Bolton’s boys of summer win back-to-back championships

July 24, 2014 · 0 Comments

The Bolton Braves mosquito rep baseball team, led by head coach Paul Della Penna, accomplished a rare feat over the weekend by winning their home tournament for the second consecutive time.
Hosting elite AA and A teams from across Ontario, the Braves played with a focus and determination that impressed the coaches, spectators and even opposing teams.
Defeating teams from LaSalle, Georgetown and Mississauga in the first round by a combined score of 37-4 allowed the Braves to advance to the elimination round.
In the semifinals, they defeated Stratford Indians 13-3 to get to the title game against the Brampton Royals. In the final game, the Braves grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning and never looked back, winning 10-0, completing a perfect 5-0 championship run.
Every player on the team played a big role in the win from the first pitch Friday to the final play Sunday to clinch the title.
Aidan Stannard, Quenton Race and Brandon Shivdat pitched their finest games of the season. Ethan Taurian-Baggio, Benny Diaz and Anthony Syriani provided fantastic defence in the outfield all five games. Xavier DeDonato caught every inning of the tournament and nailed several base runners attempting to steal. Quenton Race, Frank Merola, Logan Lindo and Antonio Salatino showcased gold gloves at third base, shortstop, second base and first base all weekend.
With a final combined score of 60-7, the Braves team put on a display of dominance not seen often when playing teams of this caliber. During the tournament, they never trailed, never allowed more than four hits in a game and incredibly never committed more than one error in any game.
The Braves are on an 11-game winning streak and coaching staff of Paul Della Penna, Tony DeDonato, Dave Salatin and John Lindo hope to carry that momentum forward into August for the league and provincial championships.