin had three hits and drove in three runs earlier in an 8-7 loss to the Carillon Sultans.
His father Troy was an 11th round draft of the Minnesota Twins in 1993 and signed by scout Howie Norsetter. Papa Fortin played six years in the Twins system and three years in independent ball.
Breaking in with Rookie-Class Elizabethton, Fortin also played for class-A Fort Wayne, class-A Fort Myers and double-A New Britain. in six seasons, he hit .268 with 78 doubles, four triples, 37 homers and 225 RBIs in 456 games. He had a .738 OPS.
He spent three seasons with the Winnipeg Goldeyes of the independent Northern League. He batted .332 with 35 doubles, two triples, 16 homers and 84 RBIs in 134 games, with a .940 OPS.
Martin Gisiger pitched six innings for the win, allowing two runs, while striking out six. He earned MVP honors for the championship final.
Ian Briscoe also had two hits and two RBIs in the final.
Starter Briscoe and Matthew Besant combined on a two hitter as Bonivital beat the St James A’s 4-1. Chad Picton and Justin Laxdal had two hits and an RBI each in the tourney opener.
Gisiger pitched five innings for the win in a 10-4 win against the Regina Angels as Bonivital went to 2-0. Adam Senden two scoreless innings in relief, while Malik Gibbons had two hits and drove in a pair of runs.
The only blemish came when the Black Sox blew a three-run lead in the seventh and lost by a run to Carillon. Besant took loss. Besides Fortin’s three hits, Colin Stenberg had a pair of hits and knocked in a run.
Justin Laxdal gained the win as the Black Sox doubled up on Team Manitoba 6-3. Kacey Lebleu worked three scoreless in relief. Gibbons hit a double and triple, driving in three.
Briscoe allowed one hit in six innings for the win in an 11-2 victory against the Thunder Bay Wolves. The Black Sox were led by Adam Senden with three hits and three RBIs.
Chad Picton and Gisiger had two hits each.
Thunder Bay beat St. James 10-8 and Carillon 5-4, Carillon knocked off Team Manitoba 7-2 and Regina beat Team Manitoba 8-5 in Friday Pool A play.
Thunder Bay edged Regina 7-4 and blanked Team Manitoba 8-0, Regina knocked off St. James 4-1, Carillon nipped St. James 2-1 in other game during Saturday’s Pool A play.
Regina beat Carillon 13-4 while Team Manitoba edged St. James 8-5.
The Winnipeg South Chiefs opened Pool B play with a 3-2 win over the Red River Valley Pioneers.
The Badlands Baseball Academy Badgers opened with a 4-1 win against Winnipeg South and a 12-1 victory against the North Winnipeg Pirates, the Pirates knocked off the Parkland Expos 7-4, the Expos beat Inside Pitch 4-2 and Inside Pitch beat Red River 13-5 in other games Friday in Pool B.
Winnipeg South beat Inside Pitch 9-4 and Badlands 3-0, while North Winnipeg beat Red River 7-4. Badlands won the Academy battle with a 12-8 win over Inside Pitch, Winnipeg South edged North Winnipeg 6-5 and Parkland blanked Red River 11-0 in Saturday’s Pool B play.
Inside Pitch edged North Winnipeg 8-7, while Badlands knocked off Red River 8-2 and Winnipeg South blanked Parkland 1-0 during Sunday’s Pool B play.