Staff
It’s possible 12 other teams might have a say in things still when it comes to who will be in the Rainy River District Fastball League final.
But last year’s participants have looked very much like they intend to be back fighting it out for championship glory again.
The last two undefeated squads on the circuit had a knock down, drag-‘em-out preview to a possible title series rematch last Tuesday (July 26), with the defending champion Barwick Blue Knights edging the Fort Frances Braves 9-8 in Barwick.
The Blue Knights (18-0), on the same field which they finished off the Braves (16-1) last year, went toe-to-toe for seven compelling innings.
Barwick got to starter Jaden Gustafson in the fifth, inciting the Braves to bring in Travis Tom (1-1) in relief and Fort Frances responded positively by taking the lead against Blue Knights ace JJ Landry (10-0).
In the sixth, Ryder Woolsey walked to bring up Vaughan Wilson with the bases loaded.
Wilson cranked a single to the outfield and, with all base runners on the move at the sound of the bat, was able to bring all three home to put Barwick up to stay.
Brandan Pratt drilled a homer for the Blue Knights in the win, while Linden Indian had one of his own for the Braves.
It was the start of a busy and productive week for Barwick, which concluded a perfect regular season with a pair of identical 9-5 wins over the Big Grassy Lightning (7-8) and the Stratton Eagles (12-6).
Landry got the victory over Jeff Morrison in the triumph over the eighth-place Lightning.
Then the Barwick righthander threw the first six innings against the fifth-place Eagles to carry his team to a 9-1 lead, with help from Brad Wakefield’s first four-bagger of the season off Jackson Arpin (3-1).
Kevin Gemmell came on in relief in the seventh, but in a season where he has crafted a 5-0 record, had his control unexpectedly disappear on him as he walked the first four batters and hit the next two.
Landry took the mound back over and recorded the final three outs, in essence getting the win and the save in the same contest.
Meanwhile, the Braves got over their only setback so far in short order.
The night after falling from the ranks of the unbeaten, Fort Frances walloped the host Couchiching Raiders 14-1.
Cole Tymkin obliterated an offering from Mike Jourdain (3-3) in the second inning that didn’t land until it hit the road beyond the centre field fence for his third big fly of the year and one of two Braves homers in the game to go along with Dakota Andy’s second of the campaign.
That helped boost Gustafson (12-0) to the win on the mound.
Tymkin then took to the hill himself for the first time this year and ended up getting the victory in a 16-6 home win against the Northwest Bay Chieftains (4-14).
Tom and Mike Parisien lent a hand with home run shots, while Don Smith homered, but took the loss as the Chieftains dropped their fourth straight and stayed in 12th while reamining half a game behind the Sabaskong Cubs (4-13) and Manitou Thunderbirds (4-13) for 10th.
Fort Frances finished off its jam-packed week with a 9-3 win over Manitou.
Tymkin made it back-to-back wins on the hill, with Tom homering for the second game in the row to lead the charge against Thunderbirds starter Nathan DeBungee (0-2).
The Cubs lost their sixth consecutive game 9-6 to the Dawson Tigers (13-4-1), with Matt Comegan (11-4-1) outpitching Kevin Copenace.
But Copenace (2-8) regrouped and came back to beat the Rainy River Royals (1-16-1) by a count of 12-4.
Lawrence Norwegian had his first homer of the year against starter Chris Stone (0-9) as the Royals dropped their fifth in a row and closed the regular season on a 12-game winless streak.
Benji Dobransky absorbed the loss earlier in the week for Rainy River in a 17-7 defeat to Big Grassy and winning starter Carl Big George, Jr.
The Royals have now sunk to the basement of the league standings due to one of the biggest upsets of the year pulled off by the Northwest Bay Juniors (2-14) in a 16-11 triumph over the Sight & Sound Wolves (13-4-1).
Tanner Smith (2-7) posted the win on the hill for the Juniors, while Ben Smith jacked a grand slam to pace the offence against losing Wolves pitcher Kurtis Wepruk (0-1) in his season debut on the bump.
The Wolves are now tied for third with Dawson, which beat Big Grassy last Wednesday (July 27) by a margin of 8-6, with Comegan getting the decision over Morrison (0-2).
Stratton had a split week, as they blasted the ninth-place Sabaskong Lakers (5-10-1) in an 11-1 rout.
Murray Armstrong (5-1) got the better of Kyle Copenace (2-2-1) in the mound matchup.
The Lakers then forfeited on Thursday against Big Grassy.
Sixth-place Couchiching also had a 50/50 result for the week, beginning with a 4-1 win over Sight & Sound, which lost two in a row for the first time this season after falling to the Juniors.
Sheldon Kelly, Sr. (7-2) was terrific in shackling a dangerous Wolves team that has 21 home runs as a team this year, while Duane Carlson (0-1) lost his first start of the year.
Seventh-place Windey’s Warriors (8-9) were double winners for the week after breaking a three-game losing skid.
Rob McGinnis (5-4) bashed his fourth homer and earned the win on the mound in a 19-7 drubbing of the Chieftains.
Nick Hunter also went deep for his first tater of the campaign against losing pitcher Darren Smith (1-4).
Windey’s then rocked the 10th-place Manitou Thunderbirds 11-1, with Stu Allen (1-3) busting into the pitching victory column over Shawn Brown (1-1).
The Thunderbirds (4-12) got back on their feet with a 14-13 nailbiter over the Juniors, as Dan Servello (1-8) got the monkey off his back in the pitching department to outdo Tanner Smith.
The league will attempt to get the rest of its makeup games in before holding its annual all-star game tomorrow at 7 p.m. at the Rodrick and Telford Bruyere Ball Field on Couchiching.
It will be the league’s second try at holding the game after it was postponed from its original July 7 date due to the threat of bad weather.
Captain Vaughan Wilson from the Barwick Blue Knights had six of his teammates originally on board, but will have only four at his disposal due to work commitments.
Catcher Kevin Gemmell, first baseman DJ Mosbeck, second baseman Mike Anderson and outfielder Ryder Woolsey will take the field on Wilson’s behalf.
Blue Knights ace JJ Landry is unavailable, with Stratton Eagles veteran Murray Armstrong taking his spot, while third baseman Brad Wakefield is also forced to miss the contest with Austin Jack of the Big Grassy Lightning filling the void.
Also starting for Team Vaughan will be Dawson Tigers hurler Matt Comegan; Stratton shortstop Shelby Nosan, who will substitute in for missing starter Ryan MacDonald of the Couchiching Raiders and outfielders Dakota Andy (Fort Frances Braves) and Jake Vandenbrand (Stratton).
Alternates will be Manitou Thunderbirds pitcher Nathan DeBungee, taking the spot of absent Thunderbirds teammate Dan Servello; outfielder Nick Hunter (Windey’s Warriors) and catcher Kyle Copenace (Sabaskong Lakers).
As for the team captained by the Braves’ Jesse Tom, the original starters included pitchers John Desaulniers (Sight & Sound Wolves), with Bob Andy (Big Grassy) coming out of the bullpen; Stratton catcher Logan Jackson; Braves first baseman Linden Indian; the Stratton infield combination of second baseman Jackson Arpin and third baseman Chris Bourgeois; shortstop Travis Tom (Braves) and outfielders Mike Parisien (Braves), Faron Morrisseau (Couchiching) and Connor Wall (Rainy River Royals).
Jackson, however, is unavailable for the game and a replacement starting catcher had not been determined by Tom by press time.
Alternates included pitchers Darren Smith (Northwest Bay Chieftains) and Kevin Copenace (Cubs), along with Wade Johnson (Northwest Bay Juniors).
