October 6, 2023
FINGAL, Ont. - The Glencoe Astros are South Middlesex Men's Fastball League champions. In the best game of the final, the Astros held off the St. Thomas Storm, 6-5, to capture the championship series, three games to two. Matt Thirlwall broke a 3-3 tie in the top of the fifth inning with a two-run triple, before scoring the eventual winning run on a RBI single by Adam Fletcher. The Storm made it 6-4 in the bottom of the sixth with a Brady Stafford RBI double.
October 2, 2023
GLENCOE, Ont. - It's now a one game showdown. The St. Thomas Storm have come back to tie the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League final with the Glencoe Astros. Led by Mitch Roy, who was a double short of hitting for the cycle, the Storm evened the best of five series with a 14-8 win tonight, forcing a decisive game five. After losing the first two games of the series, including being mercied in game two, the Storm have the momentum, after walking off game four and taking a high scoring fourth game.
September 29, 2023
FINGAL, Ont. - There will be fastball in October. Brady Stafford extended the St. Thomas Storm season, delivering a two-run single in the bottom of the seventh inning, for a 7-6 comeback win in game three of the South Middlesex Men's Fastball league final. The Storm trailed 6-3 heading into the seventh, before Mitch Roy led off with an inside the park home run. Walks to Randy Gray and Jason Dawdy and a RBI single from James Ingram, brought Stafford to the plate. Glencoe opened the scoring in the first inning and led 5-0 after two.
September 27, 2023
GLENCOE, Ont. - Jeff Lyons has the Glencoe Astros in the driver's seat. The second baseman hit two home runs and had seven RBI, as the Astros scorched the St. Thomas Storm, 14-0, in five innings, to win two game of the South Middlesex Men's Fastball league final. Glencoe leads the best of five series, two games to none and can clinch their first league title Friday.
September 19, 2023
FINGAL, Ont. - All the Glencoe Astros needed was one big inning. What an inning the third was for the Astros, scoring 10 runs, in a 13-7 game one victory against the St. Thomas Storm, to open the best of five game South Middlesex Men's Fastball league final. Scoreless after two innings, the Astros capitalized on three St. Thomas errors, with five hits, to surge to a double digit lead. The Storm mounted a comeback scoring two runs in each of the third, fourth and sixth innings and one in the fifth, to make it 10-7.
August 30, 2023
FINGAL, Ont. - It didn't long for the St. Thomas Storm to get rolling in the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League playoffs. The top team from the regular season, rolled over the Delaware Highlanders, 12-1, in game one of the best of three quarterfinal Tuesday. St. Thomas scored three runs in the first inning, six in the second and three more runs in the fourth inning, for the five inning mercy. Paul Grasby drove in four runs, going two-for-three. Brady Stafford was two-for-two, including a two-run triple and also drew a base on balls. Randy Gray had a single, two walks to first base and scored three runs.
August 23, 2023
ST. THOMAS - St. Thomas Optimist Softball had its playoff weekend, crowning division champions in squirt, atom, peewee and bantam. Gas Tech Solutions are the bantam champions, defeating Our Online, 14-9, in the final.
In the peewee final, Williams Funeral Home defeated the Optimists, 9-7.
Port Stanley rallied to defeat the Optimists, in the squirt final, while in the atom final, the Optimists edged Cobs,
3-2.
August 9, 2023
SASKATOON, Sask. - Kenzie Steele struck out four batters over innings pitched, leading the D1 Nationals, representing Ontario, to a 13-1 mercy of Nova Scotia, in their opening game at the Canadian U17 women's fast pitch championship. The 15-year old from Springfield, along with Chloe Hocquard and Vikki Kilmarzewski, combined for a no-hitter over four innings. Jana Want hit a grand slam for D1.
July 18, 2023
ST. THOMAS - A number of local players have helped D1 Nationals womens fastball teams advance to respective National championships. Kenzie Steele, from Springfield, Taylor Kana and Reese Koolen, with the U15 team head to Brandon, Manitoba.
Meg McCallum (Belmont), Mallory Collins (Brownsville) and Jocelyn Shelton (Aylmer), are with the U19 team heading to British Columbia.
Lexie Sawyer, of St. Thomas, is with the U17 Nationals.
June 26, 2023
ROMEOVILLE, ILL. - Lexie Sawyer was instrumental in the D1 Nationals U17 women's fastball team winning at the Primetime Triple Crown State tournament. Sawyer, the team's shortstop and only only player on the team from St. Thomas, made no errors over six games and hit .333. Sawyer had a two-run double in D1's 14-0 defeat of the DG Rebels in the final. D1 went 6-0, outscoring opponents 42 to eight.
