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Up against some of the top players in the world and the highest-ranking teams in the province, the Kelowna All-Stars managed just one win in four games at the annual May Days Men’s International Fastball Tournament at King Stadium on the weekend.
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The pre-tournament-favourite South Hill Giants of Vancouver swept all six games, including a 9-2 decision over the Sooke Loggers of Vancouver Island in the final, to claim the tournament title. They outscored their opponents 56-7 over the four days.
Featuring several members of Canada’s national team, the Giants also included the tournament’s top pitcher, Juan Potolicchio (1.56 earned run average), a member of Argentina’s national team and considered one of the top five pitchers in the world.
The Giants’ Justin Schofield of Grand Pre, N.S., and on the shortlist of 2019 Team Canada hopefuls, finished second to Potolicchio in the tournament ERA category at 1.80 while the Giants’ Brad Ezekiel of Harbour Main, Nfld. was second to Sooke’s Chad Bryden (.714) in hitting at .588.
Following round-robin wins over the Kelowna All-Stars (10-2), Westbank Cardinals (11-1) and Grand Prairie Pirates (5-0), the Giants breezed to a 12-0 win over the Abbotsford Builders in quarter-final play and earned a berth in the final by defeating the Columbia River Brewers 9-2.
Following their opening loss to the Giants, the Kelowna All-Stars, made up of players in the four-team Kelowna Major Men’s Fastball Association, dropped a 7-5 decision to Grand Prairie.
The Pirates hit a rare three consecutive home runs to start the game, but the All-Stars replied with two of their own in the fifth inning — by Aaron Bacon and Darren Wiens — to make a game of it.
Kelowna’s only win (5-0) came at the hands of the Westbank Cardinals on Saturday in which Travis Kunz earned the pitching win over Cards’ pitcher, Pat Burns, a national team player from Saskatoon. The All-Stars fell 2-1 to the Columbia River Brewers in quarter-final play. Riley Singel was the losing pitcher, but scored the only run with a solo homer.
The Westbank Cardinals lost all three round-robin games, but upset the Irma Tigers 5-3 in a quarter-final game before losing 5-3 to Sooke in semifinal play.
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