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Ayr Vics
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Bulls Eliminate Vics in Game 5 Slugfest
Sept 10, 2012
This opening round series has been a high scoring shootout from the beginning so it
was fitting that the deciding game would also feature plenty of offense. After winning
two straight elimination games the Vics handed the ball back to Mitchell while the Bulls
countered with Steinhoff. Ayr left a pair on base in the first and the Bulls made them
pay when they bashed out four runs including a big blast by Maris. Burgessville fired
up their home crowd in the second by pushing across four more with Davis having the
big fly in that frame. Already in an 8-0 hole the Vics finally hit the scoreboard in the
fourth when Clement singled home Jeff Ferguson. Sherk later singled home Clement
to bring the Vics within four runs. As has been the case all series the Bulls answered
quickly when Dave VanWyk belted a two run shot and Maris popped his second of the
night to put the home side ahead 11-2. One more single would end the night for
Mitchell as Bobby Gillow took the ball to close out the inning.
Ayr needed at least 3 runs in the top of the fifth to avoid a mercy defeat and they
showed their heart by putting together a big rally. Oberle singled home Gillow to get it
going but the redshirts soon found themselves two runs shy with two out. Steve
Ferguson kept the inning alive with a single as did Clement. Koebel then singled home
two which ensured another inning of play. Sherk promptly delivered a double up the
middle to push across two more and put Ayr right back in the game at 11-7. The Bulls
manufactured another run in the home half to up the lead to five. Gillow led off the
sixth with a jack of his own to once again close the gap to four. That was the end of
the line for Steinhoff as McDonald took over and threw off the Vics bats enough to get
out of the inning unscathed. Burgessville continued their inspired batwork by adding
another pair of runs on four hits in the sixth. Gillow struck out three in the inning but it
was too little too late. Down six in the final frame Koebel mashed the sixth tater of the
evening to close the gap to five but that would be all the Vics could muster. It was a
hard fought series but the Bulls bashed their way into the second round to face the
Sweaburg Crush.
The Vics would like to thank all of their fans for their continued support throughout the
season and especially those who made the trek to Burgessville for the final game to
cheer on the team. It was a good season that saw some new players emerge and
some veterans show they still had game. We hope to see you again in the spring at
Victoria Park for another season of fastball.
Vics Send Series to Deciding Game
Sept 9, 2012
The series shifted back to Ayr on a chilly Sunday night where Mitchell was once again
given the assignment of silencing the Burgessville bats. A fortunate hop for the
visitors in the first inning led to a pair of runs then a homer by Mike Maris staked the
Bulls to an early 4-0 lead. The redshirts had some new confidence after the last win
though and started to work on a comeback. Mitchell tripled in the home half and came
home on a hard grounder from Oberle that was mishandled. Burgessville threatened
for more in the second but the Vics caught a runner off third on a groundout and
pegged him at home to help hold the score steady. In the bottom of two Clement
walked then Koebel doubled to set up a two run single from Sherk which closed the
gap to a single run. The score held until the bottom of four when Mitchell cleared the
bases of Koebel, Sherk and Beenackers by belting a hard double to center field. That
gave Ayr their first lead at 6-4. Mitchell was cruising along in the circle as he appeared
to get into a good groove, not allowing much of a threat. The Bulls brought Steinhoff
in to pitch the 6th and he was promptly greeted by Steve Ferguson who belted a ball
over the right field wall to make the lead 7-4. The Bulls would not roll over as they
came out hard in the 6th inning. A lineout to short almost produced an inning ending
double play but the throw hit the runner and allowed a run to score. Another error
plated a second run and closed the gap to 7-6. In the bottom half Mitchell tried to
stretch a double into a triple but was pegged at third to start the frame. Oberle then
singled and was replaced on the bases by veteran Graham Scott. The long time Vics
chugged home on a double by Clement to up the lead to 8-6. Ayr then handed the
ball over to Oberle who closed out the game with a clean inning. The win pushed the
series to a deciding 5th game which was played on Monday in Burgessville.
Vics Force Game Four in Ayr
Sept 5, 2012
The Bulls continued to work over the Vics pitching staff in Game 2 on Tuesday in
Victoria Park. Burgessville put 13 runs on the board to take the game by a 13-4 score.
With their season on the line the Ayr boys headed to Burgessville the following night to
try and hold back the charging Bulls bats. Dan Mitchell took the ball for the Vics and
put together a terrific outing. He also opened the scoring in the first as he was hit
home by Scott Freeman. Ayr upped the lead to 2-0 in the second as Mitchell singled
home Ken Sherk. In the bottom of 3 the Bulls finally broke through as a couple Vics
errors allowed the home side to plate a pair and even the score. Jeff Ferguson put
Ayr back in the lead with a leadoff tater to open the fourth inning. In the fifth it was Bob
Gillow who led off with a dinger of his own. Jeff Ferguson delivered a big two out single
to score Clement and up the lead to 5-2. Once again Burgessville fought back with
two runs and were threatening for more when Mitchell induced a grounder that was
turned into a 4-6-3 double play to close out the inning. Mitchell doubled home Graham
Scott in the 6th to restore a 2 run advantage for Ayr. In the 7th Sherk singled home
Mark Koebel and then Jeff Ferguson scored on a wild pitch to put the reds ahead 8-4.
