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16 Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · THURSDAY, AUGUST 6, 2009 PROVINCIAL ACTION: The Oakville Whitecaps were eliminated from the Little League Ontario Minor Provincials Tuesday with a 10-8 loss to the Brockville Braves at Cornwall Park. Far left, Oakville's Clarke McCallum takes his best swing during Tuesday's contest. Left, John Carson delivers a pitch. The provincials could end tomorrow (Thursday) when the powerful High Park Braves take on Brockville or the Windsor South Canadians. JON CURRIE / OAKVILLE BEAVER High Park the class of minor baseball provincials By Jon Kuiperij BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR Oakville Whitecaps coach John Mooney doesn't mind stepping out on a limb when asked who will win the Little League Ontario Minor Provincials. Toronto's High Park Braves steamrolled their first three opponents to earn a berth in the championship round, which begins at 4:30 p.m. today (Thursday) at Cornwall Park (Cornwall Road, east of Trafalgar Road). And Mooney doesn't see anybody stopping the Braves. "High Park is head and shoulders above everybody else. (If the Braves lost), it would be an upset along the lines of the U.S. (Olympic hockey team) beating the Russians in 1980," Mooney said. "It would be the Christians beating the lions. "They're strong." Even if the Windsor South Canadians or Brockville Braves (the other finalist had not been determined at press time) manage to defeat High Park today, High Park would still have another shot at the title under the tournament's doubleelimination format. The second game of the final, if necessary, would be played t o m o r r o w "It would be the (Friday) at 11 Christians beating a.m. The Whitecaps the lions." were eliminated from the eight Oakville Whitecaps team tournacoach John Mooney, on ment Tuesday the chances of High with a 10-8 loss Park losing at the Little to Brockville. League Ontario Minor The game was Provincials not without its oddities (it started late and then was delayed by a thunderstorm) or its controversies (the contest ended on a disputed double play, snuffing out a promising Oakville rally). Mooney felt the storm delay, which came in the second inning with Oakville leading 2-0, took a bit of momentum from his team. When the game resumed, Brockville struck for three runs in the bottom of the second. "We had two runs and were all fired up, and then we didn't play for 40 minutes," he said. "It hurt us. I think there's even momentum with 10-year-old kids." The teams traded runs back and forth, entering the fifth inning tied 6-6. Brockville scored four times in the bottom of the fifth, and the Whitecaps' comeback attempt in the sixth fell two runs short. Coach pleased with showing Oakville finished the tournament 1-2, losing the opener 10-0 to High Park Saturday before blanking the East Nepean Eagles 5-0 Monday. "I am totally pleased. My biggest fear was to come into this tournament and go two and out," Mooney said. "I thought we were good enough to get to the semifinal, and we were one game short. "If you look at our team where we started in May and where we are now, we've improved 1,000 per cent." Cam Dyck drove home three runs for Oakville in Tuesday's loss. Owen Jansen, Justin McKenna, John Carson and Cole Gray contributed one RBI each. Craig McCormick (two), Anthony Weston, Justin Vollum, Liam Maloney, Jakob Newton, Nathan Hamel and Carson scored the Whitecaps' runs. The team of Oakville Little League allstars likely won't see its next action until the Labour Day weekend, when the Whitecaps compete in the Stoney Creek tournament.