MERIDIAN CREDIT UNION MINOR BANTAM ORILLIA ROYALS
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The Meridian Credit Union Minor Bantam Orillia Royals were near-perfect during the regular season this year, finishing in first place and capturing the league pennant with an impressive record of 16 wins and 2 ties.
Still not satisfied however, they next proceeded to win all five games in their playoff tournament, capturing the York Simcoe Baseball Association Championship crown and earning the right to compete in the provincial championships on Labour Day weekend.
The Royals came out strong in Game 1 of the playdowns, jumping out to an 8-1 lead after two innings against the Innisfil Cardinals, and cruising the rest of the way to a 12-5 win. Matthew Klingspohn led the offence for Orillia with a single and a triple, and cashing in six runs. Matthew Bush also had a single and a triple for Orillia, and Bodhi Taylor chipped in with two hits and 2 RBI of his own. Klingspohn, James Pritchard and Emitt McDonald looked after the pitching duties for the Royals and kept the Innisfil offence in check.
Orillia next faced the second-seed Vaughan Vikings. With the score tied at 3-3 after four innings, the Royals finally found their groove at the plate in the bottom of the fifth inning, scoring four runs and then adding three more in the sixth to earn a well-deserved 10-3 victory.
Kris Inglis, Will Timpano and Nathan Molloy were all excellent on the mound for the Royals, holding Vaughan to only three hits and no earned runs. Reece Boyle was perfect at the plate for Orillia, going 2 for 2 and scoring three runs. Tyler Nichol, Klingspohn, McDonald, Molloy and Bush all notched hits of their own. Dylan Rankin and Boyle were exceptional from behind the plate for the Royals, throwing out four Vaughan runners.
Pitching was the story of the game for the Royals in their next outing versus the Barrie Baycats, as Boyle and Taylor held Barrie to only two hits and no earned runs over five innings. Orillia nursed a 3-2 lead heading into the fourth inning, until a combination of strong hitting and costly Barrie errors allowed the Royals to plate nine runs and finish the game with a 14-2 win. Molloy, Klingspohn, Rankin and Nichol all had multiple hits for Orillia, and Boyle and Timpano also had timely hits to cash in runs.
Sunday morning saw Orillia taking on the Richmond Hill Phoenix. The Royals took control of the game right away with three runs in the first inning and they never looked back for a 13-2 win. Rankin, Taylor and Nichol shared duties on the mound and held Richmond Hill to only five hits and one earned run in the contest. Orillia’s offence was led by Rankin who went 3-for-3. Molloy, Nichol and McDonald each had multiple hits, as did Boyle who pounded an inside-the-park home run.
The Royals capped off their perfect playoff run with a 15-1 drubbing of the Aurora-King Jays in the final game of the tournament. Klingspohn was practically untouchable on the mound for Orillia, pitching a complete game and allowing only three hits. After missing Saturday’s games, Kyle Heckendorn joined the lineup and got in on the action for Orillia, scoring a run and knocking in 2 RBI. Klingspohn, Bush and Timpano each had multiple hits for the Royals, and Boyle, Molloy, Rankin, Taylor, Pritchard, McDonald and Inglis all had hits of their own.
It was a fantastic year for the Minor Bantam Royals, finishing with a regular season and playoff record of 21 wins, 2 ties and 0 losses. They won the Clarington Spring Classic tournament in May, and made it to the elimination round in every other tournament in which they played through the year, compiling a final record of 33 wins, 4 ties and only 3 losses.
“I can’t say enough about how hard the players worked and how well the team came together this year,” said the team's head coach, Tim Timpano. “That includes our sponsors, parents, family members, players, and my fellow team officials; it was a special thing to be a part of, and the best part is that it isn’t over yet.”
The Royals will now proudly represent the York Simcoe Baseball Association at the provincial championships being held on Labour Day weekend in LaSalle, Ontario.
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