Brampton Royals win 15u eliminations
Mitch Bratt pitched 6 2/3 innings, then Nikko Khananisho finished up getting the final four outs as the Brampton Royals beat the Mississauga North Tigers 9-5 to win the Baseball Ontario eliminations at Clarkson Park in Mississauga.
Brampton was the class of the 24-team tourney and will represent the province at the Ray Carter Cup on Aug. 23-26 at Oshawa’s Kinsmen Stadium and Ajax’s Pan Am Park. Each province will be represented along with the host Oshawa Legionnaires.
Taeg Gollert had three hits, including a double to pace the Brampton offence.
In the opener, the Brampton Royals scored four runs in the sixth to wrap up a 9-4 win against the Whitby Chiefs. Brady Cerkownyk led off with a single, After a walk and a hit batter, Khananisho and Jonas Press singled. Khananisho had three hits and a walk in the win, in support of winning pitcher Joshua Wilson.
Brampton scored once in the first, six more in the third and finished it off with a 13-spot in the sixth for a 22-2 thumping of the Oakville A’s. Khananisho had three hits and drove in a pair of runs, while 21 Jacob Gillis had two hits and knocking in a pair and Sebastian Khan had two hits and an RBI. Brampton collected 17 hits, while walking eight times. Bratt, Press and Gillies combined on a one hitter striking out nine. The lone hit went to Santiago Rincon.
Next Brampton moved to 3-0 with a 15-3 romp over Windsor Riverside. Bratt tripled, and Gillis doubled. John Foti went the distance allowing one hit and striking out six.
The score was tied 1-1 in the third when Brampton edged ahead on the way to a 4-1 victory over the North York Blues. Bratt worked a lead-off walk and Press delivered a run-scoring single. Press had a pair of hits in support of Carter Krawchuk, who had an 83-pitch outing, striking out 10 in six innings. Rubber-armed Khananisho took over for a 1-2-3 seventh and the save.
Next, Nelson Mercado took the mound for an 89-pitch outing and chipped in a triple as Brampton beat the Barrie Bay Sox 7-2 in a match of the last two undefeated teams. Gillis also tripled. Joseph Stoddart closed things out with the final 28 pitches.
Barrie beat the London Badgers 6-4 to create a re-match and the outing was the same as Brampton scored a 7-1 victory over the Bay Sox. Bratt and Press each had run-scoring singles for Royals. Khan threw 86 pitches in 6 1/3 innings fanning four. Gollert recorded the final two outs.
Mississauga North reached the final beating London 11-2, Kitchener 10-2, then losing 2-1 to Barrie, before knocking off Mississauga Majors 2-1, North Toronto 5-2 and Hamilton 15-4 to reach the final.
Barrie beat Etobicoke 11-1, Halton Hills 3-0, Mississauga North 2-1, lost to Brampton 7-2, beat London 6-3 and was eliminated by a 7-1 loss to Brampton.
Most of this group has already been on the big stage winning the peewee title two years ago at London, as Stan Wilson’s club beat Maurice, Que. 16-6 in the gold medal game.
Brampton won the 2012 15U nationals at Vaughan with future pros: Jade Salmon-Williams, drafted in the 17th round by the Cincinnati Reds by scout Bill Byckowski (Georgetown, Ont.) and Darren Shred, selected by the Reds in the 22nd round, as well as collegians Royce Ando, who is at Michigan State; Conner Morro at Canisus, Jack Caswell at UBC, Troy Daring at Wayne State, Trevaun Smith at Minot State; Josh Marson at Urbana, Nathan Arruda and Brandon Garcia at Tabor, Cole White, at Lamar Community College and Ryan Koivu at Dawson Community College.