No-hit Botter, Walk-off DeSouza steal show in Mets tourney
*OF Nathan DeSouza 9above) shown here with the 2009 Canadian championship Georgetown Eagles hit a walk-off homer to give the Ontario Terriers at annual Canada Day tournament Mets Classic.
2011 Canadians in the June draft
By Bob Elliott
Christian Botter and Nathan DeSouza had their own Canada Day celebrations.
No one was hotter than Botter as the Toronto Mets 16s right-hander threw nine hitless innings against Les Ailes, the Quebec Youth Team, before the Mets scored in the 10th for a 4-0 win in the annual Mets Canada Day classic being played at Bond and Talbot Parks.
And in the final, DeSouza hit a walk-off, three-run homer giving the Ontario Terriers a 3-2 win over the Mets 18s.
Botter (Vaughan) threw 106 pitches — 69 strikes — walking three and fanning nine, as he threw first-pitch strikes on 74% of batters he faced, which was two over the minimum. With his fastball sitting in the 82-83 m.p.h. range, as he was in complete control.
Neither team had a hit through eight innings until the top of the ninth when Conor Ledger led off with bunt single. Yuji Suzuki had a two-out double to score the winning run. Shawn Lee pitched the 10th to complete the combined no-hitter.
One Mets coach described Botter’s outing as the best by a Mets 16s starter since Brian Smith, who made his pro debut last week with the Chicago Cubs rookie-class Arizona League Cubs, and struck out 17 in a NABF qualifier in Ohio.
The Mets 16s finished round-robin play 2-0-1 after tying the Mets 18s 3-3 and beating the Ottawa-Nepean Canadians 6-4.
The Ontario Terriers knocked off Team Ontario 7-6 as lefty Adam Anderson departed after five innings with a 7-2 lead, thanks to a DeSouza double and solo homer.
Dayton Dawe worked five innings, allowing two hits as the Terriers edged the rough-housing Windsor Selects 3-1.
Aaron Bain started for the Terriers in a 2-1 win over the Etobicoke Rangers. Michael Clouthier picked up the win with two innings of relief as DeSouza added a triple.
The Mets 18s edged Ottawa 3-2, Etobicoke thumped Windsor 18-7 and Etobicoke beat Team Ontario 8-3 in other games.
Blair Gignac singled, stole second, went to third on a ground ball and scored on a Brian Doran fly ball in the Terriers’ 2-1, 10-inning win over Ottawa. Steven Dressler pitched seven innings with David Head getting the win.
DeSouza (Milton, Ont.) homered in the semifinal, a 5-2 win over Les Ailes, as Luke Sinclair gained the win and Head the save.
Trailing 2-0 in the bottom of the seventh Doran and Head worked walks setting the stage for DeSouza’s walk-off, three-run homer to right.
Right hander Bain went the distance for the win, scattering four hits.
Goings on: Scarborough's SS Mitch Triolo was named to the all-tournament team at the Oklahoma Sunbelt tournament ... The Terriers are leaving the Premier League of Ontario to join the Great Lakes Super League. Until that league begins the Terriers will practise and play intra-squad games ... The Mets 16s took three of four from the Terriers 16s last weekend as right-hander Zach Lampreia needed only 73 pitches for a complete-game, five-hitter in a 3-1 win. He allowed a solo home run to Bruce Yari. Right-hander Brent Cleland tossed a complete-game shutout fanning eight in a 4-0 win ... Hard-working scout John Milton, who also ran area tryout camps, has left the Toronto Blue Jays. He's the general manager of the Oakville Royals.
Naming rights: So, what have you been doing for the previous 60 years? Well, Jack Wilson has been running High Park baseball and Tuesday night at 7 p.m., the west diamond, with its new scorecard, will be renamed Jack Wilson Field. Wilson started High Park in the early 1950s and even coached Rob Ford some 25 years years ago. Ford grew up to be mayor of Toronto. In the 1960s, Wilson coached the High Park Juniors when Roger Neilson ran Leaside.
Cycling along: Chatham catcher Larry Balkwill hit for the cycle as his Watertown Wizards beat the Glen Falls Golden Eagles 17-6 in a Perfect Game Collegiate League game at Glens Falls, N.Y. Starting with a home run, he went triple, single, single and ninth-inning double. Balkwill is attending Siena College ... Etobicoke shortstop Kyle Gilligan, a former Toronto Blue Jays draft pick, made his New Brunswick Senior League debut knocking in the only run as the Chatham Ironmen blanked the Moncton Mets 1-0.