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26 games and 3 tournaments later, the curtain closes on the Selects' most successful season to date. The Phoenix eliminated them last night, 6-2, to take the KFL semi-final in the minimum two games. The Selects actually led after one inning, when Ron Whitelwaw tripled home Dave Deyell and then scored on Doug Hoffman's RBI single. After that, though, the Phoenix bats were too much and pitcher Mel Ross retired the final 19 batters in order. The Selects got strong defense throughout, highlighted by Reed Laughlin's backhanded stab at short in the 3rd, Jamie Hickling's diving grab in foul territory in the 4th, and centerfielder Mike Brown's inning-ending, homerun-saving snag in the 6th. Props go out to the whole Selects ensemble for a tremendous year, including the now-defunct Merchants' survivors Brad Cleasby, Dave Deyell, and Ron Whitelaw, as well as KFL rookies Dan Clark and Reed Laughlin. With a vast array of returning talent, the Selects look poised to be a team to beat in 2007.
As the team-best season continues on, the Selects did not get the help of an upset win by a lower seed and have drawn the #1 ranked Kitchener Phoenix Outlaws in the Semi-Finals. Trying their best to keep pace with the 2 time defending league champs, the Selects gave up 2 runs in the 1 and 3 innings and fell behind 4-0 until the top of the 4th run Doug Hoffman treated the fans (note the plural) to a 3 run home run off of starter Mel Ross. Cashing in Ron Whitelaw and Glen Hall, Hoffman gave the Selects a much needed burst and pulled them within 1 run. That lasted until the bottom of the 6th when the Outlaws opened things back up with a combination of hits and errors. The final score of 10-3 means the Selects need to win the next two games in order to see the finals.
The Selects continued what has been a tremendous season last night, moving into the A-side semifinals with a 5-4 win against the Bulldogs. Bulldogs' leadoff man, Leighvi Batte, singled and scored in the 1st to give his squad a 1-0 edge that lasted into the 4th, when Trevor Botting belted a two-run homer down the left field line to cash Dan Clark. Alas, the Bulldogs answered in the bottom half with a pair to take a 3-2 lead. Davey Deyell continued his solid playoff run, though, doubling and coming in to knot the game on a grounder off the bat of pitcher Dougie Hoffman. Again, in the bottom of the 5th, the Bulldogs had the answer, taking a 4-3 lead. But in the end, it was not to be. Deyell doubled to lead off the top of the 7th, keying a rally that would see Clark knock home Mike Brown with the eventual winning run, though not until 2B Clark had the opportunity to make a gorgeous running-backwards-over-the-shoulder catch in short centre to preserve the win in the bottom of the 7th. In taking the see-saw battle, the Selects win their quarterfinal 2-0 and now await either the top-ranked Phoenix or third-place Black Sox, pending the results of Thursday's Twins-Classics finale.
The Selects took the first game of the best of three 1st round/quarter-finals matchup against the 5th place Bulldogs with a score of 5-1. Props to Jamie Hickling for going 2-3, with 3 rbis and a run scored.
The Selects rounded out the 2006 regular season in style last night, taking a gritty 6-5 win from the Bulldogs and securing the best finish in Selects history in the process. The win takes the team to 11-10-1, good for 4th in the league and home field in the first round of the playoffs. The Bulldogs jumped to an early lead when pitcher Craig Miller doubled home second-basemen Jeff Brush in the 1st. The Selects then answered with 4 in the 2nd inning, when Jamie Hickling stroked a 3-run double to right-centre and came around to count on Mike Brown's RBI single. Brush scored again for the Bulldogs in the 3rd and his squad recaptured the lead in the 4th, with three runs in a Selects comedy of errors. Pitcher Doug Hoffman then shut the door for the final three innings, setting the stage for an exciting finish. After Brown reached on an error with one away in the bottom of the 7th, Glen Hall stroked an RBI double to left-centre, tying the game. Then, with two out and two on, Dan "Clutch" Fogal ripped the game-winning single through the right side of the infield, as pinch-runner Scott Clark slid home for the win. The Selects now await their competition for the first round of the A-side playoffs.
