Aumont strikes out record-breaking 18 to lead Ottawa to win

Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) set a Can-Am League record when he struck out 18 batters in a game on Tuesday. Photo: Marc Lafleur/Ottawa Champions

July 16, 2019

By Kavan Young

Ottawa Champions

OTTAWA – Phillippe Aumont (Gatineau, Que.) struck out 18 batters to break the Can-Am League record for strikeouts in a single game as the Ottawa Champions beat the Rockland Boulders 5-1 on Tuesday.

The win was also Aumont’s fourth complete game of the campaign.

Two consecutive errors from the Boulders in the fifth allowed catcher Larry Balkwill to score and make it 3-1 for the Champions. Brian Portelli hit a single to right two batters later that scored Malik Collymore and Leonardo Reginatto, making it 5-1 Ottawa.

Aumont gave props to Balkwill, who was signed on Monday following the release of former catcher Matt Foley, saying he did an outstanding job calling the game.

“It was the first time he ever caught me,” said Aumont. “I shook him off just because I felt like I had to shake him off a least a couple times because he was just calling everything I wanted to throw. I tip my hat to the guy, he comes in and goes right to war with me and it was real fun.”

Champions manager Sébastien Boucher called it a special performance from Aumont.

“He was pretty nasty,” said Boucher. “The guys on the other side were kind of making comments like ‘oh my God this is ridiculous.’ He was really solid. Every pitch was working, his fastball was where he wanted to go and his splitty, his slider, his cutter, he was just hitting them with everything.”

Collymore, meanwhile, tied the Can-Am League record for stolen bases in a game with five. Boucher admitted that that got a bit overshadowed by Aumont’s performance, but said it was a very impressive feat nonetheless.

Brown cranked his fifth home run of the season over the left field wall in the fourth, tying him with Vinny Guglietti and Jordan Caillouet for the team lead, to give the Champions a 2-1 lead.

Rockland got on the board first for the second straight game after their first two batters singled. Rian Birk drove in Senoo Katsuya with an RBI single after Katsuya advanced to second after Champions first baseman Leonardo Reginatto misplayed a throw from Aumont.

The Champions look to take the series win on Wednesday, back at RCGT Park at 7:05 p.m. Jared Mortensen will be on the mound for Ottawa.