Quebec runs away with Cdn. Jr. Little League title
Quebec champion Mirabel defeated the host Lethbridge Junior Bulls 14-3 to win the gold medal in a lopsided title contest at the Canadian Junior Little League Championship at Spitz Stadium on Sunday.
The Junior Bulls didn’t have an answer for Mirabel’s aggressive running game which forced 10 fielding errors, (five errors in the second inning alone), over five innings of play.
Mirabel’s aggressiveness and timely hitting did particularly heavy damage in the last three innings, leading to 13 unanswered runs from the feisty Francophones. Quebec scored six in the second inning, five in the third and two in the fourth.
The 10-run rule came into effect after five innings, the sixth time in seven games Quebec won by more than 10 runs in the tournament.
The turning point came early for the home team in this one. The Junior Bulls, down 7-3 in the third, were able to load the bases with two out, but could not drive in a run. They also left two baserunners on in the fourth.
Quebec finished with nine hits and only one error while the Junior Bulls had four hits.
Alex Blais led the winners at the plate going two-for-four with an RBI, three runs scored and three stolen bases while Mathieu Lorincz also scored three times and drove in a run while going one-for-two with a pair of steals. Stefano Paolucci was two-for-three with a run scored while William-Alexis Brault and Thomas Landry were both one-for-two with two runs scored.
Junior Bulls were led by Sebastian Sanchez Diaz who was one-for-two with a run scored while David Stewart and Zayne Wittke were also one-fortwo. Tyson Johnson was one-for-three with a run scored.
Stewart, pitching in relief of starter Braedan Sheppard, took the loss for the Junior Bulls while Garret Smith also pitched for the locals.
Paolucci earned the win in relief of starter Joel Ouellette, pitching three scoreless innings of one-hit ball and striking out six.
Quebec advances to the Junior Little League World Series Aug. 12-19 in Taylor, Mich.
In the bronze medal game, Alberta, represented by Medicine Hat, defeated Team Atlantic 8-3, scoring in every inning but one for the victory.
Levi Woitowich led the Hat offensively going two-for-four with two runs scored and an RBI while Ben van der Sloot was also two-for-four with a run scored. Evan Morrison drove in a pair of runs while going one-for-four while Zach Ferguson was one-for-two with a run and RBI. Carson Sauter scored twice.
For Team Atlantic, Lucas Fraser was two-for-two with a run while Max Billard was two-for-three with a run and an RBI. Adam Hicks was two-forfour with a steal while Jack Cashen was one-for-one with a run.
Morrison went the distance on the mound for Medicine Hat to earn the victory, allowing three earned runs on seven hits while striking out three.
Hicks took the loss for Atlantic in relief of Billard, who started, surrendering five runs — four earned — and striking out eight. Cole Stevens pitched the final inning.
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