Voth sparkles in all-star win

Thirteen was definitely unlucky for Team Langlais.
Sight & Sound pitcher Warren Voth battled back from first-inning difficulties to deliver a baker’s dozen of strikeouts and lead Team Oltsher to a 5-3 win in the annual Rainy River District Fastball League all-star game before a packed house at VanJura Stadium here last Thursday night.
Coach George Oltsher’s squad found itself down 2-0 after the first inning when Big Island’s Leland Indian crushed a Voth offering over the right-field fence with Big Grassy pitcher Bob Andy on base for Team Langlais, coached by Kyle Langlais of the Pinewood Bears.
But Voth only gave up five hits after that—using a mixture of fastballs and sinkers to keep Team Langlais off the scoreboard while Team Oltsher found its hitting stroke.
Andy retired the first six batters he faced, but then ran into trouble in the third after coming within one hitter of another easy inning.
Will Handorgan (Big Island) led off with a walk for Team Oltsher’s first baserunner of the night. Vaughn Wilson (Barwick Blue Knights) then popped out to short before Paul Visser (Sight & Sound) reached on a fielder’s choice, which saw Handorgan get forced at second.
But Don Copenace (Sight & Sound) kept the inning alive with a single and after both runners advanced on a wild pitch, Ed Vold (Sight & Sound) drilled a single up the middle to score Visser and Copenace to tie the game 2-2.
With one out in the fourth, Voth and Leroy Wilson (Sight & Sound) both singled. After Andy got Handorgan on a pop-up to second, Vaughn Wilson lifted a pop-up to second that Joel Ashworth (Pinewood Bears) couldn’t quite get under, allowing Voth to score for a 3-2 lead.
In a wild fifth inning, Copenace singled to lead off but after Vold popped out, he was gunned down trying to take third on a single by Justin Wagner (Pinewood Bears).
Kevin Gemmell (Barwick Blue Knights) then lifted a fly ball to right that skipped off the glove of Jessie Tom (Big Island) and rolled towards the fence in front of the bleachers along the first base line.
Wagner scampered home and when the throw to third to try and nail Gemmell went awry, he dashed across the plate to make it 5-2.
Langlais came off the bench to belt a solo homer in the seventh to cut the lead to two. But Voth settled down to induce Tom to ground out to short, then struck out Shane Aikenhead (Pinewood Bears) to end the game.
Andy finished the night giving up seven hits while striking out four to go along with the one walk he issued. He and Voth were named Most Valuable Player from their respective teams.
< *c>Old-time rock ’n roll
The old-timers’ showdown preceding the all-star game didn’t showcase the fastest or hardest hitting players in the district, but the over-40 diamond dazzlers showed they weren’t quite ready for the rocking chair yet.
Keith McKinnon had two RBIs, and Oltsher pitched two hitless innings in relief of starter Leroy Wilson, as Team West downed Team East 7-3 in five innings.
Team East jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first off Wilson. Larry Beck singled and Snake Krawchuk doubled to start the inning, then Beck scored on Milt Strachan’s one-out double.
Krawchuk scored on an error at third by Ruben Gibbins on a Guy LaForest grounder before Donnie Larson’s sacrifice fly brought in Strachan.
Glenn Kellar kick-started Team West’s offence with a one-out single in the bottom of the first, then raced home on Alton Pollard’s two-out double to make it 3-1.
Walter Wagner followed with an RBI single and later scored on an overthrow after Randy Armstrong had singled. McKinnon then singled home Armstrong to give Team West a 4-3 lead.
Team East threatened in the third, but couldn’t capitalize on Strachan’s one-out triple. Team West then broke open the game in the bottom of the frame.
Wagner followed Pollard’s lead-off single with a walk and Armstrong cashed in Pollard with a single to make it 5-3. McKinnon drove in Wagner with another single before Armstrong crossed the plate after an Al Jerry fielders’ choice to close the scoring.
Oltsher and his unorthodox pitching delivery stymied Team East after that, closing the game in fine style by striking out Strachan and LaForest after allowing his only baserunner when he hit Murnie Allen with a pitch.
Before the game, speeches were made by umpire Gus Lindberg and Fort Frances Mayor Glenn Witherspoon. A moment of silence also was held for Lindberg’s long-time umpiring partner, John “Kingsley” Downs, who died in a car accident on Canada Day.