Keys turns in 'gutsiest' performance

   Tomcats advance to semifinals, edging Hull-Volant Gatineau, 3-2, in 10 innings

By Rob J. Ross

Saturday, August 19, 2017

GATINEAU, QC. - Travis Keys was on.

 The pitcher went in to overtime, scattering six hits over nine innings, while striking out 12 batters, as the St. Thomas Tomcats won a 10 inning marathon, 3-2, over host Hull-Volant Gatineau.

 Michael Mommersteeg earned the saved, working the 10th, the third and final extra inning, of the three hour long quarter-final, at the 21U Canadian championship, at Parc Sanscartier. During tournaments, regulation games are seven innings.

"That was best performance I've seen. The gutsiest performance I've seen by a kid, in forever," Tomcats" head coach Bob Lofgren said. "He didn't want to come out, but I had to take him out. I didn't want to hurt him. We had Mommer ready to go."

Keys, the easy choice for player of the game, displayed ice water in his veins, escaping from a few jams including the memorable bottom of the fourth inning. Gatineau had the bases loaded with no one out, before Keys sat down three consecutive batters with strikeouts. In the seventh, the home side had runners on first and second with one out, but Keys shut them out.

"He stepped up," said Lofgren.  "Troy (Lofgren) was catching, calling great pitches. He and Travis work well together. Travis doesn't get flustered in situations. He thrives in situations like that. He trusts his breaking ball. He threw one to strike the guy out with the bases loaded."

Matthew Bowden went two-for-three, for the Tomcats, driving in a run and drawing a base on balls. Dan Lichty and Jacob Mansfield both had two singles, while Lawson Burnett had single and a pair of walks. Troy Lofgren delivered the winning single, set up by a Mommersteeg sac bunt. Burnett and Garan Stevens started the inning with back-to-back singles.

"We battled. A good outing all-around," added coach Lofgren. "We had great plays defensively. We had guys with great at bats, took pitchers in to deep counts."

Gatineau opened the scoring in the second inning, on a Raphael Leblanc RBI single. The Tomcats squared the affair in the fifth, thanks to doubles by Zac Desa and Bowden. Gatineau regained the lead right back in the home half of the fifth, on an Antoine Major sac fly. St. Thomas tied the game at two in the sixth, when Lawson Burnett scored on a throwing error to first base.

For the winning pitcher, success was simple.

"Stay focus with the boys. We have a defence behind me, just have to use them. They're the best out there," said Keys. "It was an absolute grind. It's good to come on top. A good team day."

Keys hit a three-run homer earlier in the day, against Nova Scotia, the game ending hit, in an 18-1 mercy in four innings, the Tomcats final preliminary game.

 The Tomcats face Quebec in a semi-final, at 10 a.m. Sunday. Winner advances to the gold medal game, at 8 p.m. Loser plays for bronze, at 4:30 p.m. The second semi-final, at 1 p.m., features the Windsor Selects, the Ontario champions, against Saskatchewan.

St. Thomas lost to Quebec, 11-1, making five errors, in their opening game of the tournament. However, Tomcats have greatly improved over their two past games, with just one error.

"We knew we could play better. We weren't playing well defensively. We weren't in it. We stepped up the last two games. This is how we can play," Lofgren said. "We wanted to be in a medal game. We're in a good spot here."