Senior Tigers ready for playoffs
When they all show up Peterborough senior Tigers coach Dave Borland is confident his team can play with anyone.
He’s hoping the Tigers will get a full turnout for the upcoming Ontario Baseball Association AA and Ontario senior Baseball Association championship tournaments in coming weeks.
The Tigers improved to 13-11 on the OSBA season by sweeping the Brooklin Dodgers with a pair of mercy-rule victories Saturday at Riverside Park. The Tigers bombed the Dodgers 10-0 in the first game on Mike Nieukirk’s one-hitter and capped off the double-header with an 11-1 win as Brad Thompson ended the game with a two-run double in the sixth inning.
After wrapping up the regular season schedule on the weekend the Tigers now prepare for the 12-team OBA tournament in Kendal Sept. 1-3. They are also one of six teams that will play in the OSBA Eastern Conference championship tournament in Clarington Sept. 9-10. The top two teams advance to face the top two Western Conference teams the following weekend.
In both cases the 17-2 Kendal Eagles are the team to beat. The Tigers have played them tough all year but haven’t been able to beat them but Borland says his team is in the mix.
“The problem is not the talent. The problem is getting everybody out,” said Borland. “Being weekend games they’re at the age where they have other things to do. It’s just that way. We’ve got a good team. Pitching is the key to any team going a long way. We’re four starting pitchers deep.”
Nieukirk, Jordon Cleveland, Ryan Scott and Thompson are the starting four and Cayden Lee is available if needed.
Lately, Thompson’s bat has been a difference maker. He had three hits in the second game against Brooklin but last week drove in the winning run twice to sweep a double-header against the Clarington Cubs.
“It’s kind of coming around as of late which is good timing,” Thompson said. “it’s nice to get in my groove at this time when it starts to matter.”
Thompson feels the team is trending the right way.
“We’re on an up right now. Midseason the bats weren’t where we wanted them to be. We really had to bear down as a team and we’re starting to hit the ball well now. All nine guys.”
“Our bats are just starting to come alive,” Nieukirk said. “We have a lot of pitching depth which is really good for a tournament. We’re really set up well compared to other teams who have one or two good pitchers. We have four or five who can go any day of the week.”
The Tigers used a steady stream of singles and the odd double, to run up the score in each game. Kurtis Borland was three-for-three in the opening game where the Tigers broke it open with a five-run fourth inning on RBI hits by Mike Taylor and Thompson. Nieukirk and Lee hit doubles.
In the nightcap, Thompson and Borland had a double and two singles, Grant Elson a double and single, Sean Mattson a double and Doug Loucks two singles for the Tigers who scored six runs in the fourth. Thompson had three RBI. Scott struck out six and gave up one hit over four innings for the win. Lee mopped up the final two innings giving up a run on three hits while fanning two.