Chong, Kula, Liu, Schofield-Sam, Wood-Jolivet lead Tigers to 21U title
The Mississauga North Tigers continue to roll.
And ... roll over opposing teams.
Mississauga North won its fourth national championship in the past five years as the Tigers came from behind with two in the seventh to edge the Windsor Selects 6-5 to win the 21U title at Emslie Field in St. Thomas, Ont.
With one out, Ryan Kula (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Johnny Liu (Mississauga, Ont.) each singled. Then TJ Schofield-Sam (Brampton, Ont.) drove in a run and Noah Wood-Jolviet (Whitby, Ont.) singled for the walk off victory.
Before this season, Mississauga North had won three straight bantam nationals from 2014-16.
Lucas Parente (Burlington, Ont.) was 3-for-3 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Schofield-Sam, Kula, Liu and Wood-Jolviet had two hits each. Ben Donnell (Oakville, Ont.) pitched six innings allowing five runs -- three earned -- on seven hits and two walks, while striking out three. Jack Liddell (Mississauga, Ont.) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win.
Colin Robinson (Windsor, Ont.) had two hits, including a two-run homer for Windsor. Matt Stoddart (Mississauga, Ont.) started for Windsor pitched 5 2/3 innings allowing four runs on eight hits and three walks, while striking out four.
Kula had five hits and knocked in six runs in a 20-0 win over Newfoundland in the opener. Jake Ervin (Mississauga, Ont.) knocked in three runs, while Tyler Small (Mississauga, Ont.) and Liam Butchereit (Mississauga, Ont.) also had two hits.
Next, Schofield-Sam had three hits in a 5-2 win against New Brunswick to move to 2-0. Parente doubled and singled, while Butchereit had two hits knocking in a run. Brandon Chong (Dundas, Ont.) pitched 3 1/3 scoreless fanning two.
Chris Wyslobocki (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Cruickshank combined on a one hitter as Mississauga North blanked Oshawa 3-0. Wyslobocki walked three and gave up one hit, while striking out one in 2 2/3 innings. Cruickshank pitched 4 1/3 innings while walking one.
The Tigers went undefeated through five games in St. Thomas, and 11-0 over New Brunswick, and 10-5 over Manitoba. Kula, Schofield-Sam and Wood-Jolivet had a pair of hits while Jeffrey Siemms and Schofield-Sam drove in runs.
Liu was 4-for-4 with a double, triple and two RBIs as the Tigers beat Manitoba 10-5. Wood-Jolivet doubled singled and had a pair of hits. Robert Mannella (Burlington, Ont.), one inning, and Small, with 2 2/3 innings, each had scoreless outings.
Wood-Jolivet homered and singled driving in five runs as Ervin hit a three-run homer in an 11-0 win against New Brunswick in the semi-final win. Wyslobocki worked six scoreless allowing three hits and one walk, while striking out six.
The Tigers were managed by Jack Liddell, who was assisted by Dwain Ervin, Blair Siemms, and Steve Small.