Falcons rally in seventh to win Larry Wood Memorial
The Niagara Falcons went 5-0-1 in the first Larry Wood Memorial Canada Day Tournament and scored in the bottom of the seventh to edge the Woodstock Wranglers.
July 2, 2025
By Bob Elliott
Canadian Baseball Network
Down 5-0 in the bottom of the third inning, the outlook did not look good for the Niagara Falcons in the final of the 13U Larry Wood Memorial tournament in Waterdown.
Three outs later, Niagara had cut the Woodstock Wranglers lead to 5-3. Two innings later, it was tied. Both teams scored in the sixth ... and on they went into the bottom of the seventh. Dead even.
Owen Copfer led off the final frame with a line drive single to right. After Forbes Sullivan was hit by a pitch and Jacob Woods worked a nine-pitch walk, the bases were loaded at Joe Sam’s Leisure Park.
Mason Vandenbeukel settled matters by hitting the fifth pitch of his plate appearance to centre to crown the victors with the walk-off, 7-6 victory.
Leyton Fleguel and Sullivan had a pair of doubles each, with Sullivan knocking in a pair. Owyn Ellis also had a pair of hits and drove in a run, as did Vandenbeukel.
Copfer wound up with the win following his scoreless outing. Leyston started and pitched three innings, while Jake Keizer worked 3 1/3 innings.
Drew Klein-Geltink doubled and drove in two runs, while Chase Ireton and Phillip Wojta each doubled for the Wranglers.
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Who is Larry Wood? I know some sandlot coaches that every time they visit a field named after someone or play in a tournament named in someone’s memory find out the background and explain it to their players. Why name a tournament or a park after a baseball guy and not tell people? The legacy should live on long after the person is passed.
Larry Wood had a baseball-shaped heart and was involved in the game for years whether it was at Bernie Arbour Stadium or at a sandlot diamond.
We asked Dean Dicenzo, Mr. Baseball in Hamilton, to explain Larry Wood to someone who never met him.
“Baseball would have never survived in Hamilton if it wasn’t for Larry,” Dicenzo said. “He helped out every team from rookie ball to the Intercounty League. He was everyone’s contact and had answers to all the questions whether it was a local house league or Baseball Ontario.
“Larry was our voice in the Ontario community. The Hamilton Cardinals rep association would have never have happened without Larry’s hard work and dedication.”
Well, said.
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Falcons Game 1: Niagara ran the table ... sort of ... going 5-0-1 to capture the first annual Larry Wood tourney which had 12 entrants.
Niagara’s trio of arms -- Vandenbeukel (2 2/3 innings) Sullivan (1 2/3) and Arie Vanderkuip (retired both hitters he faced) combined on a three hitter as the Falcons blanked the Kitchener Panthers 11-0.
Ellis singled, doubled and drove in a run, while Griffin Degraw and Vanderkuip each had a pair of hits. Keizer and Coper both tripled and Sullivan added a double.
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Falcons Game 2: Next, the Falcons knocked off the Hamilton Cardinals 12U 15-8 as Sullivan, homered, singled and knocked in three runs. Besides being the hitting hero, Sullivan worked three scoreless, allowing one hit and fanning four.
Keizer doubled twice, singled and also drove in three as Lachlan Richea hit two doubles to drive in three as well. Ellis had two hits, including a double.
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Falcons Game 3: The only blemish for the Falcons came when the Stratford Nationals scored two in the top of the seventh for a 7-7 tie.
Leyton homered, knocking in a pair. Vanderkuip and Sullivan each doubled, singled and plated a run, Copfer added a double, as did Ellis who drove in a run, Vandenbeukel singled in two.
Sawyer Kipp had a scoreless inning and Ellis was impressive fanning nine in 5 2/3 innings allowing five runs on eight hits and one walk.
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Falcons in quarters: There is an old line in major-league dugouts when a team scores in the first inning.
“There’s your run -- hold ‘em,” some wiseacre will say to the starter.
Ellis singled to lead off the game and two outs later, Sullivan doubled to left for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the first.
There’s your run.
Hold ‘em!
Well, the K-K guys -- Kipp and Keizer -- did just that. Kipp pitched four scoreless allowing four hits, while Keizer allowed one hit and struck out four finishing up in a 1-0 quarter-final win against the Hamilton Cardinals 12U.
Keizer and Ellis also added doubles.
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Falcons semis: Four runs in the third inning spurred the Falcons to a 10-2 win over the Newmarket Hawks in the semi-final.
Again the bats were booming as Sullivan homered, doubled, singled twice in a 4-for-4 afternoon, knocking in five runs, while Keizer homered, doubled and drove in a pair.
Vanderkuip doubled and singled as the Falcons pounded out 14 hits.
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Four from the top 100: Besides Hamilton Cardinals Dicenco, named one of the top 100 players in the 100-year history of the Intercounty Baseball League a few years back, was slugger Roman Kniginyzky of the Toronto Maple as well as Mississauga North Tigers coaches Sean Reilly and Frankie Hare.
Kniginyzky was there to watch his son, Matt, former right-hander who pitched five seasons in the Kansas City Royals system, coach the Oakville A’s 12U ... and to view his grandson William hit line drives.
And William hits like grandpa: batting .467 (7-for-15) with three triples, two home runs and eight RBIs as the A’s went 2-2-1. Also or hand was Williams’s grandmother Patricia, who didn’t make the top 100 — Patricia was among the top 3 grandmothers in southern Ontario
Meanwhile, Hare watched his son LHP Hudson Hare pick two runners off first base in the same inning, while Reilly watched his son Aiden knock in two runs in a 10-10 with Woodstock