The Bulls were unable to solve Mitchell in the home half of the final inning and Ayr
extended the series which will continue on Sunday at 7:30pm in Victoria Park.
Bulls Batter Vics in Series Opener
Aug 29, 2012
The third ranked Bulls came into this game after and long layoff and showed they were
ready for playoff ball as they swung the big bats against Vics starter Dwayne Oberle.
In the second inning a triple, double and single produced a pair of runs. As the Vics
batters struggled against veteran hurler Stienhoff the Bulls continued to pour it on. A
two run homer in the second upped the lead to 4 and then three hits followed by
another dinger capped the fourth inning and gave Burgessville an 8-0 lead. The Bulls
came up with a few solid defensive plays to keep the Ayr bats down and when they
could not score in the fifth the game was ended by mercy rule.
The Vics will be looking to their home crowd on Tuesday night to help them get back
into this best-of-five series.
Steamroller Flattens Oxford
Aug 22, 2012
The Vics and Bandits faced each other in Victoria Park Thursday night to decide 6th
and 7th position in the Tri-County standings and the home side came out on top.
Dwayne "Steamroller" Oberle took the ball for Ayr and was absolutely dominant as he
put down the dangerous Oxford lineup one by one. The Oxford hurler was equally
effective through four innings and neither team was able to bring a runner home. In
the bottom of the fifth Sherk led off with a walk, advanced on a single by Steve
Ferguson then a passed ball. Jeff Ferguson then plated Sherk with the opening run.
Leeming then drove a hard single to left which plated Steve Ferguson to give Ayr a 2-0
lead. Oberle took over from there and continued to shut out the opposition with only
two balls escaping the infield all night. He posted a remarkable 15 strikeouts in
completing the shutout. With the win the Vics finished sixth in the Tri-County league
standings with a 13-9 record. They will face the third ranked Burgessville Bulls in the
first round best-of-five series. The opening game will be Wednesday in Burgessville
and the following games will be scheduled soon.
Aug 21, 2012
Vics Get Past Straffordville But Fall to Harwood
The Vics were looking to secure a 6th seed going into the playoffs and gave the ball to
Bobby Gillow to start the job at Victoria Park against Straffordville on Monday. Gillow
delivered a solid performance as he held the Stealth to only one unearned run over 5
innings. In the home half of the first inning Dan Mitchell singled to score Graham Scott
and give Ayr the early lead. An error and sacrifice fly allowed the Stealth to level the
score in the third inning of this tight contest. In the bottom of the fifth Gillow singled
home Mark Beenackers to put Ayr back in front 2-1. The Steamroller, fresh off the DL
entered the game and closed it out for the home side.
On Tuesday Harwood Corners came to town and even though it was a big game to win
the Vics just were not in this one. Jeff Ferguson had the start but had to leave the
game due to injury after only one inning. Harwood put 4 runs on the board in the first
to get out to the early lead. The Ayr bats coudl not get much going as Beenackers
reached on one of his two walks in the third and after a double by Jesse Leeming he
came home on an errant throw. That would be it for the home side but Harwood
continued to pour it on smashing a total of three dingers. Steve Ferguson pitched the
final four innings and the visitors piled on another 6 runs to make the final score 10-1.
Ayr now faces the Oxford Bandits in the final game of the regular season on Thursday
in Ayr at 8:00pm. A win will have them facing 3rd ranked Burgessville in the opening
round of the playoffs while a loss will mean a meeting with the Sweaburg Crush. The
Vics have split their games with both of these teams in the regular season.
Vics Split Pair of Games
July 16, 2012
The Vics had a return engagement with the Hickson Heat on Thursday but this time it
was in their yard. With a couple pitchers at the ISC world tournament and another on
the DL it was up to Jeff Ferguson to take the ball for Ayr. Steve Ferguson helped him
out in the first with a double to plate Beenackers and give the Vics a 1-0 lead. That
would hold up until the fifth when things quickly unravelled. After a leadoff single the
Heat went to the short game and dropped a string of bunts that the Vics were unable
to defend against. The result of the inning was 4 runs. It was a rough night for the Ayr
bats as they could muster only a pair of hits and the Heat hurler Dan Benbow kept
them off the board the rest of the way to preserve the 4-1 score.