The Selects dropped to 10-10-1 last night, with a 12-4 loss to the undefeated Phoenix. After two scoreless innings, the Phoenix broke out in the bottom of the 3rd, taking a 4-0 advantage. The Selects showed resilience, though, knocking in 3 of their own, thanks to a solo shot over the right field fence from Ron Whitelaw and a two-run dinger to left-centre by Mike Kitchen, scoring Doug Hoffman. And then, it unravelled. Unable to get any calls, Hoffman surrended 6 runs in the bottom of the 4th and the Selects could not recover. Brad Cleasby scored their 4th and final run on a Dave Deyell ground out. Props to Cleasby and Kitchen, both of whom went 2 for 3 on the evening. After a 12-day layoff, the Selects will round out their regular season against the Bulldogs as they jostle for positioning in the A playoffs.
Turns out karma's a bitch. The Selects fell to 10-9-1 thanks to a 5-inning, rain-shortened 2-0 loss to the Bulldogs. Pitcher Ron Whitelaw shut the door for the first 3 innings (after skipping out of work early in a clear showing of team dedication), but gave up an RBI double to Adam Detzler in the 4th that scored Bill Malyk with the game-winner. The Bulldogs added another in the 5th before the heavens opened up and provided a stunning light show that almost made the Selects forget their offensive inadequacies. Props go out to Doug Hoffman, who came out just two nights after suffering a 2" gash across his temple and appears to be recovering well.
The Selects finally managed to break a losing streak against the Black Sox that dates back to 2004, picking up their first tie of the 2006 campaign, a 1-1 draw. With Dougie Hoffman looking strong on the mound after 3 1/3 scoreless innings, the squad ran into a brick wall of adversity in the form of a hard liner that caught Hoffman above his right eye and dropped the stoic hurler to the dirt. He had 4 K's and allowed only 2 hits in his brief stint, but would thankfully walk off the field on his own power, en route to the hospital thanks to Selects fans Jen Wilson and Cynthia Stroeder. Scott Clark, donning the Selects' green and black for the first time in '06, came in to throw and pitched very well - 3 2/3 innings, 4 strikeouts, and one unearned run in the 4th. Offensively, the Selects threatened all game, but stranded 11 runners - an absolute abomination. Finally, in the top of the 7th, outfielder Dave Deyell continued his hot stick (5-7, with a walk in his last two games), stroking a triple to the fence in right-centre. Catcher Glen followed up with a rocket that fell less than an inch low of the go-ahead home run, settling for an RBI double. Still, the single point could prove crucial as the Selects hope to tighten their hold on a spot in the A-playoffs. A gutsy effort in the face of adversity.
The Selects jumped out to an early 1 - 0 lead on an RBI double by Doug Hoffman. Hoffman pitched a strong game against a scrappy Bell Cartage team to earn the 10 - 4 win. The Selects held a 3 - 0 lead until a few solid hits got Bell Cartage back within 1 at 3 - 2. Finally the Selects were able to get some clutch hits and pulled away in the 4th and 5th innings. Strong hitting from Dave Deyell, Reed Laughlin, Ron Whitelaw, Jamie Hickling and solid all around team performance leaves the Selects at 10 - 8 with 4 games to play. The final four games will decide playoff positioning.
The Selects simply couldn't scratch one out last night, resulting in a 2-0 loss to the Waterloo Twins despite a solid outing from Doug Hoffman. Brandon Dawe scored twice for the Twins and that was enough, as the Selects only put one runner into scoring position all game. Props to a strong performance from the Twins, who earned the season sweep. The Selects look to rebound Thursday night against Bell Cartage.
The Selects made it four in a row last night, edging the Predators 4-3 in a thrilling affair that could accurately be dubbed "The Ron Whitelaw Show." Aside from picking up the win on the mound, allowing 3 runs over 6 1/3 strong innings, Whitelaw was also the offensive catalyst. He went 3-3 with a walk, run scored, and two RBIs, including the eventual game-winner. The Selects jumped ahead 2-0 in the 1st inning when Trevor Botting singled home Whitelaw and Glen Hall came around to count on a Reed Laughlin single. Then, after the Predators had cut the lead in half, Mike Brown led off the bottom of the 4th with a single, stole 2nd, and came in to count on Whitelaw's single up the gut. The 9-1 duo would replicate the deed in the 6th when Brown doubled and scored on Whitelaw's single, giving the Selects a 4-1 lead. Though the Predators rallied in the top of the 7th with a two-run triple, Doug Hoffman came in to close the door, striking out two to end the threat and the game. The Selects move to 9-7 with the win.
