Tully, Halcovitch, Potts, Lipka pitch Team Navy to win over Team Royal
Toronto Mets right-hander Nick Halcovitch (Waterdown, Ont.) struck out four in two scoreless innings of relief for Team Navy to help them to a 3-1 win over Team Royal at the Canadian Futures Showcase on Friday. Photo: Blue Jays Academy
September 20, 2024
By Sully Khan
Centennial Sports Journalism
TORONTO – Team Navy’s pitching staff was too much to handle for Team Royal on Friday at the Canadian Features Showcase at Rogers Centre.
Starter Cameron Tully, of Mississauga (one hit and two walks over two innings), Waterdown, Ontario’s Nick Halcovitch (two innings, a hit and four strikeouts), Jack Potts, of London (a hit and three Ks over two), and Matthias Lipka, also Mississauga (three hits and a run over two) were excellent in a 3-1 victory.
It was the last game in front of college and Major League scouts for both teams.
Tully was happy for himself, and the club.
“It feels good, being on the young team,” said the smiling right-hander afterwards. “All the boys in the dugout, just having fun out there, and to go 3-1 (overall) makes it even better.
“I worked my way here, to pitch here, and the boys on defence made big plays. It felt good to pitch out there.”
Team Navy’s Jalen Jacob (Maple, Ont.) catches a throw from third baseman Logan Cummins (Mississauga, Ont.) to complete the double play on Team Royal's Justin Rompre (Ste Anne De La Perade, Que.) during the second game at the Canadian Futures Showcase at Rogers Centre on Friday. Photo: Howard Bailey photo
Runs were hard to come by in this well-pitched affair.
Christian Iriotakis (Toronto) grounded out in the bottom of the first, allowing Jack Ward (Paris, Ont.) to scamper home from third to open the scoring.
Team Navy brought Iriotakis and Logan Cummins (Mississauga) across in the bottom of the sixth inning on a single to centre by Maxime Blain (Repentigny, Que.) to make it 3-0.
Team Royal would find home plate in the top of the seventh. Nate Lodewyks (La Salle, Man.) scored on a wild pitch by Lipka.