Canada
7
–
0
Denmark
Denmark put two runners on base with a pair walks in the top of the first inning as Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) worked to find the strike zone, leaving both runners stranded with two strikeouts. In the bottom of the inning, Canada opened the scoring as Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) led off with a single followed by a walk by Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) before Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) singled to center to score Roy. Ezekiel moved up to third on the play, and crossed the plate when Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) grounded into a fielder’s choice.
Canada took a commanding lead by scoring four runs in the bottom of the third. Roy got things going by leading off with a homerun to right, with Mayson later drawing a walk before Mullaley hit a deep drive to left for a two-run homerun. With two outs, Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, P.E.I.) worked a walk, stole second and scored on a single through the left side of the infield by Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) to give Canada a 6-0 lead.
In the fifth, Denmark loaded the bases with thee consecutive one-out walks but Scott Lieph (Sooke, B.C.) struck out the next two batters, while Mullaley hit a solo shot in the bottom of the inning to end the game on the run rule.
Cleary started for Canada in the pitcher’s circle and allowed three hits and two walks, striking out seven batters in four innings to earn the win. Lieph relieved Cleary to start the fifth, walking three batters and striking out two in a scoreless inning. Mullaley led Canada offensively with a pair of homeruns four runs batted in, while Roy went 3-for-3 with a homerun, a double and two runs scored. Ellsworth tripled and scored a run, with Mayson and Shane Boland each adding RBI singles.
Canada
12
–
0
Netherlands
Canada wasted no time getting on the scoreboard as Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) lined a single into left to lead off the game and later scored on a two-run homerun to center by Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.). Patrick Burns (Saskatoon, Sask.) followed with a double down the third base line, moved up to third on a wild pitch and scored on a single to third by Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.). A single by Kyle Ezekiel (Holyrood, N.L.) and a walk by Bryan Abrey (Richmond, B.C.) loaded the bases, with rookie Tyler Pauli (Mitchell, Ont.) stepping up and smashing a grand slam over the right field fence to give Canada a 7-0 lead.
The Netherlands put two runners on base with a single and a hit by pitch, but Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) settled in and struck out the side. In the second, Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C.) drew a one-out walk, moved up to third after a pair of wild pitches and scored on a sacrifice fly to center by Mullaley. After McCullough struck out the side in the bottom of the second, Kris Walushka (Victoria, B.C.) used his speed to pick up a double off the shortstop, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly by Kyle Ezekiel. Abrey followed that up with a solo shot to left as Canada increased its lead to 10-0.
In the top of the fourth, Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) singled up the middle and scored on a two-run blast by Hunter. Burns came in to pitch the bottom of the inning and retired the Netherlands in order to end the game.
McCullough registered the win by allowing only one hit and striking out eight in three innings, with Burns striking out two in an inning of relief. Pauli’s grand slam was the biggest of Canada’s for home runs, with Mullaley and Hunter each hitting two-run shots and Abrey adding a solo one. Burns and Walushka each had a pair of hits including a double, while Roy, Bradley Ezekiel, Shane Boland and Kyle Ezekiel each contributed a single.
Canada
4
–
1
Australia
Both teams were retired in order in the first, and Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) issued a leadoff walk in the second but got a lineout, a strikeout and the runner on first was called out for leaving the base early on a steal attempt for the third out. Team Canada went down on a pair of pop outs on the infield and a strikeout to keep the game scoreless through two innings of play.
Cleary and Folkard kept the opposing batters off-balanced once again in the third. After striking out the first two batters in the fourth, Cleary allowed a single up the middle by Nick Shailes for the game’s first hit, but he struck out the next batter to end the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) and Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) hit back-to-back singles before Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) smacked a three-run blast over the centerfield fence to open the scoring and give Canada a 3-0 lead.
Australia got another leadoff walk in the top of the fifth, but Cleary retired the next three batters to leave the runner stranded. In the bottom of the inning, Kris Walushka (Victoria, B.C.) laced a one-out single to right field and later scored on a double over the left fielder by Bradley Ezekiel to increase the lead to 4-0.
