Ajax takes OBA bantam crown

Ajax manager Matt Laforet said that he had played four games against two of the best teams in Ontario at the Ontario Baseball Association Bantam Championships held over the weekend in Sault Ste. Marie.

Ajax won a pair of games, each over Sault Ste. Marie and Guelph, en route to the championship. In winning all four games Ajax secured itself as Ontario's top Bantam Baseball team, enjoying a perfect weekend in the process.

"It was a magical weekend," Laforet said. "The weather was great, the fields were in great condition. I want to thank the convenors for running the best tournament we've been in this year. It was worth the travel."

Laforet added that his team came into their own heading into the tournament and saved their best play for the perfect time in the season.

"The boys brought their game up to the level they needed to be all year," Laforet commented. "The competition was so tough, the room for error was negligible. They raised their game and left it all out on the field."

"Our competition, Sault Ste. Marie was the toughest team we played against all year," Laforet added.

"This is so important for the kids right now," Laforet went on to say. "I've coached most of these kids for five years now and we never won a championship like this. This is the last year they'll be together and it was (an important victory for them)."

In winning the tournament, Ajax scored 36 runs in their four victories over Guelph and the Soo, but also gave up 22 runs in the same period.

The locals opened the tournament with a 5-0 victory over Aurora before losing a heartbreaking 2-1 decision to Ajax in their second game. Ajax scored a pair of runs in the bottom of the seventh to win, with the winning run coming on a squeeze play.

The locals bounced back in their next game by hammering Sudbury 18-1, eliminating their Nickel City rivals from the competition. Matched up again to face Ajax, the locals dropped a 7-4 decision to the eventual champs.

The locals did have a number of chances to take home the victory and move on, but missed out on a pair of bases loaded chances and were eliminated from the tournament.

Both games between Guelph and Ajax were similar to the battles between Ajax and the Soo in that they featured some quality baseball from both sides with neither side giving an inch.

"(Guelph) gave me a few more grey hairs (in the championship)," Laforet said. "We got off to a 5-1 start and then the next thing you know, the wheels fell off. We had to earn it."

*** FINAL RESULTS:

Following are the complete results for the 2005 OBA Bantam tournament:

Ajax 14, Guelph 8 Soo 5, Aurora 0 Ajax 2, Soo 1 Guelph 20, Sudbury 2 Guelph 4, Aurora 3 Soo 18, Sudbury 1 Ajax 7, Soo 4 Ajax 13, Guelph 9