The Mississauga North Tigers AA had one win in 14 COBA 12U AAA COBA league games, but that didn’t stop the Tigers from going undefeated to win the 12U AA Mississauga North tournament.

July 10, 2024

By Bob Elliott

Canadian Baseball Network

The best thing about the game of baseball is “you never know,” what will happen.

Or as St. Louis Cardinals RHP Joaquin Andujar told legendary Sports Illustrated scribe Steve Wulf in 1983: “My favorite word in English, and I love this word ... is ‘youneverknow.’”

Playing in the 12U triple-A COBA loop, Mark Sandico’s Mississauga North Tigers AA have one win in 14 games. However, come tournament time ... as Andujar from the Dominican Republic used to say: “youneverknow.”

Down 12-3 heading into the bottom of the sixth, the Tigers scored eight times to make it a one-run game. Mississauga North tied the score in the seventh and won in extras on a bases loaded, walk-off single by Cristian Nunez for the deciding run to win the Mississauga North AA tournament at Meadowvale North.

Strike thrower Harry Sandico picked up the win working 4 2/3 innings, striking out five.

* * *

Mississauga North opened pool play with a 4-3 win against the Bradford Tigers as Evan Lee pitched three innings for the win, fanning three. The Tigers scored a walk-off win in bottom of the seventh, thanks to Sandico’s bat.

* * *

Noah Koh was impressive on the mound as the Tigers edged the Ancaster Angels AA 5-3. Again, Miss North scored late with four runs in bottom of the sixth for the victory. Evan Le and Thomas Han each knocked in a pair of runs.

* * *

Next, the Tigers finished pool play with a 9-7 win over the Valley East Junior Voyageurs AA. Thomas Han pitched 2 1/3 innings, striking out three. Khristhan Sarathkumar and Jakub Pacyna knocked in a pair or runs each.

* * *

Mississauga North edged the Richmond Hill Phoneix in the semi-final in extras as the Tigers scored four times. Oliver De Souza-Kenney pitched 4 1/3 innings whiffing three.

* * *

Mississauga North’s top hitters in the tournament: Thomas Han .571 (8-for-14 including a double and eight RBIs), Lucas Vu .471 (8-for-17, three RBIs), Cristian Nunez .389 (8-for-18, with a double, six RBIs), and Khristhan Sarathkumar .333 (5-for-15 with five RBIs) and Harry Sandico .333 (5-for-15, five RBIs).

Top Tiger pitchers: Harry Sandico (nine innings, seven strikeouts, 56% strikes), Evan Le (six innings, six strikeouts, 64% strikes), Oliver De Souza-Kenney (six innings, three strikeouts, 63% strikes) and Noah Koh (5 2/3 innings, three strikeouts, 63 strikes).

Han, Nunez, Sandico lift 'youneverknow' Tigers to Mississauga North tourney win