St. Clair College teams advance to medal round
A medal is assured for both the St. Clair College Saints men’s baseball team and women’s softball team. Both teams still have hopes of a gold-medal performance, but have work to do on Saturday to accomplish that goal.
The men’s baseball team dropped a 7-0 decision to the Humber Hawks in Oshawa on Friday at the OCAA men’s baseball championship in Oshawa after opening play with a 6-0 win over the Durham Lords. Earlier in the day, left-hander Miguel Cienfuegos allowed just one hit over six innings and struck out eight to earn the win. Garik Godard hit a two-run double while Brendan Renaud had a pair of hits for the Saints.
St. Clair (1-1) faces Fanshawe (1-1) on Saturday with the loser winning the bronze medal and the winner facing Humber (2-0) and needing to beat the Hawks twice for the gold medal.
The women’s softball team is in the same position after splitting a pair of games on Friday. After beating Fanshawe 5-4, the Saints fell 4-1 to the defending champions from Durham at the OCAA women’s softball championship in Kitchener.
St. Clair faces Fanshawe again Saturday with both teams 1-1 in the double-knockout event. The winner will have to beat Durham (2-0) twice to claim the title.
DION HONOURED
Shortstop Kevin Dion became the third St. Clair Saints baseball player to earn OCAA player of the year honours.
Dion became the OCAA’s alltime leader in hits this season as he passed former teammate Crannel Jerald. In his fourth season, Dion batted .368 with 25 hits, 15 RBI and 17 runs scored in 20 games. Meanwhile, Miguel Cienfuegos was named an OCAA all-star after the designated hitter hit .325 with a league-leading .500 on-base percentage. The right-handed pitcher also went 3-1 on the mound with a 1.88 earned-run average and 35 strikeouts.
RILETT RECOGNIZED
St. Clair Saints fifth-year shortstop Michaela Rilett was named the OCAA softball player of the year. A Kennedy high school product, Rilett led the OCAA with a .554 batting average and had a .570 on-base percentage and a .747 slugging percentage.
Rilett was also named an OCAA all-star along with Holy Names high school product and outfielder Megan Lumley, who batted .451. Saints head coach Rick Wiseman was named OCAA coach of the year after guiding the team to its sixth straight regular-season title.
SWOSSAA TENNIS
Petar Spanovic and Kailyn Robertson won the mixed doubles title to help Vista Academy claim the SWOSSAA overall tennis championship.
Spanovic and Robertson beat Chatham McGregor’s Josh Kewley and Rachel Carelton 8-6 in the final.
General Amherst’s Matteo Palumbo beat Sandwich’s Aleks Miokovic 8-4 in the boys singles final. Riverside’s Nattie Yamamotto lost the girls singles championship final 8-1 to Lambton Central’s Josephine Knoops. Academie Ste. Cecil’s Mia Petretta and Eesha Atikukke won the girls doubles title with an 8-2 win over Vista Academy’s Hannah Guthrie and Hannah Szalay. Holy Names’ Andrew Culmone and Matthew Marrocco lost in the boys doubles title 8-5 to McGregor’s Ryan Jaker and Jake Reid.