We are the Champions
The Williamsburg Junior Senior Pioneers travelled to Cornwall on the weekend of July 28-30, for the Upper Canada Little League Championship Tournament. After a shaky start to the tournament, the Pioneers turned it around winning their third consecutive championship. The Pioneers championship team are (not in order): Nolan Henry, Kendrew Byers, Tory Barnett, Dean Lapier, Brendan Shaver, McLean Machan, Thomas Rae, Noah Keeler, Aaron Vanderzweep, Devon Swindells, Raiden Irvine, Parker Baker, Isaiah Summers and Isaac Cummins. Coaches are Ben Henry, Doug “Torchy” Barnett and David Lapier.          Courtesy photo

Jeff Moore
Record Staff
CORNWALL—The Williamsburg Junior Senior Pioneers travelled to Cornwall on the weekend of July 28-30, for the Upper Canada Little league championship tournament. The Pioneers opened the tournament against the home-team Cornwall on Friday night, then on Saturday they took on the Brockville # 2 Braves in the round robin portion of the tournament.

The Pioneers took on the Braves again later on Saturday afternoon and moved on to the semifinal on Sunday morning against the Cornwall team. After defeating the home team the Pioneers went into the championship game against the Winchester Red Sox later on Sunday.

Pioneers 9 Red Sox 4
In the championship game, the Pioneers faced their arch enemy the Winchester Red Sox who had beaten them twice during the regular season 14-13 in Winchester and 13-9 in a rain-soaked game in Williamsburg. The Pioneers were the visitors in this game but had a lot of momentum heading into the game.

The Pioneers jumped out to an early 3-0 lead scoring three in the top of the first inning but the Red Sox had an answer to that scoring four runs getting through their whole batting order to take a 4-3 lead. The Pioneers went three up and three down in the top of the second inning.

The Red Sox couldn’t take advantage only getting four to the dish. The Pioneers took their second lead of the game in the top of the third scoring two runs making it 5-4. The Red Sox pressed but could not score the equalizer in the bottom the inning.

The Pioneers got six batters to the plate but left two in scoring position in the top of the fourth. The Red Sox struggled in the bottom of the inning as the side struck out allowing the Pioneers to take the 5-4 lead into the fifth inning.

The Pioneers only got three to the dish again in the top the fifth. The Red Sox side struck out again in the bottom the fifth heading into the final inning. The Pioneers got some insurance markers in the top of the sixth scoring four runs taking a 9-4 lead. The Pioneers’ pitcher Tory Barnett struck out the next three Red Sox batters as the Pioneers took the game 9-4 and the Upper Canada Little League championship.

Scoring the runs for the champs were Nolan Henry with three, Kendrew Byers with two and Brendan Shaver, Barnett, Dean Lapier and Raiden Irvine each scored singles. Pitching for the Pioneers were Henry in the first and second inning, Lapier in the third and fourth and Barnett in the fifth and sixth.

Pioneers 10 Cornwall 5 (7)
After knocking off the third place team the Brockville #2 Braves, the Pioneers moved on to the semifinal against the top seed in the round robin Cornwall #1. The Pioneers lost to Cornwall in the first game of the tournament 10-8 but looked to move on to the final against the winner of the A pool.

The Pioneers got out to a slow start only getting four batters to the plate none of which made it around the bases. Cornwall opened the scoring in the bottom of the inning with a single but only got five to the plate. The Pioneers got four to the dish in the top the second but again couldn’t make it count.

The Pioneers’ defence bent but didn’t break as Cornwall got six to the plate but none made it home. The Pioneers got five batters to the plate in the top of the third but couldn’t score leaving two runners in scoring position.

Cornwall got five to the plate in the bottom of the third and scored a single taking a 2-0 lead. The Pioneers’ woes continued into the fourth inning but they did manage to get six batters to the plate. Cornwall couldn’t take advantage in the bottom of the inning but took a 2-0 leading the fifth. The Pioneers offence kicked it up a gear scoring five runs in the top of the fifth inning taking a 5-2 lead.

Cornwall got two runs across the dish in the bottom of the fifth making a 5-4 game heading into the final inning. The Pioneers got seven to the plate in the top of the sixth but failed to get any around the pads. Cornwall needed a single to tie the game and send it into extra innings and they did with just a single to make it 5-5.

