OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, August 5, 2009 · 26 Whitecaps start 1-1 at provincials After splitting their first two games, the Oakville Whitecaps needed a win yesterday (Tuesday) to advance to the semifinal round of the Little League Ontario Minor Championship at Cornwall Park. The Whitecaps were scheduled to face the Brockville Braves yesterday afternoon in a game that ended after the Beaver's press deadline. The winner would move on to play the Windsor South Canadians in the semifinal at 4:30 p.m. today (Wednesday). The loser would be out. Toronto's High Park Braves defeated Windsor yesterday in a clash of the tournament's two undefeated teams, clinching a spot in the final. Under the tournament's doubleelimination format, High Park could still win the title if it were to lose tomorrow's (Thursday's) first game of the final round. The second game of the final would be played Friday. The Braves handed Oakville its first loss of the tournament Saturday, blanking the Whitecaps 10-0. Cam Dyck, Clarke McCallum and Jakob Newton had Oakville's only hits. The Whitecaps stayed alive Monday with a 5-0 win over the East Nepean Eagles. Owen Jansen pitched a complete game and added a double for Oakville, while Justin McKenna and Dyck each scored twice. McCallum scored the other run for the Whitecaps, who turned two key double plays behind Jansen. Cornwall Park is located on Cornwall Road, east of Trafalgar Road. Blazers' pitcher goes all 10 innings Continued from page 25 Transport Canada approved Real Canadian Superstore - Oakville p 201 Oak Park Boulevard Monday - August 10, 6:00pm - 9:00pm Monday - September 14, 6:00pm - 9:00pm as she slid into home plate. "I didn't know where (the ball) was, but if it was there (at the plate) I didn't want to get tagged standing up." Second basemen Kristy Noble cashed in Castiglione on the next pitch with a single into centre field. Blazers pitcher Shanna Wilson, who had been deadlocked in an exciting pitching battle with tournament MVP Jayce Affeldt, now had a lead to work with and disposed of the Fusion in the bottom of the 10th for the complete-game victory. "This was the longest game I have ever pitched," said an exhausted Wilson. "I got hit in the wrist early in the game and it kind of hurt, but I was driven to push through it. Adrenaline got me through it." Affeldt, who also pitched a nohitter and a perfect game earlier in the tournament, drove in the first run of Sunday's final and later scored to give the top-seeded Fusion a 2-0 lead in the first inning. The Blazers' comeback began in the top of the fifth inning on a tworun home run by Noble to tie the game 2-2. The teams remained in that 2-2 deadlock until the 10th. Although she played for Brampton in the tournament, Helmer said that living in Oakville played a role in her success throughout the championships. "It was great; I live five minutes away, so I just slept in every morning and then came over (to the park)," said Helmer. "I was able to do my laundry every night. It was a pretty great time." Preparing for youth worlds Following the championship game, Helmer, Noble, Castiglione, Wilson and Affeldt became allies. The five players participated in Softball Canada's U-16 development camp at Trafalgar Park in preparation for the Easton Foundation Youth World Cup, which begins next week in Prague, Czech Republic. Team Canada coach Tony Foti believes Helmer's size and athleticism give her a unique skill set and allow her to be a threat at numerous positions in the field. "She's an athlete," said Foti. "She's a combination of size and power. She's tall at 5'11" and runs extremely well, has power when she hits, and plays shortstop and first base, which is rare to be honest. Usually, if you're a middle infielder, you're too good to play corner. Or vice versa, if you're corner, you're not good enough to play the middle of the infield. She can do both, and we're going to look at her in the outfield a little bit, also." Register by phone 1.866.688.2628 or online at 203-1568 Carling Ave. Ottawa, ON K1Z 7M4 Up-and-down tournament for Angels B E T T E R ! 9 L O C A T I O N S WHY WHEN THE GOVERNMENT IS PAYING OVER 50% OFF THE PRICE OF YOUR NEW FURNACE & A/C $ * Cash Up to Back WAIT? T O S E R V E Y O U AND GOV. CASH BACK UP TO UP TO UP TO UP TO $3580 + $1000 + $550 + $1350 MANUFACTURERS CASH BACK HYDRO CASH BACK TAX CREDIT *Call for details. Financing Available NO PAYMENT! NO INTEREST! FOR 6 MONTHS *OAC OVER 60,000 SATISFIED CUSTOMERS 6480 LIMITED TIME A+ Rating 9 Locations To Serve You Better! www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 905-849-4998 The Bantam Girls Canadian Fast Pitch Championship was certainly a roller coaster ride for the Oakville Angels. The tournament hosts started the competition with three straight losses, then won three in a row to qualify for the playoff round. The Angels were eliminated with a 2-0 loss to the Regina Lazers, finishing the championships in eighth place. "We did pretty well," said Oakville head coach Dean Wilcox. "We faced some tough pitching those first games, a couple national team pitchers." That included an 8-0 loss Thursday to the eventual silver-medalist Fraser Valley Fusion, a game in which the Angels were no-hit by Jayce Affeldt. Oakville responded well to that defeat, however. The Angels scratched out a 3-2 victory over the Richmond Islanders that night, then pounded the Red Deer Riot 7-0 and blanked the Winnipeg Lightning 2-0 to conclude the preliminary round. Wilcox said a main highlight of the tournament for the Angels was beating the Islanders, who went on to win bronze. Jennifer Wilcox drove home the winning run in the victory over Richmond, with Brittney Parkes earning the complete-game win. Parkes was solid throughout the tournament, also tossing the shutout against Winnipeg. Allison Telfer went the distance in the blanking of Red Deer. Dean Wilcox was pleased with the team's pitching and defence, but felt the Angels struggled at the plate. "We only hit about .200 in the tournament," he said. "We faced some strong pitching, but I would say in some of those games we should have been hitting (better) as well." The coach added he was impressed by the British Columbia teams' improvement since the 2007 peewee nationals, when Oakville finished second in Winnipeg. Last weekend brought a conclusion to the Angels' season. Most players on the team are eligible to return next year. -- Jon Kuiperij OAKVILLE SOCCER CLUB Over 60,000 Satisfied Customers THE BIGGEST SALE EVER Week Eleven Photo Contest Winner: $500 OFF 905-849-4998 www.aireone.com 1-888-827-2665 Steve West # Best Price # Best Service # Same Day Installation Available # Eligible for O.P.A. & Governement Rebate Buy From Largest Lennox Dealer in Ontario & Save $$$. A+ Rating 9 LOCATIONS TO SERVE YOU BETTER *See dealer for details Sponsored by: The Oakville Beaver and A Proud Sponsor of Oakville Soccer Club