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Two local players part of Provincial B U19 championship
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Woodstock– Two well-known young fastball players who developed their skills in the Upper Ottawa Valley Minor Fastball League (UOVMFL) helped lead their Osgoode Chiefs team to the Ontario Amateur Softball Association’s (OASA) U19 Provincial B championship recently.
Joe Mick of Micksburg and Brendan Hennessy of Cobden helped the team post a perfect 3-0 record enroute to the provincial championship at the tournament in Woodstock the final weekend in July.
Mick recently pitched his U17 Micksburg Twins to victory in the UOVMFL championship series and Hennessy, a graduate of the UOVMFL, led Cobden to wins in the same category in the past.
The Chiefs also compete in the Glen Cairn Men’s Fastball League and Hennessy was in his fourth year with the team. Mick started with the team halfway through last season.
There were four teams in the tournament: Glencoe, Tara and Oshawa. The Chiefs opened with an 8-1 win over Glencoe, followed by a 10-8 win over Tara.
“That left us as the only undefeated team, so we moved on to the final,” explained Mark Baldwin, Chiefs’ manager.
He noted Tara beat Oshawa on the Sunday morning to advance to the final, and then the Chiefs won the championship game 8-0, with his son, Cory Baldwin, throwing a no-hitter.
“And Brennan Hennessy hit a three-run home run,” he pointed out.
Mr. Baldwin said both Hennessy and Mick played integral roles in the team’s success this year.
“This is the first provincials we have won since they were part of the team,” he said.
Hennessy, who is one of the team’s two pitchers, did not see any action on the rubber in the tournament, but he contributed in many other ways.
“A lot of the time he was on third base, and he does an excellent job there,” he noted. “And he’s one of our best batters.”
Baldwin noted Hennessy is in the top five hitters in the Glen Cairn League and in 2018, the Chiefs named him team MVP.
“Cory (Baldwin) hurt his arm halfway through he season and Brendan was given the bulk of the throwing, even at the Eliminations and Provincials.
“He was definitely our team MVP last year,” he added.
Baldwin said Mick is in his first season with the team in the OASA, noting while he pitches with the Twins U17 team, his role with the Chiefs is behind the plate.
“He’s one of our main catchers, he’s really good. Considering he’s playing against older guys, he does a really good job back there and he’s a really good batter.
“And if he’s not catching, usually he’ll play one of the infield positions,” he added.
He said the fact Mick is also a pitcher makes him a smart catcher too.
“Our 19-year-old catcher, when my son or Hennessy pitches, they call a lot of pitches off,” he remarked. “When Joe catches, my son never shakes him off.
“He’s got a really good mind for what to throw to what batter at what time,” he added.
He credited Mick’s knowledge of the game to his father, Jamey, a member of the Twins team in the Greater Ottawa Fastball League, who conducts pitching clinics across the Valley and Eastern Ontario.
Another Valley boy, Owen Brown of Fitzroy Harbour, was also a first-year member of the championship team who he said was good addition to the team.
“He was little bit nervous but it was his first year. He usually plays the outfield for us and he’s not a bad batter.
“He’s really coming along, he’s going to be a good ball player,” he added,
He noted, like Mick, he comes from good genes as his father, Adam Brown, is very active in the sport and is a player/coach of the West Carleton Electric team in the GOFL.
Baldwin said Hennessy is the only one of the trio moving up next year and they will all remain together in the Glen Cairn league. The team was coached by Kevin Collins.
Baldwin noted Jack Howard of Eganville and Liam McHale of Douglas also play with the team in the men’s league.