Brantford Red Sox 11U Select show remarkable growth with semifinal finish in Mississauga
- Jul 21
- 4 min read
Casandra Turnbull
Managing Editor
A season that has tested the resilience of the Brantford Red Sox 11U Select team may have reached its turning point this weekend.
After enduring a slow start to the year, with several close league losses and just one tournament victory to their name, the young Red Sox put together their strongest performance of the season at the Ontario Baseball Association 11U Select Tournament in Mississauga, advancing to the semifinals against some tough select competition.
The tournament, held July 17-19, featured 12 teams from across the Greater Toronto Area, Kitchener-Waterloo, Cambridge and Brantford. Brantford finished fourth in round-robin play with a 2-1 record before falling 16-9 to Burlington in a hard-fought semifinal.
For head coach Pierre Saucier, the result was about much more than wins and losses.
"This was the first season with player pitching for most of our team, as they've come up through the younger divisions where pitching machines were still used," said Saucier. "On top of that, the majority of our roster is made up of 10-year-olds playing in an 11U division, so there was a lot to learn. The adjustment to both pitching and hitting against live pitching came with a steep learning curve, but the growth they've shown has been incredible. They've become much more confident on the mound and at the plate, and it's been great to see how much they've developed over the course of the season."
The Red Sox are also a select team, meaning players continue developing their skills through Brantford Minor Baseball's recreational program while competing at the representative level. For many players, this season marks their first exposure to select baseball.
Their improvement has been evident throughout the season. Earlier this year, Brantford suffered a mercy-rule loss to the Cambridge Cubs. This weekend, the Red Sox turned the tables, defeating Cambridge 14-4 by mercy rule to clinch a semifinal berth.
Brantford opened the tournament Friday with an impressive 16-1 victory over the Ajax Spartans. The offence produced 10 hits, led by Elijah Robinson's two-RBI performance, highlighted by a stand-up triple to right field. Robinson, Kennedy Robdrup, Eli Forbes and Jordan Bell each recorded two hits as the Red Sox bats came alive. They also showed patience at the plate and racked up 30 stolen bases, with Ben Turnbull, Aria Steeves, Mavrick Todd, Marty Thomson, and Mathias Santos leading the team with two free passes each and all of them coming around to score runs on heads up base running. One of the game's top defensive plays came when Forbes delivered a pinpoint throw from behind the plate to Turnbull at third base to erase an Ajax runner attempting to steal, showcasing the Red Sox's sharp defensive play.
Jacob Saucier earned the start on the mound, striking out five over 1 2/3 hitless innings before Bell and Mathias Santos combined to finish the game.
The Red Sox dropped their second game 13-2 to Burlington despite making consistent contact at the plate. Brantford struggled to capitalize on scoring opportunities, while Burlington's offence found gaps in the defence. Heavy rain during the final two innings further hampered any comeback attempt.
Needing a win to reach the playoffs, Brantford delivered one of its best performances of the season, defeating Cambridge 14-4.
Forbes led the offence with a perfect 3-for-3 outing, including a triple, double and single. Bell and Turnbull each drove in two runs with hot hits, while the Red Sox drew 10 walks, stole 26 bases and once again played flawless defence without committing an error. In one inning, Todd cleanly fielded three back-to-back outs at second base to shut down Cambridge’s offensive attempt. Thomson earned the start on the mound, with Bell providing a scoreless inning in relief.
The semifinal offered another opportunity to measure the team's progress against Burlington, a club that had already defeated Brantford earlier in the tournament and won a tournament championship this season.
This time, the Red Sox refused to back down.
Brantford built an early lead and was tied 9-9 entering the fifth inning after Nick Richardson doubled down the left-field line to even the score. Ben Parker had a nice catch in thee outfield, turning away Burlington’s hot bats. They ultimately pulled away late for the 16-9 victory, but the Red Sox proved they could compete with one of the tournament's strongest teams.
"The biggest difference this weekend was their mindset," said Saucier. "From the very first game, they believed they could win. They played with confidence, stayed focused, and competed hard every inning. They never took their foot off the gas and kept battling right through to the final out on Sunday."
While the tournament ended one game short of the championship, Saucier believes the weekend reflected how far the players have come since the season began.
"I'm incredibly proud of how much they've grown—not just as baseball players, but as teammates," he said. "On the field, they're making routine plays consistently, communicating well, and playing with confidence. Off the field, they've become a true baseball family. They lift each other up during the tough moments, celebrate every success together, and genuinely enjoy playing for one another. That team-first culture is something every coach hopes to build, and these kids have embraced it this weekend."
The team is coached by Pierre Saucier, Sarah Saucier, Matt Parker and Brad Clahane, whose commitment to developing each player's individual skills has helped guide the young Red Sox through a season defined by steady growth, resilience and confidence.
Their semifinal appearance in Mississauga may not have ended with a championship, but it demonstrated just how far the team has come. They will take that momentum and confidence into their next tournament in Windsor July 31-August 2.
Comments