U13 OBA "AA" Champions!
In magical
fashion the Lasalle Titans U13 AA team earned their FOURTH consecutive
OBA Championship!
Rookie Major 2018 OBA A Champions
Mosquito Minor
2019 OBA AA Champions
-- 2020 Covid Year –
Pee Wee Minor 2021 OBA AA Champions
Pee Wee Major 2022 OBA AA Champions
After a
season that included many ups and downs, and new experiences playing in a
couple AAA tournaments, Elite ball in Michigan, and a week-long baseball
experience in Branson Missouri this group of 12 entered this year’s OBA
tournament prepared to compete.
After a Game 1 12-4 victory over Brantford, the boys followed up with 3 consecutive wins Saturday. In the sun and heat behind exceptional pitching they gutted out an 8-3 victory against Burlington, followed by a hot hitting 14-2 win against Leaside, and finished with a dominate 17-9 win against Seaway.
In their 5th game Sunday morning they were matched up against and exceptional Cambridge Cubs team. The same team they snatched the AA title from in 2019. In this match up family and fans were treated to some of the best baseball you will ever see at 13 years old. Dominate pitching from both teams meant things like elite defence, baserunning and timely hits proved to be the difference in a 7-6 win and trip to the Championship match up.
The Championship would prove to be this group of 2009 born ball players their toughest challenge. Facing a Leaside team they beat the day before they fought and battled to the last out but came up short in a 3-2 loss. Incidentally this was the first loss in OBAs’s for this group since 2018. Down and discouraged the group of 12 teammates picked each other up and realized they were not going to reach the pinnacle of their journey unless they dug deeper then they ever have before.
With Leaside and Lasalle both with 1 loss the second championship game would crown a champion. Down early Lasalle found a way to claw and scratch both offensively and defensively to stay close. Down 5-1 after 2, and 9-4 after 5… things looked dire. In the 6th the Titans manage 1 more run to narrow the deficit to 4 runs. Then with the help of family, friends and a couple hundred ball fans of Lasalle the Vollmer diamond #7 became electric! Down 9-5 in the top of the 7th with 2 outs our Lasalle boys battled multiple 2 strike counts to put together an inning that will be legendary in Turtle Club history. This group of 12 young men mounted an epic comeback by putting up 7 runs to take a 12-9 lead heading into the bottom of the 7th. Then followed that up with a 1-2-3 defensive performance to clinch the title.
Overall these boys hit, pitched and played defence like the champions they are. The coaching staff would like to congratulate all 12 players on their THIRD AA and FOURTH overall OBA championship in as many years… Yes, that is Back-to-Back-to-Back-to-Back. Their hard work and dedication for competing for each other has paid off again.
The 13U Titans players and coaches would like to thank Jenna Cole for all her hard work organizing as tournament host, all the volunteers who helped Jenna before and during the weekend, Dawn Pearson and helpers who barbequed and served the families of 12 teams, Mike and the TC grounds crew who help prepare diamonds on Sunday and Monday, the dads who pitched in to clean and prep diamonds throughout the weekend, and the tremendous support of our Titans VP, Elliot Carr who continues to tirelessly ensure the organization continues to get stronger.
Go Titans!