Baseball Local Sports
Up against tough competition from bigger centers, the Stratford WK Financial 11U Nationals secured a silver medal at the recent St. Thomas Cardinal Classic
Jun 07, 2024 • Last updated Jun 07, 2024 •
Up against tough competition from bigger centers, the Stratford WK Financial 11U Nationals secured a silver medal at the recent St. Thomas Cardinal Classic. Front row: Grayson O’Donnell. Middle row from left: Cale Klumper, Easton Mathieson, Randell Everett, Cam Gibson, Bentley Rekker, Hayes Francis. Back row from left: Jake Hurley, Greyson Degroot, Zach Hughes, Mason Schwarz, Kohen Mc Leod. Coaches from left: Terry Klumper, Jeff O’Donnell, Barry Everett, Matt Francis (absent: Mike Gibson and Kyle Mc Leod). (Supplied)
Up against tough competition from bigger centers, the Stratford WK Financial 11U Nationals secured a silver medal at the recent St. Thomas Cardinal Classic.
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Stratford came back from a three-run deficit to defeat Chatham in their first game. Grayson O’Donnell was outstanding on the mound during the middle innings, striking out ten batters while giving up just one hit and one walk in four innings of play. Hayes Francis struck out all three batters he faced to earn the save.
On offense, Stratford’s aggressive baserunning combined with defensive mistakes by Chatham allowed them to gain an advantage.
In their next match-up, the Nats overcame a 5-1 deficit to win against Mississauga with a score of 12-6. Jake Hurley contributed three hits for his team while Zach Hughes added two more hits. Mason Schwarz delivered a pivotal three-run double late in the game that sealed their victory.
The starting pitcher Randell Everett gave up two runs over five innings and struck out four batters. Hurley came in and struck out two more over the last two innings.
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In the semifinal match-up, Francis limited a strong Woodstock lineup to just one earned run across 5.1 innings while fanning four players in an impressive 11-4 victory. Everett led his team with three hits and three RBIs while Greyson De Groot went an impressive three-for-four with two RBIs in this rematch of last season’s OBA final that Woodstock had won.
The only loss for the Nationals occurred during the final game – they fell to the host Cardinals with a score of 13-1. Hurley managed to collect two of Stratford’s four hits.
The Nationals have kicked off their season strongly and will be hosting their tournament from June 14-16 at Packham Sports Complex.
Follow along with the team’s journey this season (@11UStratford Nationals) on Instagram and Facebook.
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