Senior Dodgers swept by Knights in first round of playoffs

August 24, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Jake Courtepatte
The 2016 post-season came and went in a flash for the AA Bolton Dodgers.
After sneaking into the playoffs in the eighth and final spot, they met the powerhouse New Lowell Knights, a team that had suffered just four losses all season.
The series kicked off in Creemore with a commendable effort by the Dodgers, falling behind late in a close 4-3 game. From there the floodgates were opened, with New Lowell allowing just one run over the next two games with the series culminating Sunday in New Lowell.
Despite an early exit, the young team happened to earn a berth in the postseason for the second-straight season, the only two years they have managed the feat. The Dodgers were also knocked out in the first round last year, in five games by the Clearview Orioles.
Their 27 points earned in regular season standings fell one shy of the 28 they got last season.
The cast of all-star veterans remained very much the same, with Shawn English and Tysen Hansen leading the charge on the mound. In 50.1 innings pitched, English had an ERA of just 3.40, good for second in the league.
Combined, English and Hansen played to a record of 9-3.
Michael Gemmiti, the 2015 MVP, led the league in offence, posting a .494 batting average to match with 38 runs and 13 doubles, all tops in the NDBL.
Jon Bloomfield tied for third in the league in runs with 24.
The Knights will advance to the league semifinals to face the sixth-place Aurora Jays, who upset the third-place Midland Indians in a three-game sweep of their own.
Also sweeping their series was the second-place Ivy Leafs, who scored 28 runs over three games against the Lisle Astros.
Ivy will face the winner of the Clearview Orioles vs. Orangeville Giants series, the only one left remaining. Orangeville leads two games to one, with the series culminating before the weekend.
Round two schedules are yet to be finalized, but a tentative start date has been set for this Saturday.
To continue following the road to the Strother Cup, visit www.ndbl.ca