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Semi-final showing for Sudbury Shamrocks

Making one of their more memorable treks of the summer, the Sudbury Bantam Shamrocks posted a record of 2-2 at the HomeRun Baseball Summer Sizzler in Liverpool, New York.
baseball
The Sudbury Bantam Shamrocks put together a solid showing in Liverpool, NY, making a semi-final appearance. File photo
Making one of their more memorable treks of the summer, the Sudbury Bantam Shamrocks posted a record of 2-2 at the HomeRun Baseball Summer Sizzler in Liverpool, New York.

The boys looked sluggish in their opener, but the Shamrocks finally broke loose in the last inning, batting around en route to a 14-3 win over the Burlington Bulls.

The Sudbury offense was sparked by Parker Savard (3 hits and 2 RBIs - he also picked up the win on the mound), Nathan Paquette (two singles) and Peewee call-up Braeden Dubé (2 hits and 2 RBIs).

Facing Elite Performance Baseball Academy in game two, the northern bats were not nearly as effective, beaten 9-1, as Andrew Gorman drew a walk, worked his way around the bases, and came home on an infield ground out from Cameron Docking to score the only Sudbury run.

Needing a win in their final round-robin outing, and facing an undefeated Syracuse Elites ball club, the Bantam Shamrocks came through with one of their most inspired efforts of the summer, tripling the American side 6-2.

With the game deadlocked at 2-2 after five innings of play, the Sudbury offense came to life. Patrick Thom and Docking opened with back to back doubles, with Braden Gobbo increasing the lead to 4-2 with an RBI single.

Joe Guzzo followed by laying down a perfect bunt, turning a sacrifice into a hit, with Nick Durkis following suit by recording an RBI on a ground out to third. The final run would come courtesy of a well-executed "squeeze play", as a Paquette bunt down the first base line plated Guzzo.

Patrick Thom started on the mound for the Shamrocks, tossing six innings of four hit ball for the win. While that was enough to earn the Canucks an extra game, they were no match for the 3-0 Upstate Orioles in the semi-finals, eliminated in a 15-5 loss.

A two-out single in the fifth by Guzzo accounted for a pair of Sudbury runs, with the locals held to just five hits in total - singles by Guzzo, Thom, Paquette and Tanner Morrison, and a triple from Savard.

The Shamrocks battled their way through a slightly depleted roster, with Julia Jodouin in Québec, representing Team Ontario at the U16 National Girls Baseball Championships.

As well, Rilley Dubé jammed his thumb while making a play at third base in the tournament opener, remaining in the lineup despite his injury. "Mister Utility" Tanner Morrison helped out all over the diamond, taking stints at shortstop, second base, in the outfield, and pitching over the course of the tournament.

The 2015 Bantam Shamrocks team features Cameron Docking, Riley Dubé, Nick Durkis, Braden Gobbo, Andrew Gorman, Joe Guzzo, Julia Jodouin, Brett Melanson, Tanner Morrison, Nathan Paquette, Parker Savard and Patrick Thom.

The crew will close out their summer campaign with the SOBA Provincial Championships, hosted by the East Hamilton Cobras on the weekend of September 4th to the 6th.

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