The Selects managed to edge both the Cambridge Reds and a pissed off Mother Nature, recording the final out in the top of the 5th just prior to an intense, albeit fairly brief, torrential rainstorm that ended the game. However, thanks to yet another strong performance on the mound from Doug Hoffman, a few timely outs, and an RBI single off the bat of Ron Whitelaw in the 3rd to cash a Mike Brown triple, it would be enough. The Selects took a 1-0 win and moved to 8-7 on the season, as the dogfight to qualify for the A-playoffs continues.
Once again, the Selects rode the arm of workhorse Dougie Hoffman to a win, downing the Classics 5-0 and sweeping the two-game season series in the process. Hoffman threw a complete game, three-hit shutout, while striking out 5 and receiving tremendous defense. Still, the game remained deadlocked until the top of the 4th, when Brad Cleasby hit a sac fly to left to cash Hoffman's leadoff single for the eventual game winner. The Selects came back strong in the 5th, adding three more on runs from Mike Brown, Kevin Ryrie, and Glen Hall. Hall then doubled home Trevor Botting in the top of the 7th to round out the scoring; he paced the offense all game, going 2 for 4 with 2 RBIs and a run scored.
The Selects moved within one game of the 0.500 mark with a 5-4 win over the Shakespeare Falcons last night. Doug Hoffman drew first blood in the top of the second, blooping a single into LF. Jamie Hickling singled him over to third and Brad Cleasby cashed him on a sac fly, to stake the Selects to the early 1-0 lead. Not to be outdone, the Falcons answered in the bottom of the 3rd when Matt McLaren deposited a Hoffman offering over the fence in LF to even the score. The Selects answered with a 3-run 5th. With Cleasby and Mike Brown aboard, Ron Whitelaw singled in the go-ahead run, and Brown scored on a successful double-steal. Glen Hall then doubled home Whitelaw and the Selects were in control, up 4-1. McLaren sparked a two-run bottom half of the inning to draw Shakespeare within one, but Kevin Ryrie singled and scored the eventual game-winner in the top of the 6th. Doug Hoffman earned the complete game win, striking out 14 without allowing a walk.
Casey Halstead showed why he is one of the most dominant pitchers in the world, striking out 17 and allowing just one hit to left-fielder Dave Deyell, as the Thunder trounced the Selects 10-0. Halstead aided his own cause with a three-run homer in the 7th off Selects' pitcher Dougie Hoffman. With the loss, the Selects split the season series with the Thunder and fall
to 5-7.
It's becoming increasingly clear that the Selects' achilles heel is surviving the first few innings. The Black Sox counted five runs in the first three innings, a couple of which were unearned, off starter Ron Whitelaw, en route to a comfortable 7-2 win. Doug Hoffman continued his tremendous season, allowing 2 runs in 4 2/3 innings, while notching 11 strikeouts. He also scored the Selects first run on a Reed Laughlin RBI double in the 2nd. The Selects' only other run came when Steve Hall knocked home a Mike Brown double in the 3rd. The loss drops the Selects to 4-6 and extends their losing skid to four games.
An unearned run in the bottom of the 1st would prove to be enough of a cushion for the Smoke, as the Selects dropped below 0.500 with a 5-0 loss. The Smoke added 3 runs in the 5th and 1 more in the 6th, and simply rode the arm of pitcher Scott Gordon from there. Gordon struck out 8 and walked 6, carrying a no-hitter into the 7th en route to the win. Pitchers Doug Hoffman and Ronnie Whitelaw paced a less-than-stellar offense, as Hoffman singled and walked twice and Whitelaw walked in both of his plate appearances. The Smoke take the season series 2-0 and leave the Selects looking to salvage the week with a win on Thursday.
The Selects were the victims of a lacklustre opening two innings, as they fell behind 7-0 to an eager Twins squad. Pitcher Ron Whitelaw settled in, however, and more importantly, his defense sured up, as the Selects made a late-game charge. After knocking on the door for a couple innings, they scored a pair in the 6th when Mike Brown and Glen Hall came into count on Mike Kitchen's fielder's choice. The following inning, Reed Laughlin smacked a triple to the gap to bring home Brad Cleasby's double, and Laughlin then scored on Dave Deyell's fielder's choice. The rally ended, however, when Whitelaw's hard hit liner to LF found a Twins' glove. Still, the late inning charge leaves something to build on going into a big week. Stevie Hall broke out with a single and two walks, while Brown went 3-4 with two stolen bases and a run scored.
The Selects didn't bring their A-game defensively and the result was not pretty. Jamie Hickling's first-inning single marked the only hit they managed, while the Phoenix notched 12 runs over the first 4 innings to win handily. Ugly loss. Moving on.