That game left the Vics still one win short of securing an 'A' playoff spot and in need of
a few more wins to ensure a top 6 finish. They travelled to Port Burwell to challenge
the Lakers with an 8 man lineup. Once again Jeff Ferguson had the ball for Ayr and
again it was brother Steve who got the ball rolling. This time it was a solo tater to put
the redshirts up by a run. In the third he was at it again with a double to plate Reid
and Beenackers and open the lead to 3-0. A pitching change by the home side didn’t
improve matters as Ayr continued to press on offense. Reid singled and then stole
second. He followed that up by taking third on a passed ball and when the throw got
away from the third baseman he scampered home to open the lead to 4-0. Clement
drove a double to the wall in left center but Jeff Ferguson, coming all the way from first
on the play, was gunned down at the plate to end the threat. Clement then came in to
relieve Ferguson and the Lakers took advantage of a leadoff walk to score their first
run on a double. The bats responded for their pitcher as Beenackers doubled home
Yost and Sherk. Steve Ferguson then singled home Reid and Beenackers to up the
lead to 8-1. The Lakers were down to their last out due to the mercy rule but came up
with a big two run single to extend the match. Koebel singled home Jeff Ferguson to
increase the lead in the top of the 7th. A couple errors by the defense allowed a
single to score a final run for the Lakers but the game would end in a 9-4 score for Ayr.
Vics Take First of Back to Back Against Heat
Aug 9, 2012
Jeff Ferguson had the ball for Ayr as they took on the Heat in Victoria Park on a rainy
Thursday. The Vics tried to break out quickly in an effort to get the game done before
the rains came back for another round. In the second Leeming singled to score Steve
Ferguson then Chad Wells sacrificed home Sherk to make it 2-0. The Heat struck
back with 3 in the third to take the lead. In the fourth it was Clement scoring on an
error then Armes and Sherk coming home on a single by Freeman. He later scored on
a single by Clement and the Vics were up 7-3. Hickson clawed back one run in the fifth
but the wheels fell off for them in the home half of the inning.
Relief pitcher Baer ran into difficulty as he hit two batters then walked two more to push
across a run. After the second out was recorded Steve Ferguson was hit by a pitch to
score another. The Heat made a pitching change but it did not help as Clement
walked to score another and then with one run needed for a mercy win Sherk delivered
a single to right to plate Jeff Ferguson. It was a 11-4 win for the home side and moved
them one step closer to a top half playoff position.
Vics Tame Tigers
Aug 5, 2012
Ayr travelled to Tillsonburg on Sunday to take on the Tigers. Although they only had 9
players the Vics came out strong and posted 3 runs in the top of the first thanks to a
long homer by Steve Ferguson. The Steamroller took the ball for Ayr but the Tigers
were ready for a fight and pushed across 3 runs to even the score. The Ayr bats
responded by striking for 5 more once again powered by Ferguson with a two run
triple. Jeff Ferguson singled to follow his first inning double giving the brothers a
combined cycle in the first two innings of play. After shutting down the Tigers in the
second the home team battled back with another 3 in the third. In the fourth Jeff
Ferguson hit a sac fly to score Scott Freeman and up the lead to 9-6. The game
remained close until the 6th when Ayr erupted for another 5 spot including a two run
single by Freeman who scored on a single by Clement. The final was 14-6 for Ayr.
Expos Knock Off Vics
July 29, 2012
The Innerkip Expos plated single runs in each of the first 3 innings then closed strong
with 3, 1 and 2 in the final three frames to outslug the Vics 9-4. Scott Freeman had a
two RBI double in the bottom of the first to score Steve Ferguson and Oberle which
gave the Vics a brief 2-1 lead. In the fifth it was Ferguson's turn as he singled home
Armes and Beenackers to close the gap to 6-4. Oberle had the start in the circle for
Ayr and was relieved by Jeff Ferguson in the 6th. Both pitched well but the Ayr bats
could not keep up with the Expos on this night.
Vics Sneak Past Stealth
July 23, 2012
Ayr headed to Straffordville to take on the Stealth on Monday night and wasted no time
getting on the board. Beenackers scored on a fielders choice for Jeff Ferguson then
Gillow came in on an Oberle single. It was Ferguson with the ball for the Vics and he
allowed one run in the first on a couple hits then another in the second but settled in
nicely after that. The Vics came up big in the third with Mitchell, Ferguson and Oberle
all stroking base hits. Freeman pushed Oberle across with a single of his own to make
the score 5-1 Ayr. Some shaky defense cost the Vics in the fourth when Straffordville
trotted three runs across to level the score at 5. The score remained tied until the
sixth when The bottom of the order started a rally. Freeman and Sherk singled and
then after two quick outs Mitchell tripled Ferguson singled then Oberle singled to count
four big runs. Bobby Gillow came on to pitch in the sixth and held the Stealth bats
under control. Gillow drove in Freeman for another run in the 7th to up the lead to 10-
5 before he closed out the game striking out the final 2 batters and give Ayr the win in
the first of two meetings between the clubs.