In the top of the seventh inning the Pioneers came up huge with a five run inning taking a 10-5 lead. Cornwall had no answer in the bottom of the inning as the Pioneers took the game 10-5 moving on to the Upper Canada Little League championship game against the Pool B winners the Winchester Red Sox.

Scoring the runs for the Pioneers were Nolan Henry, Parker Baker, and Isaiah Summers with two each and Brendan Shaver, Thomas Rae, Mclean Machan, and Raiden Irvine scored singles. Pitching for the Pioneers were Henry in the first inning, Dean Lapier in the second and third, Henry again in the fourth, Tory Barnett in the fifth and sixth and Rae in the seventh.

Pioneers 12 Braves 2
The first team the Pioneers played in the knockout round was the Brockville #2 Braves who they just beat earlier in the day 13-0. The winner of this match would go on to face Cornwall #1 who finished first in Pool B.

The Braves had no luck in the top of the first going three up and three down but the Pioneers were smoking hot scoring four runs in the bottom half of the inning taking a 4-0 lead. The Braves didn’t fare any better in the top of the second only getting three batters to the plate.

The Pioneers really put it to the Braves in the bottom of the inning scoring five more runs taking a 9-0 lead. The Braves got five batters to the dish in the top of the third but were unable to cash. The Pioneers’ bats dried up only getting three hitters to the plate only one made it on base.

The Braves finally hit the score sheet scoring two runs in the top of the fourth inning making it a 9-2 game but the Pioneers answered with another three runs in the bottom of the inning taking the game 12-2.

Scoring the runs for the Pioneers were Brendan Shaver with three, Nolan Henry, Tory Barnett and Isaiah Summers each scored two and Kendrew Byers, Devon Swindells and Raiden Irvine scored singles. Pitching for the Pioneers were Henry in the first, Barnett in the second and third and Thomas Rae in the fourth.

Pioneers 13 Braves 0
The Williamsburg Junior Senior Pioneers travelled to Cornwall on Sat. July 29, for their second game of the round robin of the Upper Canada Little League championship tournament. After dropping their first game to Cornwall the Pioneers were in a must-win predicament as they faced the Brockville #2 Braves.

The Pioneers only allowed four Braves to the plate in the top of the first inning and the Pioneer bats were hot early scoring three runs in the bottom of the inning taking a 3-0 lead into the second. The Pioneers’ pitcher Dean Lapier mowed down the first three batters he faced but the Pioneers failed to take advantage.

The Braves only got four batters to the dish in the top of the third but none were able to get anywhere.The Pioneers added another five runs in the bottom of the third taking a 8-0 lead after three. The Braves had nothing again in the top of the fourth only getting five batters to the plate but were unable to score.

In the bottom of the fourth Pioneers last at bat they scored another five runs taking a 13-0 lead. The Pioneers took the game 13-0 and headed to the quarter final game.

Scoring the runs for the Pioneers were Kendrew Byers, Tory Barnett, Isaiah Summers and Thomas Rae with two each, Nolan Henry, Brendan Shaver, Devon Swindells, Dean Lapier, Mclean Machan each scored singles. Pitching for the Pioneers were Henry in the first inning, Lapier in the second and third and Rae in the fourth.

Cornwall 10 Pioneers 8
The Williamsburg Junior Senior Pioneers travelled to Cornwall on Fri., July 28, for the Upper Canada Little league championship tournament to take on the home team Cornwall #1. The Pioneers finished the regular season in second place behind the Winchester Red Sox.

The Pioneers were placed in the A Division Pool #2 as the first seed with third place Cornwall and fifth place Brockville #2 Braves. Cornwall scored the only run of the first inning as their lead hitter made the round trip to take a 1-0 lead.

The Pioneers scored two runs in the second inning and held Cornwall of the scoresheet taking a 2-1 lead into the third inning. Cornwall notched four runs in the top of the third but the Pioneers only answered with a single making it 5-3.

Cornwall exploded with four runs in the top of the fourth but the Pioneers answer with two making it 9-5 heading to the fifth inning. The Pioneers held Cornwall off the score sheet in the top of the fifth and tried to make a comeback but they fell just short scoring only three runs dropping their first game of the tournament 10-8.

Scoring the runs for the Pioneers were Nolan Henry, Kendrew Byers, Dean Lapier, Tory Barnett, Devon Swindells, Isaac Cummins, Noah Keeler and Brendan Shaver.Pitching for the Pioneers were Henry in the first inning, Lapier in the second and third, Thomas Rae in the fourth and Tory Barnett in the fifth.