March 16, 2023
HIGHLAND, KS. - Meg McCallum, of Belmont, is the KJCCC (Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference) Division II softball pitcher of the week for week five of the 2023 season. The freshman and right handed pitcher with the Highland College Scotties, allowed no runs, seven hits and one walk, over nine and one third innings.
On the season, McCallum has an earned run average of 0.97 over 21.2 innings, allowing 18 hits and six walks, while striking out 20 batters.
Highland is 5-1 in 2023 and 11-5 overall.
September 9, 2022
GLENCOE, Ont. - Bryan Johnson had a home run and Taylor Degraw drove in three runs, as the Glencoe Astros beat the St. Thomas Storm, 9-2, in six innings, tying the South Middlesex Men's Fastball semifinal, at one game each.
Astros' pitcher Cole Pavey struck out nine batters. Degraw, Black and Thirwell, each went two-for-three. Troy Rick had the lone RBI for the Storm.
September 6, 2022
FINGAL, Ont. - Mitch Roy had the highlight of the night, in the opening game of the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League semifinal, between the St. Thomas Storm and Glencoe Astros. Roy hit a three-run homer in the third inning, helping St. Thomas to a 5-1 win, Tuesday night and a one game to none lead, in the best of five affair. Glencoe took a 1-0 lead in the second inning, stringing together five consecutive singles, but left the bases loaded. After Roy gave the Storm a 3-1 lead, the home team added two more runs in the fifth inning, one on a RBI single by Jeff McPherson. Shaun 'Pissy" Pearce went two-for-three for the Storm. Cole Pavey, Bryan Johnson and Josh Weber, each had two hits for Glencoe. Dan Beecroft earned the win, striking out six batters over four innings. Ben Hodgins worked the final three innings. Taylor McGraw took the loss for Glencoe.
August 22, 2022
MOLINE, ILL. - It was a top 10 finish for the Bear Creek Storm at the 2022 International Softball Congress (ISC) Legends tournament, August 17-20. Bear Creek, the Legends edition of the St. Thomas Storm, went 1-3, but made the top 10 at number 10.
Jason Smith batted .417 with three triples, while Troy Rick and Brad Young, both hit .500. Duane Greenbird was .333 in the lead-off spot. From the pitcher's plate, Dan Beecroft worked 13 innings, with a 2.70 E.R.A., striking out 11 batters.
Rick had two hits and three RBIs in Bear Creek's 4-2 win over Prime Time Legends. Bear Creek, the team's sponsor, is a business, west of St. Thomas, owned by Scott and Elena Cornelius.
August 15, 2022
ST. THOMAS - GasTech had the fuel while Renovate-It built a winner. Both teams were champions at the St. Thomas Optimist Softball playoffs, August 12-14, at the Tarry Complex. Gas Tech doubled up on Lenny's, 10-5, for the Peewee Division title. Renovate It defeated Maxwell's, in the Squirt final.
August 11, 2022
SPRINGFIELD, Ont. - Kenzie Steele had an experience of a lifetime out on the western prairie. The 14-year old from Springfield, won a bronze medal, playing for UTM 2K7 Southwest, at the recent Canadian U15 girls fast pitch championship, in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
June 24, 2022
GLENCOE, Ont. - Mark Coleman hit a grand slam, capping a six RBI night, to lead the St. Thomas Storm over the Glencoe Astros, 10-3, in six innings, in the South Middlesex Fastball League. Jay Schnarr was three-for-four, with two doubles and scored three times, while Paul Grasby, was also three-for-four, with two doubles and drove in two runs. Storm pitcher Dan Beecroft worked five innings, allowing three runs, on five hits, while striking out six batters. Ben Hodgins struck out the side in the sixth inning. Jay Weber accounted for all of the Glencoe runs, including a second inning two-run homer. St. Thomas is 9-0.
June 22, 2022
HIGHGATE, Ont. - A five run third inning carried the St. Thomas Storm to a 6-2 road win over the Highgate Rock. The Storm remain undefeated at 8-0 and sit first in the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League. Mark Coleman hit two home runs, his first tying the game at one, while his second, a two-run shot, put the Storm up 6-1. Jay Schnarr chipped in with a two-run single. Ben Hodgins picked up the win, pitching a complete game seven hitter, striking out 10 batters and walking two.
