THE TRILL– The SweatSox improved to 2-1 on the season Wednesday night, powering past the Lumberjacks 7-2 at Trillium Park in a rematch of last year’s Tier 3 semi-final. Behind a balanced offensive attack, timely defense, and solid pitching, the SweatSox clawed back from an early 1-0 deficit to hand the short-handed Lumberjacks their second loss of the season.
The game didn’t start ideally for the Sox, as the Lumberjacks plated one in the bottom of the first. But the 2024 Finalists responded with seven runs over the next three innings, including a 4-run second that flipped the script for good.
The offensive spark came off the bat of Phil Leduc, who went 2-for-3 on the night with an RBI double and a run scored. “We were a bit flat to start, but once Phil got us going in the second, it felt like the bats just followed,” said manager Cory Bond. “He’s been clutch for us all year.”
Leduc had help. Eric White and Jaspreet Sanghra combined for four hits, five stolen bases, and three runs scored, while Mike Pignat, Andrew Hierlihy, and Mark Bond each added doubles to keep the pressure on Lumberjacks pitching.
On the mound, Josh Ramage went five strong innings, scattering six hits and allowing just two runs with a pair of strikeouts to earn the win. Eric White came on in relief and was lights out—six up, six down, including four punchouts.
“Josh gave us exactly what we needed tonight,” said Bond. “And Eric just slammed the door. That’s a tough duo to hit against.”
White’s night wasn’t limited to pitching excellence. He (SS), along with Trevor Williams (LF) and Leduc (C), pulled off a perfectly executed 7-6-2 relay from the warning track to gun down a runner at the plate in the 1st. “Mike [Pignat] told me after the game he’s going to show that one to his kid’s team,” said Leduc with a grin. “That’s the kind of cut-off play you draw up and hope happens once a year.”
Ramage also flashed some leather, making what would become the Defensive Play of the Game—chasing down a squibbler and backhanding a toss to Larry Pawelek at first. “Larry actually video called me today just to talk about it,” Ramage said. “He said he didn’t think I had that kind of flexibility and velocity in me.”
Not to be outdone, Kent Johnston added his own highlight with a diving catch in the 2nd that turned into a brief rules seminar. Originally ruled a sacrifice fly, then an out at third on appeal, and eventually reverting back to a sac fly, the play showcased the night’s other major storyline: the umpires.
“Look, it’s not easy out there,” said SweatSox skipper Cory Bond. “There were some tough calls, and they were in a no-win situation at times, but I thought they did a great job managing the game and keeping things calm.”
Lumberjacks manager Corey Valois echoed that sentiment. “The umpires had their hands full with a few weird plays and some confusion, but they kept it professional and composed. That’s all you can ask.”
Despite the loss, the Lumberjacks had bright spots. Stephane Lajeunesse battled control issues through three innings before handing the ball off to Tyas Montgomery, who impressed with four solid frames of relief. Starting center-fielder turned emergency-relief-catcher Riley Maude was a standout at the plate, going 2-for-3 with two doubles and an RBI, while Alex Poulin was a vacuum at third, finishing with three assists and two putouts.
One lowlight for the SweatSox came in the fourth inning when Kent Johnston was doubled off third base with nobody out—a play described by teammate Craig Cornell as “straight out of the OC Express playbook.” Johnston will have a couple of weeks to think about it, as he embarks on a three-game absence for a trip to the Preakness, followed by a visit to Wendy’s corporate HQ in Dublin, Ohio for a dream of a lifetime tour.
The rest of the SweatSox return to action on Tuesday at Southgate, where they’ll face the Orleans Lynx for the very first time—a team led by former SweatSox players John Mendonca (1990’s) and Dave Rotari (2020’s). 6:10pm start.
Final SweatSox vs Lumberjacks Notes/Thoughts:
- Multiple SweatSox sources have confirmed that Geoff’s dick is still attached.
- Cory will never get himself ejected, there’s just too much paperwork involved.
- Mike will RSVP for the game whenever he feels like it, and not a moment sooner.
- Only Trevor can control the weather, and when you control the weather, you control: information. That doesn’t sound right.
- It rained in Kenmore once, but it rained in Kanata twice.
- Larry’s golf kryptonite is Cory.
- If Trevor wants out, you better take him out, right after he sets the tone.
- I golfed at Amberwood the other day. I hit a few fairways. Some of mine, some regulars.
- Adjust your scouting reports accordingly, Alex Poulin is an oppo hitter now.
- Andrew needs to hit the weight room (x2).
- Chin straps should be mandatory, for the sake of player safety.
- Mrs. Jas is not a fan of the big Trillium bugs.
- Since 2001, the SweatSox have played the Mudd the most, beaten the Mudd and Winchester Sox the most, and have lost to the Rockets the most.
- Mudd rhymes with Bunt.
- Josh learned all about the new “pitches between innings” rule tonight. Not a fan.
- Does nobody ever get kicked out of the Athletics group chat?
- Mike knows the special trick to get yourself out of a game: just sit down..
- If a magnetic base isn’t in the right spot, the best time to correct it is in the 7th inning.
- Geoff is a chair guy now.
- Josh leaves early to get extra reps in the cryo chamber.
- Little League rules are bad, and the only thing that could make it worse is being able to “DH for any position”, or an EH.
- Larry’s chair needs folding instructions.
- We might have to get Mike to pitch a few innings to unleash the beast within.
- The real money is in a book deal. Stay tuned for the “Chronicles of Keay”, coming soon.
- The limit on drawn lines is apparently two now.
- My Dubble Bubble bucket is straight from the States, where it was most certainly tariff’d.
- Many questions are being raised about the quality of the U of T baseball program.