Vics Level Season Series with Crush
July 22, 2012
After a tough loss in Sweaburg the Ayr squad was ready to take it to the league
leaders on Sunday night at Victoria Park. The Steamroller took the ball for Ayr against
Adam Martin for the Crush and neither wanted to give anything away. The Crush
struck first in the top of the opening frame with a single run. Ayr took advantage of
some sloppy defence from the Crush as they pushed across three runs in the home
half of the third. Sherk, Beenackers and Gillow all scored as Jeff Ferguson picked up
an RBI. The Crush continued to put runners on base but Oberle would not let them
score until the fifth when a walk was followed by a triple to make it a 3-2 game. Gillow
picked up Ayr's second hit of the night in the fifth but was stranded. That would be the
Ayr bats could put together against Martin but Oberle kept the Sweaburg bats off
balance and the infield defence took care of business turning a double play along the
way. The Vics held on for a 3-2 win and move above the .500 as they search for a top
half playoff spot.
Shorthanded Vics Defeat Woodstock
July 17, 2012
Ayr travelled to Woodstock on Tuesday night knowing they would be shorthanded but
a couple late cancellations meant the Vics would have to take to the field with only 8
players. Jesse Leeming and Will Armes manned the outfield for this critical game. Ayr
struck first in the second inning when singles by Armes and Ben Reid set the table for
Mark Koebel to double and score two runs. Mark Beenackers followed with a single
that cashed Koebel and put Ayr up 3-0. The Steamroller Dwayne Oberle was in the
circle for the Vics and he held the dangerous Kelsey's lineup in check. He also drove
in Jeff Ferguson for the fourth Ayr run which was enough to secure a hard-fought 4-3
win.
Crush Put The Pressure On Ayr
July 18, 2012
After an inspirational shorthanded victory in Woodstock the boys travelled to
Sweaburg to take on the league leading Crush. This time Ayr had 10 players although
not all were healthy they were ready for the challenge. Sweaburg jumped out to an
early lead plating two in the first on three straight hits against started Jeff Ferguson.
Ayr could only manage a hit and a walk through five innings against Crush hurler
Martin. Then the floodgates opened with Sweaburg adding three runs to the score
making it a 5-0 lead. In the 7th the Vics finally got on the board as Steve Ferguson
walked and later scored on a single by Mark Koebel. With the tying run at the plate
the Vics had Martin under pressure but a groundout ended the rally and put the game
away.
Eagles Too Much For Vics
July 11, 2012
The Vics had an opportunity to pay the Eagles back for a drubbing at Victoria Park a
few weeks earlier but it was more of the same from the defending champs and the Vics
had no answer with the sticks. Tim Neill had the ball again for Innerkip and racked up
13 strikeouts on the way to a 6-0 victory. Jeff Ferguson started for Ayr and pitched
well but the Eagles just pecked away at every opportunity and pushed a run across in
the second followed by three in the third and another in the fourth. Dan Mitchell came
in to relieve in the sixth and allowed one run. Ayr only managed four hits in the game
courtesy of Chad Wells, Oberle, Jeff Ferguson and Clement.
Vics Trample Bulls
July 8, 2012
It was time for redemption on Sunday night in Victoria Park as the redshirts welcomed
the Burgessville Bulls to town. The Bulls outslugged the Vics in their first meeting of
the season so the Steamroller was keen to show what he could do with the powerful
BVille crew.
The Bulls jumped out to an early lead as a walk and error led to two runs in the
opening frame. Ayr responded quickly as Bobby Gillow singled home Chad Wells then
Steve Ferguson doubled in Gillow and Oberle to put the Vics in the lead. Oberle held
the Bulls off the board in the second and his team rewarded him with three more runs.
Starting with two outs Ben Reid doubled then stole third before coming home on a
fielding error which put Gillow on first. Oberle then crushed a ball over the right field
wall to up the lead to 6-2. The Bulls fought back in the third with a couple hits and a hit
batter to plate a couple runs. Bulls pitcher Steinhoff had been removed in the second
to make way for McDonald but he was not to fare much better. Clement and Leeming
singled to set up Wells who walked to load them up. Reid then put a ball past the
shortstop to plate a pair of runs then Gillow reached on a fielders choice and picked
up an RBI. Oberle lofted a high ball to the outfield and the sac fly sent Reid home to
up the lead to 10-4. With the game now in control the Steamroller seemed to pick up
speed as he kept the Bulls off the board for the next two innings. A couple hits in the
sixth led to another Bulls run but that would be all the scoring as the Victoria Park
faithful headed home happy with a 10-5 Vics win.
Eagles Overpower Vics
June 24, 2012
The Eagles came to Victoria Park on Sunday night and took it to the Vics and starter
Jeff Ferguson early. The home side could not convert a couple tough grounders and
a ball down the third base line to spot the visitors a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.
Tim Neill had the ball for the Eagles and proceeded to mow down the Ayr batters with
only one hit through four innings. In the fifth the Eagles once again got to Ferguson to
plate 3 more runs. Steve Ferguson tried to help his brother out by sending the only
deep drive of the night into the darkening skies of center field but it was not enough to
elude the 5 inning mercy. Eagles take the game 8-1.
Vics Maul Tigers
June 18, 2012
With a full week between games the Vics had plenty of time to rest their bats and
prepare for their return to Victoria Park against the newly formed Tillsonburg Tigers.