June 14, 2022
FINGAL, Ont. - Only one team remains undefeated in the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League. Robbie Burns, goes two-for-three and scores twice, as the St. Thomas Storm edge the Highgate Rock, 2-1, in a battle of undefeated teams.
Jay Schnear and Chris Wismer, on a triple, drive in the Storm runs. Brian Boersma puts the Rock on the board with a seventh inning solo home run. St. Thomas pitchers Dan Beecroft and Jason Dawdy combine for a three-hitter, while striking out five batters.
June 6, 2022
FINGAL, Ont - The Alvinston Jr.
Aces took the inaugural Billy Horne and Trevor Barton Memorial fastball
tournament. Alvinston scored six runs, in the fourth inning, to mercy the
Straffordville Giants, 11-4, in five innings, in the Men's division final.
Ethan Smith and Matt Weiler, both went two-for-three, including a solo
home run. Josh Hamilton was two-for-two. Darren Pace had a solo homer, forcing
the Aces to play the bottom of the fifth inning. Drumbo beat Wilmont, in the U17
final. Tournament organizers, the St. Thomas Storm, are making a donation to the
Trevor Barton Memorial Foundation, a charity dedicated to removing financial
barriers for children across Ontario.
May 31, 2022
FINGAL, Ont. - Ben Hodgins tossed a one-hitter as the St. Thomas Storm blanked Charing Cross, 10-0, in South Middlesex Men's Fastball. Chris Wismer, with a three-run bomb and Mark Coleman, hit home runs, in a five-run second inning.
Jay Schnarr also had a home runs and Matt McCallum had a two-hit game and scored twice. St Thomas improves 5-0.
May 27, 2022
DELAWARE, Ont. - The St. Thomas Storm remain unbeaten after four games. A six-run fourth inning carried the Storm to a 10-3 win in six innings, against the Delaware Highlanders, tonight, in South Middlesex men's fastball. Tied at one, the Storm combined four walks, a Rob Burns single and Dan Beecroft double, to produce six runs. Delaware got two runs back in the home half of the fourth on a Kevin Eichenberger homer. Matt McCallum had a first inning triple and scored the game's opening run. Jeff Wilcox went two-for-three, with a RBI and a walk. Beecroft picked up the win, working four innings, in relief of starter Chris Wismer. The pair combined to strike out nine batters.
May 24, 2022
FINGAL, Ont. - Chris Wismer had a solo home run and RBI double, but the St. Thomas Storm didn't need a hit to produce the game winning run.
Combining a hit batsman, walk, passed ball and then a fielder's choice, the Storm edged the Chippewa Chiefs, 3-2, Tuesday, in South Middlesex Men's Fastball.
Mitch Roy had the game winning RBI, on the fielder's choice, in the sixth inning. Rob Burns went one-for-two, and drew a base on balls.
Pitcher Jason Dawdy picked up the win, in relief of starter Dan Beecroft, working the final three innings. The Storm pitchers combined to strike out 11 batters.
Joey Doxtator had a solo home run for Chippewa.
St. Thomas is 3-0.
May 18, 2022
BRAMPTON, ON. - Summer is still officially a month away, but the D1 Nationals are already heating up the diamond. The competitive fast pitch U15 team that calls Sweaburg home, were champions at the Brampton Blast tournament, May 13-15,
During their 7-0 run, D1 Nationals outscored opponents, 56-11.
May 10, 2022
FINGAL, Ont. - Dan Beecroft needed only nine pitches to strikeout three batters, in the third inning. The St. Thomas Storm only needed five innings to mercy Dutton, 8-1, in South Middlesex Men's Fastball, tonight.
Beecroft faced the minimum nine batters over three innings, when the Storm led 7-0. At the plate, Beecroft chipped in offensively, with a double and a RBI single.
Jay Schnarr, Mitch Roy and Matt McCallum, each had a single a drew a walk. Aaron Gould has two free passes to first base and came around to score both times. Beecroft and Ben Hodgins, who worked the fourth and fifth innings, combined to strike out 11 batters.
Meanwhile Dutton gave up eight walks to the Storm batters. at Highland.
May 6, 2022
FINGAL, ON. - Some things never seem to change,
even with a two year absence. The last time the St. Thomas Storm played a league game, they were here capturing the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League championship.
That was last decade.
However, two things were quite similar to tonight's season opening 16-1 five inning mercy, of the Fingal Phantoms.