The Aussie got a solo homerun in the top of the sixth to break the shutout, but Cleary retired the next two batters and sat Australia down in order in the seventh to secure the complete game win.
Cleary fired a two-hitter, allowing only one run and walking two batters while striking out 10 to earn his second win of the tournament. Mayson’s three-run homerun was the key hit Canada needed offensively, with Ezekiel’s RBI double serving as insurance. Ezekiel, Roy and Walushka all added singles and each scored a run.
Canada
4
–
1
United States
Patrick Burns (Saskatoon, Sask.) didn’t allow any runs or hits over the first two innings but issued a one-out walk in the second that was quickly wiped out with a double play on a lineout to the second baseman. In the bottom of the second, Canada’s bats came alive when Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C) and Bryan Abrey (Richmond, B.C.) hit back-to-back homeruns. In the bottom of the third, Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) hit a solo shot of his own to give Canada a 3-0 lead.
In the fourth inning, Matt Palazzo hit a solo homerun off Burns to cut the lead to 3-1 but that was the only run Team USA would score. Scott Lieph (Sooke, B.C.) came in to get the final out of the sixth for Canada with two Americans on base, striking out Palazzo to get out of the inning. In the bottom of the frame, Abrey drew a walk drew a leadoff walk and was later replaced by temporary runner Jeff Ellsworth (St Lawrence, P.E.I.). Ellsworth moved up o second on a wild pitch, to second on a passed ball and crossed the plate on another wild pitch to give Canada another important insurance run.
In the top of the seventh, the Americans got a leadoff double followed by a single to put runners on the corners and put the pressure on Team Canada, but Lieph struck out the next three batters to end the game.
Burns allowed one run on two hits, walked two and struck out five in five innings and two thirds, while Lieph pitched an inning and a third of relief, allowing two hits and striking out four. Abrey led Canada at the plate with a homerun and a single, with Hunter and Mullaley each adding solo homeruns. Kris Walushka (Victoria, B.C.) added a pair of singles.
Canada
2
–
1
Venezuela
Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) had a tough time finding the zone in the first inning by issuing a pair of walks but regained his control and struck out the side. After Canada went down in order in the bottom of the first, Venezuela got a one-out single and sacrificed the runner to second, but the next batter flew out to right. In the bottom of the inning, Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) led off with a single through the left side of the infield and Jason Hill (St. John's, N.L.) lined a shot over the right field fence for a two-run homerun to give Canada a 2-0 lead.
Venezuela got a leadoff single to start the top of the third and the runner moved up to third after a pair of wild pitches before scoring on a solid line drive single off the third baseman to cut the lead to 2-1. McCullough struck out the side in the fourth, and in the bottom of the inning Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, P.E.I.) hit a one-out single followed by an intentional walk to Hill. After a ground out, Venezuela intentionally walked pinch hitter Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) and got a big strikeout to leave all three runners stranded.
In the top of the sixth, Venezuela got a one-out double, but McCullough bounced back with a strikeout and the runner was caught stealing at third to end the inning. McCullough proceeded to strike out the side in the seventh to secure the win.
McCullough allowed a run on four hits and two walks to go along with 13 strikeouts over seven innings. Hill’s two-run homerun was all the offence needed, with Mullaley and Ellsworth each contributing singles as Venezuela outhit Canada 4-3.
Canada
8
–
0
Singapore
In the top of the first, Derek Mayson (Vancouver, B.C.) drew a two-out walk and scored from first on a double to the right-center field gap by Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C.). After sitting out three games nursing an injury, Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) was back in the Canadian lineup and hit a leadoff homerun to left center in the top of the second, followed by a solo blast by Patrick Burns (Saskatoon, Sask.) as Canada took a 3-0 lead.
Canada added a run in the third on a single by Burns and tacked on four more in the fourth on a pair of two-run homeruns by Mayson and Bryan Abrey (Richmond, B.C.). Singapore drew a walk in each of the fourth and fifth innings and tried using their speed to move those runners but was unable to push either of them across to score.
Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) got the start in the pitcher’s circle to get some work in ahead of the playoff round that will start on Friday, allowing only one walk and striking out six batters in four innings. Burns struck out three batters and gave up one walk in one inning of relief. Burns went 2-for-2 at the plate with a homerun and two runs batted in, with Mayson and Abrey adding two-run blasts and Boland hitting a solo shot. Hunter had a double and a single, while Kris Walushka (Victoria, B.C.) chipped in with a single.
Canada
10
–
4
South Africa
Scott Lieph (Sooke, B.C.) started in the pitching circle for Canada and kept South Africa off the scoresheet for two innings. In the top of the second, Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) reached on an error by the shortstop, stole second and scored on a double to left by Ryan Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) to open the scoring. Canada added a run to its lead the following inning, as Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) led off with a walk, stole second and later scored on a single through the left side of the infield by Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C.). In the bottom of the frame, South Africa put two runners on base with a leadoff single and an error before hitting a three-run homerun to take a 3-2 lead.
Canada responded in a big way in the top of the fourth. With two outs, Ryan Boland hit a single and was replaced by pinch runner Kris Walushka (Victoria, B.C.) who moved up to third on a single by Kyle Ezekiel (Holyrood, N.L.). Roy singled to score Walushka, while Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) followed up with a two-run double to the left-center field gap. Hunter doubled to score Bradley Ezekiel and scored on a wild pitch to give Canada a 7-3 lead.
In the top of the fifth, Canada added two runs when Walushka singled and scored on a triple by Tyler Pauli (Mitchell, Ont.), who crossed the plate on an error on the play. Team Canada added another run the following inning when Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.) led off with a walk and later scored on a single by Walushka. South Africa scored on a run on a wild pitch in the bottom of the sixth, but that was as close as they would get.
Lieph started for Canada but did not factor into the decision, allowing three runs – two earned – on three hits and a walk, striking out seven batters over three innings. Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) picked up the win by allowing one run on three hits and struck out eight in four innings of relief. Bradley Ezekiel and Hunter each had a double and two runs batted in for Canada, while Ryan Boland added a run-scoring double of his own and Pauli drove in a run with a triple. Walushka singled twice and produced a run, with Roy, Ellsworth, Hunter, Ryan Boland and Kyle Ezekiel each adding a single.
Canada
4
–
0
Czech Republic
Both teams put runners on base early, but the game remained scoreless through two innings of play. After Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.) struck out the side in the top of the third, Canada opened the scoring when Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) hit a one-out triple and scored on a single by Derek Mayson (North Vancouver, B.C.). The following inning, Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) led off with a single, stole second and advanced to third on a passed ball but was left stranded on third after the three next batters were retired.
Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) hit a one-out double in the fifth but was unable to come in to score, with the Czech Republic getting a leadoff single to start the top half of the sixth but the runner was quickly erased on a great double play by Shane Boland (St. John’s, T.-N.-L.) at shortstop. In the bottom of the frame, Canada added an insurance run when Blake Hunter (Nanaimo, B.C.) was hit by a pitch, was sacrificed to second and scored on a single by Shane Boland. Byan Abrey (Richmond, B.C.) then stepped up to the plate as a pinch hitter and drove a ball over the leaping right fielder and raced around the bases for a two-run inside-the-park homerun, giving Canada a late 4-0 lead.
Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) came in to pitch the final inning, striking out two batters followed by a lineout to shortstop to end the game.
Cleary picked up his fourth win of the tournament in the pitcher’s circle. Roy had a triple and a single for Canada, with Abrey adding a homerun and Bradley Ezekiel delivered a double. Mayson and Shane Boland each hit RBI single while Ellsworth chipped in with a single.
