This time it wasn't a cliche – the Tavistock U20 Athletics really did save their best for last.
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This time it wasn’t a cliché – the Tavistock U20 Athletics really did save their best for last.
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Needing a win in their final round-robin game at the Softball Canada national fast pitch championships in Napanee, the A’s avoided at least two extra games and shortened their potential path to the final with an 8-1 victory Friday night over the Haldimand Heat.
Tavistock then knocked off the host Express 12-6 Saturday evening, punching its ticket in the championship. The Athletics wrapped up a national title Sunday afternoon with an 8-3 win over Napanee.
“Our best three games were the last three,” head coach Jeff Roth said. “We just got better and peaked at the right time.”
Tavistock went 6-1 in the round-robin, with its only loss coming against the Express. The A’s stumbled in the spotlight, and nerves contributed to some sloppy defence that handed Napanee extra outs, Roth said.
That wasn’t an issue the next two meetings.
“Kids played relaxed and good defence and had good at bats,” Roth said. “We just came out (well), and I was proud of how they played under pressure.”
Tavistock erased an early 2-0 deficit in the final with six straight runs, with four coming in the third.
Ben Redmond went 3-for-3 in the final with a solo home run. Aaron Waugh singled, doubled and drove in three, Drayton Howell went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, Justin Roth had two hits and scored and Blair Bender and Thomas Isert Bender each had an RBI and combined to score three times.
A’s pitcher Will Schlotzhauer went the distance, allowing three runs on 10 hits with nine strikeouts.
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Howell led Tavistock for the tournament with a .567 average on 17 hits, adding 14 RBI and 11 runs. He didn’t strike out in 30 at bats.
Schlotzhauer, Howell and Chad Brown combined to post a 3.56 earned-run average and 1.51 WHIP over 55 innings. They struck out 72 and walked 21.
A handful of A’s were on the U17 team a few years ago that won a national title in Innerkip.
“This group just gets along,” Roth said. “They have fun, they were staying focused, staying sharp and playing good games. Everyone (13 players) played and contributed. I know everyone says that, but it really was the case.”
Tavistock Merchants win national U20 fast pitch title - Stratford Beacon-Herald
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