18U Diamondbacks win Pringles

  Dorchester caps undefeated tournament with 3-1 win in final

 May 24, 2023

Dorchester Diamondbacks, Buck Pringle U18 tournament champions. (photo / courtesy Dorchester Diamondbacks)

Hometownplay.ca   

It is early in the 2023 baseball season but the Dorchester Rep '06 Diamondbacks are already tournament champions.

Dorchester won the Buck Pringle tournament May 19-21 in Orillia, defeating the Guelph Royals, 3-1, in the U18 final.

The Diamondbacks had control, up 3-0, until the seventh and final inning. Guelph loaded the bases and scored a run, combining a pair of singles, a walk and an error. But a pop up to first base closed the game.

Pitcher Mark Nicholson tossed five innings of shutout ball, allowing just four hits and three walks, hit a couple batsman, while striking out four batters. Reliever Matthew Cudney finished the game giving up a run on two hits and one base on balls, striking out three batters.

Key defensive plays were catcher Terry Kummer throwing out a runner attempting to steal second base in the fifth inning and outfielder Zach DosSantos running down a deep fly ball for the third out with the bases loaded in the second inning.

Cudney contributed offensively as well, with a single, a walk, swiped a base and scored a run. Justin Barnes was two-for-two, with a RBI and also stole a base.

Dorchester opened the tournament mercying the Milton Mets, 10-0, in six innings, with a no-hitter from pitchers Ryker Daniel and Nicholson.

Daniel, the game's MVP, struck out seven batters over four innings, while Nicholson sat down five batters over his two innings.

Both DosSantos and Jaxson Cragg, went two-for-three with a RBI. DosSantos scored twice and swiped two bases.

After a rain out with the Aurora Blue Jays, Dorchester doubled up on the Barrie Baycats, 4-2.

Cragg, the MVP of the game, had a pair of hits, drove in two runs, scored and swiped a base. Jaden Arnold batted two-for-three and stoled three bases.

Kummer threw out a runner attempting to steal third base in the fifth inning.

Pitchers Adam Goor, Ty Sladek and Cudney, combined to strike out seven Baycats, while allowing just two hits and six walks and one earned run.

In the semifinals, the host Orillia Royals opened the scoring in the first innings, but Dorchester replied with a run, in the second, third and sixth innings, for a 3-1 win.

Cragg had two of the Diamondbacks four total hits, drove in a run and scored.

Daniel struck out 10 batters, over five two-thirds innings, throwing 107 pitches, allowing one run, on two hits, four walks and a hit batsman.

Goor closed the game earning the save.