Argentina
7
–
0
Canada
Argentina got a lead off walk to start the game and the runner stole second and advanced to third when the throw from the catcher rolled away from the middle infielders. Devon McCullough (Saskatoon, Sask.) retired the next two batters, but Bruno Motroni hit a towering fly ball to left that travelled over the fence for a two-run homerun as Argentina took an early 2-0 lead. After Canada went down in order in the bottom of the first, Argentina got another leadoff walk and Federico Eder hit a two-run blast to left to double Argentina’s lead. The following batter singled which led to a pitching change to Sean Cleary (Harbour Main, N.L.), with the runner moving up to second on an illegal pitch before advancing to third on a sacrifice bunt and scoring on a wild pitch. A walk and a single put runners on second and third, but Cleary got the next batter to pop out to escape the inning trailing 5-0.
In the top of the third, Cleary hit a batter and a bunt single put runners on the corners with two outs before Alan Peker tripled past the centerfielder to score two more runs. In the bottom of the inning, Shane Boland (St. John’s, N.L.) drew a leadoff walk for Canada’s first base runner but the next three batters struck out to leave him stranded at first. Canada held Argentina off the board in the fourth, and Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) hit a two-out double to break up Huemul Mata’s no-hit bid but the next batter struck out.
Patrick Burns (Saskatoon, Sask.) came in to pitch in the fifth and allowed a walk and a single but notched three strikeouts to give Canada a chance to extend the game trailing by seven runs. Shane Boland was hit by a pitch with one out and was replaced by pinch runner Tyler Pauli (Mitchell, Ont.), who advanced to third on a single by Bryan Abrey (Richmond, B.C.) to breathe some life into the Canadian offence. Pinch hitter Jason Hill (St. John’s, N.L.) appeared to have walked to load the bases on a 3-1 pitch, but the umpire called a foul tip on the pitch late which allowed Mata to regroup and strikeout Hill. The next batter hit a chopper to third and was retired on the throw to first to end the game on the run rule.
McCullough took the loss in the pitcher’s circle, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks and he struck out two, while Cleary allowed two runs on three hits and four walks with a four strikeouts. Burns gave up a hit and a walk and struck out three. At the plate, Mullaley’s double and a single by Abrey were the only two hits Canada managed to produce.
Canada
2
–
1
New Zealand
Patrick Burns (Saskatoon, Sask.) retired New Zealand in order with two strikeouts and a fly out in the top of the first, while Mathieu Roy (St-Gervais, Que.) led off the bottom of the inning with a single but a fly out and a double play ended the inning. In the second, Burns struck out the first two batters followed by a ground out to short as he made quick work of New Zealand, with Canada also going down in order on a pop out to second and a pair of good plays on ground balls by shortstop Cole Evans.
In the top of the third, New Zealand got a one-out single, but the runner was called out for a lead off on an attempted steal. The next batter drilled a triple to centerfield but Burns notched an important strikeout to leave the runner stranded on third. After Canada was sit down in order once again, Reilly Makea led off the top of the fourth with a homerun to left to give New Zealand a 1-0 lead. In the bottom of the frame, Roy led off with a walk, moved up to second on a ground ball and scored on a triple down the third base line by Steve Mullaley (Freshwater, N.L.) to tie the game.
Burns issued a leadoff walk to start the fifth with the runner being sacrificed to second. After a strikeout for the second out, the runner advanced to third on a wild pitch but Burns struck out the next batter to keep the game tied. Jeff Ellsworth (St. Lawrence, PEI) led off the bottom of the inning with a single and stole second after a pair of fly outs, with Roy drawing a walk to put two runners on base. Bradley Ezekiel (Harbour Main, N.L.) then stepped up and laced a single to left to score Ellsworth from second to give Canada a 2-1 lead.
In the sixth, Nathan Nukunuku got a two-out walk and advanced to second on a wild pitch but Burns came up with another big strikeout to hold the lead. The following inning, Burns got a ground out and a pair of strikeouts to close out the game.
Burns allowed a run on three hits and two walks to go along with 12 strikeouts in the complete game win. At the plate, Mullaley’s triple was Canada’s only extra-base hit with Ezekiel, Roy and Ellsworth each hitting singles. Roy also drew two walks, with Jason Hill (St. John’s, N.L.) also doing the same.