Jeff Ferguson started in the circle for the Ayr boys against Dylan Polfliet. After an
uneventful opening half inning the Vics leadoff man Graham Scott opened the scoring
with a line drive over the left center fence. The Tigers responded on the second as
Tribe drilled a single to right that eluded the fielder and went to the fence. The speedy
runner rounded the bags to tie up the game at ones. The Vics didn't seem to like that
result much as they proceeded to spank the ball all over the yard in the home half.
Jesse Leeming highlighted the offence with two singles that drove in three runners. In
all the Vics plated 10 runs on 7 hits all singles. Ferguson took a pitch off his throwing
arm in the inning and had to be replaced on the mound to start the third. The
Steamroller came in to try and hold the Tigers down. He proceeded to strike out 5 in
two innings of work. Ayr added to the lead in the bottom of the third as Bevan Wells
notched his second RBI and substitute Scott Freeman added one on a sac fly. With a
13-1 lead the Vics turned the ball over to regular second baseman Dean Clement who
pitched the fifth. The Tigers put a couple hits together and did score a run but it was
not enough to avoid the mercy rule and a 13-2 victory for Ayr. Graham Scott led the
way for the Vics on offences with 3 hits and 4 RBI. Bevan Wells and Leeming each
had a pair of hits. J McKie had two of the four Tiger base raps in the contest.
Vics Sweat It Out Against Eagles
June 10, 2012
It was a hot, humid evening in Innerkip on Sunday when the Vics met the Expos. Both
teams were in need of a victory and this crucial game was put in the hands of Crawford
for Innerkip and the Steamroller for the Vics. Ayr was not able to get much going
against the Kip hurler and Oberle was keeping the Expos off balance through three
innings. Twice Ayr had a pair of runners on with Clement and Ferguson reaching
safely but could not score. Innerkip finally got to the big righty in the bottom of four
when they opened the frame with a double and single to plate the opening run. Oberle
kept the batters guessing and a popout ended the frame with three runners on the
basepaths. The Ayr offense finally hit the scoreboard in the fifth when rookie Mark
Beenackers legged out an infield hit and later scored on a single by Dan Mitchell. With
the club running out of sweat towels and another game on tap for Monday night the big
righty handed the ball over to the even bigger righty Jeff Ferguson to close out the
game. Fergie yielded an opening walk and a hit but but kept the Kip runners from
getting as far as third. Once again they put a couple on in the sixth but he held the
fort. The Vics offense responded with Beenackers again getting things going with a
walk. Chad Wells reached base by way of the plunk and an error loaded them up.
Bobby Gillow then showed tremendous patience in working a walk to bring home
Beens. A double play put a quick end to the threat but Ayr had the lead into the
bottom of 7. Unlike many previous games this one would end quietly and in favour of
the redshirts. Fergie put them down in order including a catch by brother Steve as he
rumbled in from left field to gobble up a dying quail and end the game. The fans were
treated to a great match that could have gone either way right down to the end.
Vics Robbed by Oxford Bandits
May 28, 2012
Ayr took to the road on Monday to take on the newly formed Oxford Bandits in
Innerkip. Klingenberg started for Oxford against Dwayne Oberle and both players
were dealing the heat. Fred Killing opened the scoring for the Bandits with an RBI
double to score Justin Krown. There was no further scoring until the fourth inning
when Oberle helped his own cause with a single to plate Dan Mitchell. The Vics
managed to load the bases with only one out but were unable to push across another
run. Oxford struck back quickly as Matt Flood cashed Steve Morris on a single in the
bottom half of the inning. In the fifth Klingenberg added to the lead with a monster
shot to center field and the Bandits were up 3-1. After a scoreless sixth Ayr came out
swinging in the 7th inning. Will Armes trotted home on a double by Chad Wells then
after Bevan Wells walked Dan Mitchell cleared the bags with a shot off the wall in left
center. Mitchell had taken over pitching duties in the 6th and came out with a 4-3 lead
to try and close the game but had some trouble finding the zone. After the first two
batters walked he struck out Klingenberg to get the first out. A grounder to second
could not be converted and a wild throw brought home the tying run and put the winner
on third. Clement then fielded a grounder and threw out the runner trying to score to
keep the game alive. Matt Richardson was the batter and proceeded to drop a soft
flare into right field to score the winning run in an entertaining 5-4 contest
Woodstock Come Back to Beat Vics
May 27, 2012
The red shirts returned home on Sunday night and were greeted by a sizeable crowd.
The Vics were happy to see Betty Pettigrew and family in their familiar right field perch
and the team wishes to extend their condolences to the entire family for the loss of Les
last week.