The Selects grabbed hold of a lead they wouldn't relinquish on just the second batter of the game, as Jamie Hickling doubled home Kevin Ryrie and later scored to stake the visitors to a 2-0 lead against a strong young Predators squad. They continued to feast on the Preds' #3 pitcher for the rest of the night, crossing the plate 8 more times for a 10-0 six-inning mercy. Of note, Trevor Botting broke out of his early-season hitting slump, going 3-4 with an RBI and two runs scored. Goldie Bahia also had a strong game, with an RBI double and two tremendous catches in right to aid the less-than-stellar relief cause of sophomore Mike Brown. In their Selects' debuts, Dave Deyell and Dan Clark looked quite comfortable, as Deyell knocked in a pair and Clark scored twice. On the mound, Doug Hoffman had yet another strong outing, allowing just 3 hits over 5 innings, while striking out 6. The Selects move to 4-2 with the win.
Last night, the Selects found themselves on the wrong side of a 5-3 decision with the Cambridge Reds, dropping them to 3-2 on the year. They drew first blood when pitcher Ron Whitelaw cashed in a Mike Kitchen single in the top of the 1st, but the Reds roared back with four runs in the bottom half thanks to a few hits and a dropped fly ball in left. The Selects bounced back with another run in the 2nd inning, when Reed Laughlin knocked home Mike Brown, but a double-steal gone horribly wrong deflated the Selects' sails. The Reds added another run in the 4th and shut down a 7th inning rally attempt after Brown doubled home Glen Hall, leaving the Reds on top in a very chippy affair.
The Selects played their best game of the year handing the strong Classics their first loss of the season, downing them 5-3. Doug Hoffman had another great game, going 6 1/3 strong on the mound, allowing 3 runs on 6 hits while striking out 5 and walking 2. Offensively, he was perfect, going 2-2 with a walk, a run scored, and an RBI to help his own cause. Ron Whitelaw slammed the door shut, inducing a pair of grounders to end the game. The Selects offense roared to life in the 3rd inning when a Glen Hall single cashed Mike Brown's leadoff double and both Hall and Hoffman later scored on Steve Hall's misplayed fly to right, giving the Selects a 3-0 cushion. They then added the insurance in the 5th when Glen Hall hit home Jamie Hickling and subsequently scored on a Hoffman single. The Selects defense was strong throughout. With the win, the Selects move to 3-1 and the Classics drop to 4-1.
Doug Hoffman put the team on his back, hurling a complete game, three-hit shutout for the win. Though the offense mustered only three hits, the bats were working well, as the Selects consistently drove the ball hard and forced a number of Falcons' errors. Dan Fogal knocked home Hoffman in the 2nd inning with a timely single up the middle, in what proved to be the eventual game-winner. The Selects then padded their lead in the 4th when Glen Hall scored from 2nd on a sac fly to right by Steve Hall and a throwing error, and Mike Brown scored on a bases loaded tap off the bat of Hoffman in the 5th. With the win, the Selects move above 0.500 for the first time in the last two years at 2-1.
The Selects picked up their first win of the season with a hard-fought 5-4 win over the Thunder to move to 1-1. Glen Hall staked them to a quick 1-0 lead, knocking the first pitch he saw over the fence with two out in the 1st, but the Thunder answered with a pair. The seesaw continued in the top of the 4th, as Bryan Reeve tripled to the left-centre gap to spark a two-run inning that also saw Doug Hoffman come in to count. With runs from rookie Reed Laughlin in the 5th and Reeve again in the 7th, the Selects held on for the win. Glen Hall was an impressive 2 for 2, with a hit by a pitch, a sac fly, and three RBIs to pace the offense. Ron Whitelaw started his first game as a Select, going 3 2/3 innings and giving up 3 en route to a no decision. Doug Hoffman picked up the win with 3 1/3 innings, allowing just one run and striking out 8.
It was the start of a new season, but the same old offensively-starved Selects, as they dropped a tough 1-0 decision to the Smoke. Doug Hoffman pitched a solid game, keeping it scoreless through five innings before a leadoff triple to centre resulted in the game's only run. Ron Whitelaw, one of the team's key off-season additions, added an inning and two-thirds of scoreless relief. Alas, the Selects' sticks could not etch out the equalizer, mustering only three hits - two of which came off the bat of right-fielder Goldie Bahia - and whiffing ten times. Reed Laughlin looked right at home in his KFL debut, recording all three outs at short in a 1-2-3 7th inning. |
