Neufeld: Markwood shines, Team Black beats Team Grey without registering a hit

Fieldhouse Pirates and Team Black right-hander Peyton Markwood (Puslinch, Ont.) struck out the side in both innings he pitched at the Canadian Futures Showcase on Friday night to help his squad to a 4-1 win over Team Grey. For his efforts, he was named the Player of the Game. Photo: Avery Grainger, UBC

September 18, 2026

By Abbey Neufeld

UBC Journal

After suffering losses earlier in the day, Team Black and Team Grey faced off under the lights for a late-night showdown that resulted in Team Black’s first win of the Blue Jays Academy Canadian Futures Showcase – a 4-1 triumph.

It was a unique contest in that Team Black won the game despite not registering a hit.

Black opened the scoring in the first inning with a run from Ryland Peters (Lantzville, B.C.) following an error from third baseman Sawyer Gelling (Victoria, B.C.). Clark Heimbecker (Guelph, Ont.) also crossed the plate on the play. After a walk and a stolen base, Jackson Rouse (Toronto, Ont.) also scored to make it 3-0.

Grey was quick to strike back in the top of the second with a run from Tanner Morris (Sudbury, Ont.) Pitcher Max Covriga (Markham, Ont.) then struck out three consecutive hitters to hold Black’s lead to two after the second inning.

Following a balk from pitcher Lucas St-Laurent (Montreal, Que.) in the bottom of the third, Theo Lima (Whitby, Ont.) was able to walk home adding another run to Team Black’s 4-1 lead.

Heading into the fourth, pitcher Aiden MacLellan (Milton, Ont.) replaced St-Laurent, who suffered a shoulder injury on an errant pickoff throw from his catcher in the third. Two strikeouts from MacLellan and a ground out closed out a scoreless inning.

For Team Black, Peyton Markwood (Puslinch, Ont.) took over on the mound to open the fifth and pitched a perfect inning, sending Black back on offence. Despite runners on second and third, Black did not score thanks to a well-timed strikeout from MacLellan.

Markwood and MacLellan were again impressive for their respective teams in the sixth, with the Black hurler striking out three more batters while his Grey counterpart got out of a slight jam to register his three outs.

Rouse then got the ball for Black and struck out the side, before Mac Warawa (Calgary, Alta.) countered for Grey, walking two and striking out two before the game was called with the score 4-1.

In all, the Team Grey pitching quartet of Covriga, St-Laurent, MacLellan and Warawa combined on the no-hitter while walking 10 and striking out 13.

The Team Black combination of Noah Corrente (Squamish, B.C.), Jack Bello (Richmond, B.C.), Markwood and Rouse allowed just two hits while walking eight and striking out 15.

Markwood noted major differences in Team Black’s two performances on the day, including temperature and daylight.

“It’s dark out . . . I like to spin the curveball and if guys can’t see the spin because it’s dark out, I like to use that to my advantage,” he said.

In his two innings , Markwood struck out six of the eight batters he faced and walked one – earning the title of Player of the Game.

“We’re just going to keep rolling with what we got; we’ve got one shot, one outing and I know these guys are going to go give it their best on the field,” he said.

Team Black will look to build on the win in their next games against Royal (12 p.m. P.T.) and New Blue (6 p.m. P.T.) on Saturday. Meanwhile, Team Grey will try to get back into the win column with games against Navy (3 p.m. P.T.) and Red (9 p.m. P.T.).