Wranglers 13U celebrate final four appearance at Baseball Canada nationals

Woodstock’s Ty Nadalin eases his way down the third baseline, watched closely by Wranglers third-base coach Sean Reilly. (Jeff Tribe Photo)

Jeff Tribe, Echo Correspondent

Last year, Lukas Lattimer’s baseball team competed in a tournament in Cooperstown, New York, highlighted by a visit to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum featuring its ‘original five’ inductees.

“I don’t know all of them,” he confessed. “But I know Babe Ruth was part of it.”

A competitive sojourn to Cooperstown featuring a brush with historical greatness has to rank as a signature moment for a baseball player of any age. It did, although compared to a final four appearance at Baseball Canada 13U National Championships in Woodstock, it admittedly stands second-best in Lattimer’s personal pantheon.

“This is a lot better I think.”

“It was really fun,” agreed Woodstock Wranglers 13U teammate Chase Ireton, an assessment including not only the elevated level of competition, but its location.

“In front of your home crowd.”

The Wranglers succumbed 20-10 to a powerful Whitby, Ontario A team in the bronze final on Sunday, Aug. 24 at Southside West Diamond. The game opened with offensive fireworks, Woodstock trailing 6-4 after a combined ten-run first inning.

Ontario A was pressing again in the top of the third with runners at first and second and one out when the Wranglers’ Jaxson Lee fielded a sharply hit Hudson Cammisuli ground ball at short. For a second, it looked as though he might take it to the bag at second himself, before pitching to Lattimer, covering. Under pressure from approaching Whitby baserunner Ray Griffin, Lattimer pivoted, firing a strike to Liam Roper at first to complete the inning-ending double play.

“I saw he was too far from the bag to take it,” Lattimer recalled.

The Wranglers built offensively on the momentum of the twin killing, Drew Klein-Geltink leading off the home third with a two-strike single to centre. Lee followed with a base hit between third and short, Connor Link loading the bases as a hit batsman. Klein-Geltink alertly scampered home on a wild pitch blocked a short distance along the first baseline, Lee following on a slow Sullivan Forbes groundout to first.

Ireton capped the four-run frame with a two-run homer over the 235-foot sign in centre field.

“Up and in, fastball,” he summed up succinctly.

Woodstock’s 8-6 lead was short-lived. Whitby answered with a six-run top of the fourth, highlighted by an Alexander Penny grand slam. Ontario A added five runs in the fifth to effectively take control of the game, rounding the final with three in the visitors’ seventh.

Colton Scott stroked a leadoff home run for Woodstock, his second of the tournament, to open a four-run first inning. One of seven additions to the Wranglers roster allowed under Baseball Canada rules for the national tournament, he echoed his teammates’ assessment of the quality experience.

“I think we really bonded together,” he added. “That’s why I think we played so well.”

Lee and Forbes followed with singles, a Link double and an error at short on an Ireton plate appearance, accounting for three additional Woodstock runs. Lee singled, Forbes walked and both scored in the home fifth, an inning also including an Ireton single and a Jacob Baron double.

Ireton was named the Wranglers’ player of the game, going 2 for 3 at the plate and pitching the final three innings.

“They were good and liked to attack,” he credited. “And hit really well.”

The Woodstock Wranglers 13U rode a crowd-pleasing 3-0 round-robin performance (14-2 over Quebec 2, 12-2 over New Brunswick, and 13-3 over Newfoundland and Labrador) into the quarterfinals. As hosts, the Wranglers had entered the tournament without expectations, said manager Mitch Lattimer.

“Kind of playing with house money if you will,” he said, pleased with his team’s performance.

Woodstock faced British Columbia 2 in the quarterfinals, up 8-1 early and 10-3 as the game advanced, but BC chipped away to tie the game up. Klein-Geltink came on to pitch, shutting British Columbia down for two innings. The Wranglers walked it off 11-10 in the bottom of the ninth as he scored from second on a Lee base hit into centre field.

“Hit a little dribbler up the middle, just got under the shortstop’s glove,” said Scott.

Trailing early to Ontario 2, the Wranglers battled back to drop a close 8-5 decision in their championship semi-final early Sunday afternoon. British Columbia 1 edged Whitby, Ontario 1, 4-3 in the other semi. Ontario 2 ultimately prevailed 12-2 over British Columbia in the championship game.

“Awesome weekend, great baseball, a lot of great talent from across the country here,” said Baseball Canada representative Dirk Driederg.

“The hosts have been outstanding,” he continued, crediting a combination of facilities and organization extending to off-field activities for the players, surpassing even the great job the Friendly City did hosting a nationals two years previous. “They’ve taken their game up even higher this year.”

Every player will not share in a championship, Driederg concluded, but each had the opportunity to create special memories.

“And last them for a lifetime, quite frankly.”

The 13U nationals brought together the best of the best of the best in age group players and teams, the Wranglers proving they belonged in the mix.

“We were right there,” Lattimer continued of a fourth-place finish. Obviously, picking up some hardware along the way would have been preferable, but Woodstock’s performance had been undeniably remarkable.

“Can’t be prouder of them.”

With nationals in the rear-view mirror, the Wranglers’ focus, along with other Woodstock Minor Baseball Association compatriots, shifts to Ontario Baseball Association tournaments scheduled for the Labour Day weekend. Coming off their fourth Inter-County Baseball Association (ICBA) Tier I title in five years and last year’s OBA 12U AA victory, the 13U Wranglers have elected to compete at the AAA level in Vaughan.

“We’ll be the smallest centre by a mile,” Lattimer concluded. “But we’ll play our hearts out and hope for the best.”