15U Nationals pulls off dramatic win in season opener

Stratford Nationals and Brantford Red Sox exchange postgame handshakes at National Stadium on May 7.

Will Molenhuis delivered a walk-off RBI single, winning the Stratford 15U Nationals' 2026 season opener with a 10-9 victory over the Brantford Red Sox at the blustering Stratford National Stadium on May 7.

In the first inning, after the Red Sox scored first on a two-out hit on the top half, the Nationals responded with a furious five-run outburst in their half of the inning, putting the home side up 5-1.

Brantford pounded the Stratford starting pitcher Jackson Goebel in the second and third innings to close the deficit to within two runs, but Stratford led 6-4 through three. Goebel pitched four batters in the fourth inning before being relieved by Cole Morris after giving up a run to cut the Nationals' lead to 6-5. Morris gave up the one-out triple, giving the visitors an 8-6 lead.

But the Nationals responded with a two-run RBI single from Landen McCann as he overcame an 0-2 count to provide the crucial game-tying hit. After Morris retired the order in a much-needed bounce-back fifth inning, the Nationals retook the lead on a two-out RBI base hit from Max Barter.

After a scoreless sixth inning, the Red Sox tied the game in the top of the seventh. The game went into extra innings, and after Morris and the Nationals retired the Red Sox in order, the Red Sox capitalized on their opportunity to score the winning run, with Molenhuis delivering the game-closing hit.

Morris, the winning pitcher, delivered a valiant relief effort, striking out five batters and allowing three runs over three innings in place of starter Goebel.

Stratford coach Rick Boon was pleased with the team’s efforts in the win, vowing to build on the win by improving the fundamentals.

“We got up to an early lead, which was important. We said, ‘We want to jump up early.’ And they just kept battling back at us. We kept fighting and fighting. … It wasn't just a one-person effort. It was an effort by everybody. We did some really key things,” Boon said.

“Just building each week on what we've accomplished this week. We had a couple hit and runs, we had a couple of bunts that were successful and running the bases as well, and we had good starting pitching. So we want to make sure that we get at least half a game out of each of our starters, and then we can go to a bullpen, which is good.”

Boon commended Morris, the winning pitcher, who delivered a valiant relief effort, striking out five batters and allowing three runs over three innings in place of starter Goebel.

“Mo (Morris) did a good job coming with pen. He didn't get much of a chance to warm up because he was at shortstop, but when he came in this after that, he lived off his slider, which I said to him before the game, you have to go with what's working the best, and the slider was working the best for him. He was able to mix in the fastball, and he kept them off balance,” Boon said.

Stratford is set to play again next week on May 14 against the Waterloo Tigers at National Stadium. The game will start at 7 p.m.