Over Labour Day weekend, the Creemore Cardinals 15U AA baseball team wrote their names in the history books with a combination of resilience and dominance to capture the Ontario Baseball Association championship. Although the AA classification is designated for centres with a population of 30,000 or more households, smaller towns like Creemore are welcome to enter and compete at that level if they choose.
Facing a 12-team double- knockout tournament, the Cardinals won convincingly by rattling off six consecutive victories to claim the provincial crown and cap off an incredible season.
The Cardinals wasted no time making their presence felt, though the tournament opener tested their nerves early. Playing East York in Game 1, Creemore jumped out to a commanding 9-2 lead by the third inning. However, East York battled back, forcing extra innings before the Cardinals ultimately prevailed 13-12.
Creemore’s offence exploded over the next four games. Game 2 was a 17-2 rout of the Barrie Baycats highlighted by a massive 10-run second inning. Keenan Reynolds tossed a complete game, while Dylan Rayburn chipped in with two runs and two RBIs. A 13-2 victory over the Burlington Bulls followed, led by Drew Hamilton who threw five strong innings to earn the win. The fourth game was a meeting of the two remaining undefeated teams in the tournament; however, another lopsided win against the Scarborough Stingers clearly made Creemore the team to beat. Game 4 featured a grand slam by
Thomas Weldon while Cooper Duits earned the win throwing three shut-out innings and Sterling Haines came out of the bullpen to lock down the game.
On Sunday morning four teams remained. Creemore knocked out the Oakville A’s with a 14-4 win. Kade Ascai dominated on the mound, pitching four stellar innings and surrendering just a single run. This left just two teams after the Barrie Baycats knocked out Scarborough.
Having advanced through the bracket undefeated, the Cardinals met the Barrie Baycats once more in the title game. Because of the double-knockout format, Barrie faced the daunting task of having to beat Creemore twice.
Instead, it was the Cardinals who seized the moment in what was the best- played game of the entire tournament. In a tense battle, Creemore made the most of their scoring chances to edge out a 5-4 victory. Nate Patterson started the scoring for Creemore after leading off with a single in the second inning and eventually scoring on an RBI fielder’s choice by Rhys Rowbotham. Evan Wells delivered a championship performance, pitching six brilliant innings and providing a massive spark on the base paths by stealing home in the third inning. In the fourth inning, Grayson Fisher drew a patient bases-loaded walk that ignited a crucial three-run rally. When the dust settled, reliever Reece Fuller stepped up to shut the door and earn the save, securing the OBA championship banner for Creemore.
Congratulations to the Cardinals on a legendary 38-5 season and an unforgettable provincial championship run.
