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www.insideHALTON.com | OAKVILLE BEAVER | Thursday, July 9, 2015 | 46 HALTON TRANSMISSION 559 SPEERS RD., #UNIT 3 905-842-0725 www.haltontransmission.com Jon Kuiperij Sports Editor sports@oakvillebeaver.com Sports "Connected to your Community" Local ball player headed to MLB All-Star Game Youngster a finalist in North America contest by Jon Kuiperij Beaver Sports Editor Jr. B Buzz sweeps Nepean, faces Gaels in Round 2 After sweeping the Nepean Knights in the first round of the Ontario Lacrosse Association junior B playoffs, the Oakville Buzz will face a much tougher task in Round 2. Oakville will face the top-seeded Clarington Green Gaels in the East Conference semifinals, a best-of-five series that will begin Saturday in Clarington. Oakville will host the second game Tuesday (July 14) at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. The Buzz continued its late-season surge in the first round against Nepean, posting 12-6 and 11-5 victories on its home floor June 26-27 and then finishing off the Knights Friday with an 11-10 win in Ottawa. Joe French paced the Buzz in Game 3 with four goals -- including the game-winner midway through the third period -- and three assists. The Green Gaels are coming off a first-round sweep of their own, easily dispatching the Markham Ironheads. Clarington was 18-2 during the regular season, including 13-12 and 14-8 wins over the Buzz in the opening month of the campaign. Oakville, however, has been a different team since the mid-season return of several veterans who were away at university, including French. The Buzz has won 13 of its last 16 games overall. Sr. A Rock's win streak snapped at four games The Oakville Rock suffered its first loss under head coach Matt Sawyer Monday, falling 7-5 to the Peterborough Lakers in Major Series Lacrosse play at Oakville's Toronto Rock Athletic Centre. Jeremy Noble's second goal of the game gave Oakville a 4-3 lead early in the third period, but Peterborough responded with four consecutive markers to take control. Noble completed a hat-trick effort midway through the frame for the game's final goal. Brenden Thenhaus and Dan Lomas also scored for the Rock, which had won four straight games since Sawyer took over the team following its 0-7 start. Oakville will be home to the Kitchener-Waterloo Kodiaks next Monday (July 13) at TRAC. Game time is 8 p.m. Sr. B Titans with chance to improve playoff seed Having already locked up a playoff spot in the Ontario Lacrosse Association senior B league, the Oakville Titans hope to improve their positioning this weekend. Oakville (7-7) sits one point behind the fourth-place Owen Sound North Stars (7-6-1) and two points behind the third-place Brooklin Merchants (8-5), going into the final week of the regular season. The Titans will visit Brooklin Saturday and return home to host the 1-13 Wallaceburg Thrashers Sunday at Toronto Rock Athletic Centre (a 7 p.m. start). Oakville won its fifth game in six outings last Saturday, whipping the Thrashers 15-4 in Wallaceburg. However, the Titans were upended 7-4 the following night at home by the St. Catharines Saints. Jon Mason (five goals, three assists) and Todd Bloxam (four goals, four assists) each collected eight points against Wallaceburg. Mike Gillan added a pair of goals; Eric Wales had a goal and four assists; Todd Kozak, Sean Gillies and Jordan Godin also tallied; and Craig Wende earned the victory in net. Gage Board, Mack Abbott, Kozak and Mason scored Oakville's goals against St. Catharines. Lacrosse For the second time in eight years, an Oakville baseball player will compete for an MLB Pitch Hit & Run championship at the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Elijha Hammill, an 11-year-old member of the Oakville A's minor peewee AAA team, will compete in the North American finals Monday, July 13 at Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark, prior to All-Star Workout Day and the Home Run Derby. Former Oakville resident Tristan Pompey, a Minnesota Twins prospect and the brother of Toronto Blue Jays opening-day centrefielder Dalton Pompey, became the first Canadian to win an MLB Pitch Hit & Run title when he claimed the 9/10 boys' crown in 2007 in San Francisco. The MLB Pitch Hit & Run championships feature three finalists in eight different divisions (7/8, 9/10, 11/12 and 13/14 age divisions are offered for both genders). Hammill secured his spot with his performance at the Toronto Blue Jays team championships June 28 at the Rogers Centre, following victories at local and regional qualifiers. The River Oaks elementary school student's score at each level of the competition was the highest of all entrants, regardless of divisions. "I think I'm good, but I didn't know I was that good. I didn't expect that," said Hammill, who primarily plays shortstop for the A's but also pitches and plays the outfield. "I'm mostly an all-around player, but I think running is my (best event). I do track-and-field (in school) and sometimes cross-country." Pitch Hit & Run, the official skills competition of Major League Baseball, recognizes individual excellence in core baseball skills of pitching, hitting and running. Participants pitch to a strike zone target from 45 feet away, hit off a tee for distance and accuracy, and are timed running from second base to home plate. Hammill said he wasn't told his score in running or hitting at the Blue Jays team finals, but noted he hit five of six targets in the pitching competition. "With my momentum going forward, the fastest I've thrown is 61 miles per hour," he said. Oakville's Elijha Hammill releases a pitch during the MLB Pitch Hit & Run Toronto Blue Jays finals, held recently at the Rogers Centre. The 11-year-old is one of three North American finalists in the competition's 11/12 boys' division. | photo from MLB Pitch Hit & Run National Fan Page on Facebook Hammill said he is a big Blue Jays fan and his favourite player is Toronto all-star outfielder Jose Bautista, though he hopes to also catch a glimpse of Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson and Detroit Tigers first baseman Miguel Cabrera in Cincinnati. Despite the magnitude of the event, Hammill said he won't be intimidated. "I'm pretty confident. I've been doing great so far," said the youngster, who credited former coaches Nicholas Diamandas and Paul Harbour for helping him develop as a baseball player. "The ballpark doesn't really change anything." DeLaet,Weir, Burlington's Hamilton confirmed for Canadian Open Graham DeLaet, pictured during the 2013 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, will be the top-ranked Canadian player in this year's tournament, scheduled for July 20-26. | Oakville Beaver file photo DeLaet, a native of Weyburn, Sask., is coming off a recent fourth-place finish at The Travelers Championship that moved him to No. 78 on the World Golf Ranking and also secured his spot in the field for next week's The Open Championship at St. Andrews. Weir, an eight-time PGA Tour winner and the 2003 Masters champion, will be making his 25th appearance at the Canadian Open. Hamilton received one of 10 tournament exemptions and will be participating in his first Canadian Open. A member of Golf Canada's national amateur team, Hamilton is currently ranked 81st on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. Other Canadians confirmed for the tournament Friday were Canadian PGA Tour players David Hearn, Adam Hadwin, Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan; Web.com Tour player Brad Fritsch; Team Canada Young Pro Squad memsee Pan Am on p.47