Ayr started the game out with Ferguson once again taking the ball and he made quick
work of the top of Woodstock’s lineup. The Vics loaded the bases in the home half but
were not able to bring home a run. They fared a bit better in the second as Chad
“Mickey” Wells drilled a hard single to center that was misplayed by the fielder. Jeff
Ferguson chugged around the bases and scored to put Ayr up 1-0. Fergie was sharp
on the mound as well as he kept the Woodstock batters off balance. A sharply hit ball
back to the circle was turned into a double play to end the third. The Kelseys finally
put a few hits together in the fifth and scored the tying run on a double by Dan
Wilkins. Bobby Gillow entered the circle to take over pitching in the 6th and was
greeted by another big double from the bat of Abby to put Woodstock into the lead 2-
1. Woodstock starter Mike Pullin went the distance and retired the final 6 batters
cleanly to close out the game.
Burgessville Outslugs Vics
May 23, 2012
Ayr visited Burgessville on Wednesday night and it was Vics Rookie Jeff Ferguson
making his first appearance of the year facing Bulls vet Shawn Steinhoff in the circle.
Ayr jumped out to an early lead as Dan Mitchell cracked a solo homer over the left
center field fence in the top of the first. The Bulls fired back as Andy Richardson
belted a two run shot in the bottom half. Andrew VanWyk added another two run tater
in the bottom of two to give the Bulls a 4-1 lead. The hit parade continued in the top of
3 as Dwayne Oberle went yard to push Mitchell and Scott across the plate and tie the
score. Ayr forged back into the lead in the fourth when Mitchell belted a two run
double plating Reid and Wells. Oberle took the ball in the bottom half but it was not to
be his night as the Bulls continued to swing freely. Hamulecki sent a ball deep into the
night with two on the base paths which pushed the Bulls back into the lead 7-6. Three
singles in the fifth added two runs to the Burgessville tally and then five more knocks in
the sixth made the score 12-6. Not ready to roll over the Vics offense tried to battle
back against Neil McDonald but after a promising start the only run they could push
across was Steve Ferguson grounding out to plate Mark Koebel. The Bulls closed out
a 12-7 win to hand the Vics their first loss of the season.
Vics Take One From Harwood
May 15, 2012
Vics veteran Graham Scott was on fire at the plate as he provided the offense for the
visitors against Harwood Corners. Scott was 3/4 with two doubles, a triple, a run and
two RBI's. Dwayne Oberle started in the circle for Ayr and kept the Corners off the
scoresheet despite allowing 6 hits over 5 innings.
Scott scored in the top of 1 after reaching on an error then moving around on 3
passed balls. In the fifth inning Scott tripled home Will Armes to give Ayr a 2-0 lead.
Oberle handed the ball to Dan Mitchell in the bottom of 6 but the second batter drove
a ball over the right centre fence to cut the lead to 2-1. Rookie Ben Reid came home
on Scotts third rap of the night in the top of 7 then Bobby Gillow grounded out to plate
Chad Wells to up the lead to 4-1. Mitchell hit the opening batter in the bottom of the
7th but a lineout to Scott produced a double play to end the game. Ayr moves to 2-0
on the season with the 4-1 victory.
Vics Sink Lakers in Season Opener
May 13, 2012
Unlike past seasons this opening day brought beautiful weather as the Vics hosted the
Port Burwell Lakers to kick off the 2012 campaign. There were many familiar faces
and quite a few new ones filling the seats to watch Dwayne Oberle return to the circle
for the home side. The “Steamroller” was tough on the visitors as he allowed only two
singles in three innings of work. At the plate the Vics started quickly by pushing across
one run in the first as Oberle singled home leadoff man Chad “Mickey” Wells who had
reached on a walk. Ayr added to the lead in the second as newcomer Ben Reid
cashed in another rookie Mark Beenackers with a single. Wells then stroke a single to
cash Scott Freeman and Bobby Gillow launched a sac fly to the outfield to plate Reid.
The home crowd was more vocal than in past seasons and that seemed to inspire the
Vics bats as Beenackers, Freeman and Reid produced the same results again in the
fourth. The only difference was this time Wells drove a ball over the center field fence
to plate three and give Ayr a commanding 8-0 lead.
Bobby Gillow took over the pitching duties in the fourth and was greeted by a deep
blast from the Burwell pitcher. The Lakers put another on the board in the fifth as
second baseman Dean Clement made an outstanding over the shoulder catch but a
runner scored from third to avoid the game ending by the 7 run mercy rule. Burwell
added another run in the 6th to make it an 8-3 game. That seemed to be enough for
the Vics whose bats had run cold for a couple innings. Gillow led off with a walk
followed by a single from Jesse Leeming. Clement then cashed Gillow with a single.
The final run was plated when the Lakers third baseman could not handle a grounder
from Beenackers and Leeming scampered home to make the final score 10-3. It was a
great night for the Vics and the fans went home happy with the result.
Vics Roster Set for 2012 Season
May 6, 2012
The Vics have set their lineup as they get ready for opening day in Tri-County Men's
Fastball Action. Several new faces and a couple former Vics will take to the diamond
at Victoria Park this season. The club welcomes newcomers Mark Beenackers, Will
Armas, Ben Reid, Tom Luelo and Jeff Ferguson to Ayr Fastball. There are also two
players who return to Ayr after an absence. Steve Ferguson is back after a few years
off and former league top pitcher Dwayne Oberle is back after one year off.