Ben Hodgins was pitching and the Storm mercied their opponent. Back in 2019, the Storm won the title, blanking the Appin A's, 8-0, in five innings.
January 29, 2022
MALAHIDE, Ont. - Meg McCallum is heading west to America's Wheat State. The pitcher and first baseman with the D1 Revolution softball association, will be on the rubber with the Highland College Scotties for the next four years.
The school, a member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, is located in Highland, a small community in north east Kansas.
The Grade 12 student at East Elgin Secondary school, is enrolled in the personal fitness trainer program at Highland.
July 22, 2021
HOPEVILLE, Ont. - It is one step closer to a spot in the Provincial Women's Softball Association 16U West final. The D1 Revolution took advantage of some wild pitching to pull out an 8-3 win over the Arthur Twisters, in a 16U quarterfinal on Wednesday.
July 15, 2021
LASALLE, Ont. - In the end Megan Peacock showed her comeback colours. Peacock drove in the winning run, as the D1 Revolution rallied in their final at bat, to edge the LaSalle Athletics, 3-2, in a Provincial Women's Softball Association U16 West bracket playoff game. LaSalle led 2-0 going into the seventh and final inning, after scoring a run in the first and sixth innings. Peacock who won her marathon nine pitch at bat with a line drive two run single, reached base three times in four at bats.
October 8, 2019
FINGAL, ON. - Ben Hodgins made short work of the Appin A's. The St. Thomas Storm pitcher faced only 14 batters, in an 8-0 five inning silencing of the A's, to clinch the South Middlesex Men's Fastball championship in four games. Only a pair of intentional walks to Jeff Lyons kept Hodgins from a perfect game, shortened due to the mercy rule.
October 7, 2019
APPIN, ON. - Each time Jeff Lyons reached base in games one and two, the Appin A’s scored. That trend continued in game three against the St. Thomas Storm with one big difference.
Appin held on to win, 4-3, extending the best of five game South Middlesex Men’s Fastball League final to a fourth night, in Fingal, Tuesday, at 8 p.m.
Lyons hit a monster two out first inning solo home run and then in the third inning ripped a double off the outfield fence. Lyons received an intentional walk in his third plate appearance.
October 4, 2019
APPIN, ON. - Brady Stafford does it again, this time with two out, top of the seventh inning. The St. Thomas Storm catcher hit a three-run bomb lifting the Storm over the Appin A's, 6-4, in a come back effort in game two of the South Middlesex men's fastball league final. Stafford finished with five RBIs, while Mark Coleman went three for three, with one walk, a RBI and two runs scored.
The Storm lead the best of five game series, two games to none.
October 1, 2019
FINGAL, ON. - The St. Thomas Storm wasted no time taking the opener of the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League final.
Starting with a first inning Mark Coleman two run bomb and capped by a Brady Stafford grand slam, the Storm needed only about one hour, for a 9-1 five inning mercy of the Appin A's.
September 30, 2019
ST. THOMAS - It is a cleansing of past memories that haunted the St. Thomas Storm. For the first time in seven years, the Storm eliminated the Alvinston Aces in the playoffs, clinching their semifinal series in the fifth and deciding game, with a 13-6 win at Alvinston, on Friday. St. Thomas faces the Appin A's, in the South Middlesex Men's Fastball League final, starting Tuesday night, 8 p.m. in Fingal.
September 24, 2019
FINGAL, ON. - Two long time rivals are going the distance. Bryan Johnson hit two home runs and Taylor DeGraw tossed a complete game four-hitter, as the Alvinston Aces defeated the St. Thomas Storm, 5-1, forcing a fifth game in their South Middlesex Men's Fastball League semifinal.
September 10, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, ON. - Courtney Gilbert remembers her early days learning how to play fast pitch. Now the career for the former Team Canada member and recent NCAA graduate has come full circle.
Gilbert was out teaching Under-10 girls various aspects of the game, including pitching, base running and fielding ground balls, at a clinic for the Springfield Brewers on Saturday.
August 21, 2019
SPRINGFIELD, ON. - The Springfield Brewers fast pitch association handed out the hardware at their annual awards banquet. Offensive player of the Year: Carter Ruddock; Defensive player of the Year: Ali Altiman; Coach of the Year: Courtney Gilbert; Pitcher of the Year: Meg McCallum; Fan of the Year: Hannah Lahn; Love of the Game award: Kyle Eyndhoven.
