Jamal Armstrong (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Ontario Terriers earned all-tourney honours at the World Wood Bat Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla.

By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
There were 202 teams at the World Wood Bat Underclass World Championship in Fort Myers, Fla.

Two were from north of the border.

And while the two combined for a win and a tie ... five players make the all-tournament team.

Matthew Ward (Mississauga, Ont.) of the Ontario Terriers.

Matthew Ward (Mississauga, Ont.) and Jamal Armstrong (Etobicoke, Ont.) of the Ontario Terriers were hitters named to the all-tournament team, along with Daniel Martin (Langley, BC) of the Dbacks Langley Blaze.

Pitchers named to the all-tournament team were Hayden Pilmer (Leamington, Ont.) and Parker Wakelyn (Abbotsford, BC) of the Dbacks Langley Blaze.

Ward hit .444 (4-for-9) with two RBIs, a stolen base and an OPS of 1.044. Armstrong batted .400 (4-for-10) with a double and a single and an OPS of .955.

Martin, next in the long line of Blaze line drive hitters (after Brett Lawrie, Tyler O’Neill and Rhys Cratty), hit .308 (4-for-13) with three RBIs and a .615 OPS.

The best off the mound were 6-foot-5 Pilmer on loan from the Windsor Selects, who pitched seven scoreless innings allowing three hits and a walk. He struck out seven and Wakelyn, who worked 4 2/3 scoreless. He allowed one hit and walked a man while fanning six.

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The Ontario Terriers, coached by Greg O'Halloran, dropped four of five at the Lee County Player Development Complex and Jet Blue, but were in some close games until late.

The trip for the 21 players and four coaches was paid for courtesy of Nicole and Mike Tevlin (Etobicoke, Ont.), co-owners of The Baseball Zone with Rick Johnston (Peterborough, Ont.). Players were flown to Florida, had their rooms and meals paid for by the Tevlins.

The Terriers were up 8-5 before Iowa Sticks rallied for four in the fifth inning on the way to a 13-9 win at JetBlue Park in the opener.

3B Matthew Ward had a pair of hits for the Terriers, while RF Connor O’Halloran (Mississauga, Ont.), Dante Wright (Pickering, Ont.), 2B Jack Iannuzzi (Waterdown, Ont.) C Kevin McQuinn (Tiny, Ont.), LF Daniel Freeman (Oakville, Ont.) and Jamal Armstrong had one hit apiece. Iannuzzi and Freeman knocked in two runs apiece.

Connor O’Halloran started and pitched two innings allowing four runs -- three earned -- on two hits and three walks before Liam Carey took over.

Scorpions South 2019 scored five times in the fifth to break open a close game on the way to a 7-1 win over the Terriers, who managed two hits Dante Wright and Daniel Freeman (Oakville, Ont.) each one. Campbell Ellis (Georgetown, Ont.) was impressive in his outing allowing two runs -- one earned -- in three innings on three hits and five walks. He fanned four. Scorpions South finished third in the event.

Next Motus Academy blanked the Terriers 8-0 managing three hits as Austin Gomm (Mississauga, Ont.) tripled, while Matthew Wardand Dante Wright each singled. Evan Elliott (Mississauga, Ont. -- no relation) took the loss allowing six runs on seven hits in two innings, while fanning three. Owen Macneil (Georgetown, Ont.) followed up with two innings allowing two runs on one hit and two walks as he fanned a pair.

The Terriers broke the tie in the fifth for a 2-1 win over the Florida Burn 2019 Premier in a consolation game. Matthew Ward and Dante Wright each drove in a run. Austin Gomm, Connor O’Halloran, John Filice Michael Stremlaw (Oakville, Ont.), Jamal Armstrong. Christian Bottero and Wright had hits for the Terriers.

Stephen Phillips (Bolton, Ont.) pitched one inning allowing one run on one hit. Aiden Pickering (Whitby, Ont.) pitched two scoreless giving up three hits and a walk as he fanned two. Connor O’Halloran (one hit, three strikeouts) and Liam Carey (one hit, two whiffs) each put up two scoreless innings.

And in the final game the Terriers were blanked 5-0 by Team Nike New England, which scored four runs in the sixth. Owen Macneil took the loss but deserved a better fate. He pitched three innings giving up one unearned run on three hits and a walk. Maacneil fanned two.

Connor Carr-Matthews (Georgetown, Ont.) pitched a scoreless inning and then Austin Gomm allowed four runs -- two earned -- on three hits and two walks, as he struck out three.

Jamal Armstrong went 2-for-2 with a double, while Matthew Ward, Connor O’Halloran and Daniel Freeman also had hits.

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The Dbacks Langley Blaze, coached by Doug Mathieson and Jamie Bodaly, opened with a 5-4 loss to the CB Range as the Blaze scored three times in the seventh.

Ryan Dauphinee (Surrey, BC) and Daniel Martin (Langley, BC) each had a pair of hits, while Ryan Beitel (Cloverdale, BC) doubled and Tommy Kreitz (Surrey, BC) singled.

Parker Wakelyn (Abbotsford, BC) of the Dbacks Langley Blaze.

Lukas Frers (Surrey, BC) started and took the loss giving up five runs on six hits and two walks. Parkey Wakelyn (Abbbotsford, BC) finished up with 3 2/3 scoreless walking one and striking out five.

Next Dbacks Langley Blaze dropped a 5-3 loss, to the East Cobb Colt .45’s. Daniel Martin had two hits and an RBI. The other hits went to Brandon Nicoll (Langley, BC), who doubled, Mark Dauphinee, Marcus Steen (Ladysmith, BC), Alex Wright (Surrey, BC) and Tommy Kreitz.

Ryan Scott (Quispamsis, NB) started and took the loss allowing three runs on four hits and two walks in 2 1/3 innings. Next, Liam Froment (Morinville, Alta.) pitched an impressive 4 1/3 innings giving up two runs -- one earned -- on two hits and two walks. He struck out four in his 64-pitch outing.

Hayden Pilmer dominated for the Blaze as their match up against Hitters Baseball ended in a 0-0 tie. Pilmer gave up three hits and walked one as he struck out seven. He threw 72 pitches (66% for strikes).

Brandon Nicoll had a pair of hits, while Noah Case (Waterdown, Ont.), Marcus Steen, Ryan Beitel and Tommy Kreitz each had hits. The Blaze had six hits, while the Hitters managed three.

And in the finale, the Blaze lost 9-0 to FTB-Tucci Sindone. Ryan Beitel singled for the only hit by the Blaze. Frers allowed three runs -- one earned -- on two hits and two walks.

Elliott: All-tourney for Armstrong, Martin, Pilmer, Wakelyn, Ward in Ft Myers