Padres power past Cardinals to clinch back-to-back title
The Creemore Padres are North Dufferin Baseball League (NDBL) junior division champions for the second consecutive season, defeating the Innisfil Cardinals 10-0 in Game 4 on Aug. 21.
The two rivals, who also met in last year’s final, began the championship series on Aug. 13. The series was disrupted by rain, with three games postponed. Game 4 was delayed twice before finally being played in Innisfil.
The opening games were split, with Creemore taking Game 1 by an 11-1 score, and Innisfil edging the Padres 3-2 in Game 2.
In Game 3 on Aug. 18, the teams traded runs early, with Innisfil leading 5-4 after two innings.
Creemore responded with two runs in the third to retake the lead, added four in the fifth, and three more in the sixth. Innisfil scored once in both the fifth and sixth innings, but the game was called due to darkness before the seventh, giving Creemore a 13-7 win.
Both teams delivered big hits in the game. Brady Wynne hit a two-run homer for the Cardinals, while Michael Dawe tripled. Sebastien Pasquali and Caden Firlotte each doubled, and singles came from Tyrus Harper, Jackson Levely, Ethan Robertsonand Pasquali.
Creemore racked up 16 hits, including a three-run homer from Josh Hanley and a two-run shot from Seth Walker. Liam Reynolds had a standout performance at the plate with two singles and two doubles. Joseph Parke, Aidan Pain and Ben Nicholson each had two singles, while Danny Herman, Nic Guthrie, Dale Critchley and Anson Dupuis added one hit apiece.
Justin Goldie started on the mound for Innisfil, pitching five innings and allowing 10 runs on 12 hits. He walked four, hit one batter and struck out five.
Caden Biemiller pitched one inning in relief, giving up three runs on four hits and walking one.
Creemore’s Trent Hill pitched 4 1/3 innings, giving up six runs on three hits, walking three and striking out two.
Pain closed out the game with 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on one hit and striking out one.
In the final game, the Padres dominated, scoring one run in the second inning, four in the third, two in the fourth, two in the sixth and one in the seventh.
The Cardinals had scoring chances leaving 12 runners on base. In the first inning, they loaded the bases, but Creemore’s ace Guthrie struck out the next three batters to escape the jam.
Only four Innisfil players recorded hits: Aidan Farrow doubled, while Brennan Hedrick, Dawe and Pasquali each singled.
Creemore’s offence was powered by three home runs from Herman, Guthrie and Dupuis. Dupuis also singled, as did Pain, Nicholson and Dylan Brown.
Guthrie’s pitching was key to the win. Over five innings, he allowed no runs on three hits, walked seven and struck out 14.
Pain was called in for relief again, and pitched the final two innings, giving up one hit and striking out one.
Dawe started for Innisfil, allowing seven runs on five hits over 4 2/3 innings. He walked six, hit one batter and struck out three.
Noah Ubogi entered in the fifth to record the final out and pitched the last two innings, giving up three runs on two hits, hitting one batter and striking out one.
After the game, league secretary and junior division convenor Scott Anderson presented the Anderson Trophy to Brady Reynolds, Luke Millsap and Wylie Ferris of Creemore. The trio accepted the hardware on behalf of the team as back-to-back NDBL champions.
David Anderson photo: The Creemore Padres won their second-straight NDBL 2025 junior division championship on Aug. 21. From left: Brady Reynolds, coach Chris Hayward, Tait Lightheart, Ben Nicholson, Luke Millsap, Aiden Pain, Josh McBride, Dale Critchley, Joseph Parke, Logan Sheppard, Danny Herman, Nolan Reynolds, Alexander Johnston, Jacob Armstrong, coach Jesse McIntyre, coach Tim Armstrong. Front row, from left: Seth Walker, Josh Hanley, Anson Dupuis, Dylan Brown, Nic Guthrie, Lukas Hayward, Wylie Ferris, Josh Young, Liam Reynolds. Missing from photo:Griffin MacIntyre, Trent Hill, Timmy Herman.