The season opens with Port Burwell at Victoria Park on Mother's Day May 13, 7:30pm.
The Vics will then take to the road on Tuesday May 15, 8:30pm in Hickson against
Harwood Corners.
This will be an interesting season and the Vics look to challenge the top teams in the
league for a position in the A division.
Sept 10, 2012
This opening round series has been a high scoring shootout from the beginning so it
was fitting that the deciding game would also feature plenty of offense. After winning
two straight elimination games the Vics handed the ball back to Mitchell while the Bulls
countered with Steinhoff. Ayr left a pair on base in the first and the Bulls made them
pay when they bashed out four runs including a big blast by Maris. Burgessville fired
up their home crowd in the second by pushing across four more with Davis having the
big fly in that frame. Already in an 8-0 hole the Vics finally hit the scoreboard in the
fourth when Clement singled home Jeff Ferguson. Sherk later singled home Clement
to bring the Vics within four runs. As has been the case all series the Bulls answered
quickly when Dave VanWyk belted a two run shot and Maris popped his second of the
night to put the home side ahead 11-2. One more single would end the night for
Mitchell as Bobby Gillow took the ball to close out the inning.
Ayr needed at least 3 runs in the top of the fifth to avoid a mercy defeat and they
showed their heart by putting together a big rally. Oberle singled home Gillow to get it
going but the redshirts soon found themselves two runs shy with two out. Steve
Ferguson kept the inning alive with a single as did Clement. Koebel then singled home
two which ensured another inning of play. Sherk promptly delivered a double up the
middle to push across two more and put Ayr right back in the game at 11-7. The Bulls
manufactured another run in the home half to up the lead to five. Gillow led off the
sixth with a jack of his own to once again close the gap to four. That was the end of
the line for Steinhoff as McDonald took over and threw off the Vics bats enough to get
out of the inning unscathed. Burgessville continued their inspired batwork by adding
another pair of runs on four hits in the sixth. Gillow struck out three in the inning but it
was too little too late. Down six in the final frame Koebel mashed the sixth tater of the
evening to close the gap to five but that would be all the Vics could muster. It was a
hard fought series but the Bulls bashed their way into the second round to face the
Sweaburg Crush.
The Vics would like to thank all of their fans for their continued support throughout the
season and especially those who made the trek to Burgessville for the final game to
cheer on the team. It was a good season that saw some new players emerge and
some veterans show they still had game. We hope to see you again in the spring at
Victoria Park for another season of fastball.
Vics Send Series to Deciding Game
Sept 9, 2012
The series shifted back to Ayr on a chilly Sunday night where Mitchell was once again
given the assignment of silencing the Burgessville bats. A fortunate hop for the
visitors in the first inning led to a pair of runs then a homer by Mike Maris staked the
Bulls to an early 4-0 lead. The redshirts had some new confidence after the last win
though and started to work on a comeback. Mitchell tripled in the home half and came
home on a hard grounder from Oberle that was mishandled. Burgessville threatened
for more in the second but the Vics caught a runner off third on a groundout and
pegged him at home to help hold the score steady. In the bottom of two Clement
walked then Koebel doubled to set up a two run single from Sherk which closed the
gap to a single run. The score held until the bottom of four when Mitchell cleared the
bases of Koebel, Sherk and Beenackers by belting a hard double to center field. That
gave Ayr their first lead at 6-4. Mitchell was cruising along in the circle as he appeared
to get into a good groove, not allowing much of a threat. The Bulls brought Steinhoff
in to pitch the 6th and he was promptly greeted by Steve Ferguson who belted a ball
over the right field wall to make the lead 7-4. The Bulls would not roll over as they
came out hard in the 6th inning. A lineout to short almost produced an inning ending
double play but the throw hit the runner and allowed a run to score. Another error
plated a second run and closed the gap to 7-6. In the bottom half Mitchell tried to
stretch a double into a triple but was pegged at third to start the frame. Oberle then
singled and was replaced on the bases by veteran Graham Scott. The long time Vics
chugged home on a double by Clement to up the lead to 8-6. Ayr then handed the
ball over to Oberle who closed out the game with a clean inning. The win pushed the
series to a deciding 5th game which was played on Monday in Burgessville.
Vics Force Game Four in Ayr
Sept 5, 2012
The Bulls continued to work over the Vics pitching staff in Game 2 on Tuesday in
Victoria Park. Burgessville put 13 runs on the board to take the game by a 13-4 score.
