Major rookie Braves are provincial champs

September 20, 2016 · 0 Comments

By Bill Rea
There were a whole lot of excited young ball players from Bolton labour Day weekend.
The Bolton Braves major rookies entered a tournament in Chatham and emerged as provincial champions.
The tournament saw them compile a 5-1 record.
Head Coach Jason Sweeney said the club went up against their final opponents from Welland in the double elimination tournament.
The finals provided more than their fair share of drama. The local heroes built up an 11-1 lead, but that was not to last.
“We blew it,’ the coach said. “The kids didn’t do anything wrong. It’s just Welland was putting the ball where we weren’t.”
Since the rules stated a team had to suffer two losses to be eliminated, that set up another match an hour later.
Sweeney said the score was tied 1-1 going into the sixth inning of a “great game.”
His players crossed the plate three times in the top of the sixth for the 9-1 final and the championship.
Seven of the players on the team were on the squad last year, and they went without a win, so the improvement was impressive.
“It was a huge, huge turn around,” Sweeney observed, as the club finished first in its division and won two tournaments. “It was an amazing run.”
Sweeney said his hopes are high for next year, when this group, born in 2007, will be playing mosquito.
“Next year’s a whole different thing,” he remarked, pointing out they will now start pitching, rather than using a machine. “It’s a huge difference.”
The members of the victoriuos team are Colin Sweeney, Hannah Stamper, Alex Mercer, Noah Cantunto, William Clark, Daniel Fiorrucci, Zachary Barker, Ryan Castellan, Lucas Chiaravalloti, Eric Tomlin, Tyler Kennedy and Cameron Millson.

The victorious players on the major rookie championship team were presented Sunday with copies of the banner which has been risen at North Hill Park.
Photos by Bill Rea