July 27, 2019
FINGAL, ON. – Fastball is in the air featuring teams in two divisions, Men's and Masters/Legends, at the St. Thomas Storm Invitational. The three day tournament concludes with the master's/Legends final, Sunday, at 12:30 p.m. and men's final, at 2:30 p.m.
July 14, 2019
ST. THOMAS - With a 8-2 record, the St. Thomas Storm are sitting second in the South Middlesex Fastball League, behind the 10-1 Alvinston Aces.
The Aces edged St. Thomas, 2-1, in early June. The teams meet again in Alvinston, August 1. The Aces' lone setback was to Appin, 7-6, in late June. Chippawa has also defeated St. Thomas.
Port Stanley sits eighth in the league, while Dutton continues to seek a first victory of the season.
September 27, 2018
ALVINSTON, ON. - The Alvinston Aces have the advantage in the best of five South Middlesex Men's Fastball League final.
The Aces scored two runs in the first, third and fourth innings, on their way to a 6-0 game one win.
Jamie Shields went two-for-four, for the Aces, with one RBI. Ryan Chapman had a RBI double and drew two walks, while Rowan Lam finished with a single, walk, stolen base and run scored. Andy Triest, Aaron Stocking and Taylor DeGraw each drove in a run and Joe Triest had a single and one walk.
Appin stranded 11 base runners. Adam Fletcher had two hits for the A's, while Jeff Lyons was one-for-two and two base on balls.
During the semifinals against Highgate, Appin rallied from down two games to none to take the series in five games. Kevin Eichenberger had a pair of two-out RBI singles, in Appin's
game five 7-3 win.
August 31, 2018
APPIN, ON. - Jeff Lyons, who plays for the Appin A's, in the South Middlesex league, was named all-star catcher, playing for the Elmria Expos, at the 2018 Canadian senior men's fastpitch championships. The Expos lost to the Sooke Loggers, from B.C., 2-1, in the semifinals. Lyons will be back in the Appin lineup, in time for a best of five game semifinal against the Highgate Rock, starting Thursday, September 6.
August 27, 2018
APPIN, ON. – There will be no third consecutive trip to the final for the St. Thomas Storm. Greg Moore tossed four and two-thirds shutout innings, of relief pitching, to lead the Appin A's past St. Thomas, 8-4, to complete a three game sweep of the Southern Middlesex Men's Fastball League series. Nate Johnson drove the A's offence, batting three for three and driving in three runs, while Jeff Lyons belted a late game solo home run. St. Thomas won the SMMFL championship, in 2016 and lost to the Alvinston Aces, in the 2017 final.
August 26, 2018
DARTMOUTH, NS - The Springfield Brewers finished fourth, out of 12 teams, at the Eastern Canadian U16 women's softball championship. The Brewers fell 4-2, to Quebec, in a quarterfinal this morning. Springfield, the Ontario champions, went 4-2 overall, their first loss coming in pool play to P.E.I. Quebec went on to beat the London Lightning (ON2), 7-5, in the third place game, to advance to the final against P.E.I. London placed third, after a 5-0 pool record, and a 1-0 loss to P.E.I., in the game between the pool winners, before facing Quebec.
August 25, 2018
DARTMOUTH, NS - The Springfield Brewers finished 4-1 in pool play, advancing to the quarterfinals, at the Eastern Canadian U16 women's softball championship.
The Brewers edged Nova Scotia Two, before falling 11-0 to PEI One, on day three of the four day tournament. Springfield takes on Quebec, Sunday at 9 a.m. local time. The winner advances to the semifinals (11 a.m.) and a shot a medal in the afternoon.
August 24, 2018
DARTMOUTH, NS - The Springfield Brewers improved to 3-0, at the Eastern Canadian U16 women's softball championship, with a 14-3 win over New Brunswick Two. Earlier today, Springfield, aka Ontario One, dumped Nova Scotia Three, 8-3. The Brewers opened with a 7-3 win over Newfoundland One, on Thursday, day one of the four day tournament.
Springfield won the Ontario Provincial Women's Softball Association bantam II A title, July 27-29, to qualify for the Eastern Canadians.
August 23, 2018
FINGAL, ON - The St. Thomas Storm will need more clutch hits and fewer men left on base, if they want their season to extend beyond next game. A six run outburst in their opening at bat carried the Appin A’s over St. Thomas, 11-3, in six innings, for a two games to none lead, in their best of five series, for the South Middlesex Men’s Fastball League.