Three local baseball teams are competing at the annual Orillia Open Tournament that has invaded area ball diamonds this weekend.
In the rep peewee division, the Orillia Meridian Credit Union Royals got off to a solid start, when they scored four runs in the final two innings Friday night to rally to an 8-8 draw with the Kanata Major Cubs.
On Saturday morning, the local squad was in tough against a strong Cambridge Cubs team. That game started at 11 a.m. at Kitchener Park. The Cubs struck early with a first-inning run, but it could have been worse. A Cambridge player had a base-running hiccup that allowed a perfect outfield relay to catcher Will Timpano to cut down a second run at the plate.
The Royals will return to action this afternoon at 3 p.m. when they clash with the Tillsonburg Otters at the Jerry Udell diamond at Tudhope Park.
There are 10 teams in three different divisions in the peewee age group. It will not be easy for Orillia; they are an A-rated team and this is a AA-rated tournament.
Meanwhile, in the rep bantam division, the Orillia Royals Select team, the reigning provincial champions, got off to a great start Friday night with a convincing win over the Burlington Bulls. The other Orillia Royals team did not fare as well; they were defeated by league-rival Collingwood.
The Selects played Oakville this morning (no result was available) and they will play their second game of the day at 2:15 p.m. at Tudhope Park against the Beaver Valley River Rats.
The other Orillia bantam team was to play Kitchener this morning and then will clash with the London Tecumsehs at McKinnell Park at 4 p.m.
There are eight teams in the bantam age group, divided into two divisions.
Action continues all weekend. Championship games in the peewee division occur at 11:45 a.m. Sunday morning at Kitchener Park. The title-game in the bantam division will be held at 12:15 at Tudhope Park.
