By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

Switch-hitting outfielder Gibson Krzeminski did some serious damage for Ontario at the 21st annual Junior Sunbelt Series in McAlester, Oak.

Krzeminski (Tecumseh, Ont.) hit in all 10 games (eight were multi-hit) with eight doubles, a triple and a homer to earn all-tournament honors. At the Tournament 12 tryouts at the Rogers Centre Krzeminski hit a ball out from one side of the plate and then went off the wall from the other side. 

C Zack Fascia (Brampton, Ont.) put on a show, throwing out 14 runners during the tournament.

Both Fascia and Krzeminski impressed the recruiters from the more than 50 schools on hand for the event.

Krzeminski homered and doubled from right side while hitting a double and lining out to right from the left side four RBIs in the opener, an 8-7 loss to Georgia at Mike Deak Field in McAlester. Ontario out hit Georgia 14-10, but Georgia tied the score with a homer and won with a walk off passed ball. Sam Turcotte (Toronto) started for Ontario.

Next, Ontario knocked off Oklahoma Blue 6-2 as Matt Jones (Whitby, Ont.) worked the first three innings and Mateos Kekatos (Toronto) pitched the final four innings for the win.

Then, Ontario lost 9-1 to Arizona despite out hitting Arizona 5-3, allowing two solo homers and a single. But walks hurt. Krzeminski was 2-for-2 with two doubles.

Marc Pineault (Windsor) pitched six hitless innings against Oklahoma Gold in a 5-4 win, leaving with a 5-1 lead at Eastern Oklahoma College in Wilburton, Oak. Pineault allowed a run on a two-base, a balk and a ground ball. The Gold scored three in the bottom of the seventh to make it close, before Fascia picked up the save, levelling Ontario’s record at 2-2. 

Wille Hotta (Thornhill, Ont.) pitched 6 1/3 innings in a 5-4 loss to unbeaten Tennessee. Chase Cornelisse (Barrie) recorded the final two outs after Tennessee broke the tie in the top of the seventh. The game ended with Ontario having the tying runner stranded at second. Krzeminski doubled and singled. Ontario out-hit Tennessee 10-9.

Ontario lost a tough one to Mississippi 4-2 at Deak Field. Mitch Clark (Lasalle) threw 5 1/3 innings, with Pineault finishing it off. Ontario pitchers walked 53 in the first seven games. 

Jones pitched 4 2/3 and Ryan Gilberson (Waterloo) the final 1 1/3 innings in an 11-2 loss to Texas. 1B Ethan Jodouin (Sudbury) had a run-scoring single.

Peter Angelow (Toronto), Marc Picard (Windsor), Dean Dicenzo (Ancaster) and Scott Robinson (Pickering) coached the Ontario team.