With their season on the line the Ayr boys headed to Burgessville the following night to
try and hold back the charging Bulls bats. Dan Mitchell took the ball for the Vics and
put together a terrific outing. He also opened the scoring in the first as he was hit
home by Scott Freeman. Ayr upped the lead to 2-0 in the second as Mitchell singled
home Ken Sherk. In the bottom of 3 the Bulls finally broke through as a couple Vics
errors allowed the home side to plate a pair and even the score. Jeff Ferguson put
Ayr back in the lead with a leadoff tater to open the fourth inning. In the fifth it was Bob
Gillow who led off with a dinger of his own. Jeff Ferguson delivered a big two out single
to score Clement and up the lead to 5-2. Once again Burgessville fought back with
two runs and were threatening for more when Mitchell induced a grounder that was
turned into a 4-6-3 double play to close out the inning. Mitchell doubled home Graham
Scott in the 6th to restore a 2 run advantage for Ayr. In the 7th Sherk singled home
Mark Koebel and then Jeff Ferguson scored on a wild pitch to put the reds ahead 8-4.
The Bulls were unable to solve Mitchell in the home half of the final inning and Ayr
extended the series which will continue on Sunday at 7:30pm in Victoria Park.
Bulls Batter Vics in Series Opener
Aug 29, 2012
The third ranked Bulls came into this game after and long layoff and showed they were
ready for playoff ball as they swung the big bats against Vics starter Dwayne Oberle.
In the second inning a triple, double and single produced a pair of runs. As the Vics
batters struggled against veteran hurler Stienhoff the Bulls continued to pour it on. A
two run homer in the second upped the lead to 4 and then three hits followed by
another dinger capped the fourth inning and gave Burgessville an 8-0 lead. The Bulls
came up with a few solid defensive plays to keep the Ayr bats down and when they
could not score in the fifth the game was ended by mercy rule.
The Vics will be looking to their home crowd on Tuesday night to help them get back
into this best-of-five series.
Steamroller Flattens Oxford
Aug 22, 2012
The Vics and Bandits faced each other in Victoria Park Thursday night to decide 6th
and 7th position in the Tri-County standings and the home side came out on top.
Dwayne "Steamroller" Oberle took the ball for Ayr and was absolutely dominant as he
put down the dangerous Oxford lineup one by one. The Oxford hurler was equally
effective through four innings and neither team was able to bring a runner home. In
the bottom of the fifth Sherk led off with a walk, advanced on a single by Steve
Ferguson then a passed ball. Jeff Ferguson then plated Sherk with the opening run.
Leeming then drove a hard single to left which plated Steve Ferguson to give Ayr a 2-0
lead. Oberle took over from there and continued to shut out the opposition with only
two balls escaping the infield all night. He posted a remarkable 15 strikeouts in
completing the shutout. With the win the Vics finished sixth in the Tri-County league
standings with a 13-9 record. They will face the third ranked Burgessville Bulls in the
first round best-of-five series. The opening game will be Wednesday in Burgessville
and the following games will be scheduled soon.
Aug 21, 2012
Vics Get Past Straffordville But Fall to Harwood
The Vics were looking to secure a 6th seed going into the playoffs and gave the ball to
Bobby Gillow to start the job at Victoria Park against Straffordville on Monday. Gillow
delivered a solid performance as he held the Stealth to only one unearned run over 5
innings. In the home half of the first inning Dan Mitchell singled to score Graham Scott
and give Ayr the early lead. An error and sacrifice fly allowed the Stealth to level the
score in the third inning of this tight contest. In the bottom of the fifth Gillow singled
home Mark Beenackers to put Ayr back in front 2-1. The Steamroller, fresh off the DL
entered the game and closed it out for the home side.
On Tuesday Harwood Corners came to town and even though it was a big game to win
the Vics just were not in this one. Jeff Ferguson had the start but had to leave the
game due to injury after only one inning. Harwood put 4 runs on the board in the first
to get out to the early lead. The Ayr bats coudl not get much going as Beenackers
reached on one of his two walks in the third and after a double by Jesse Leeming he
came home on an errant throw. That would be it for the home side but Harwood
continued to pour it on smashing a total of three dingers. Steve Ferguson pitched the
final four innings and the visitors piled on another 6 runs to make the final score 10-1.
Ayr now faces the Oxford Bandits in the final game of the regular season on Thursday
in Ayr at 8:00pm. A win will have them facing 3rd ranked Burgessville in the opening
round of the playoffs while a loss will mean a meeting with the Sweaburg Crush. The
Vics have split their games with both of these teams in the regular season.
Vics Split Pair of Games
July 16, 2012
The Vics had a return engagement with the Hickson Heat on Thursday but this time it
was in their yard. With a couple pitchers at the ISC world tournament and another on
the DL it was up to Jeff Ferguson to take the ball for Ayr. Steve Ferguson helped him
out in the first with a double to plate Beenackers and give the Vics a 1-0 lead. That
would hold up until the fifth when things quickly unravelled. After a leadoff single the
Heat went to the short game and dropped a string of bunts that the Vics were unable
to defend against. The result of the inning was 4 runs. It was a rough night for the Ayr
bats as they could muster only a pair of hits and the Heat hurler Dan Benbow kept
them off the board the rest of the way to preserve the 4-1 score.
That game left the Vics still one win short of securing an 'A' playoff spot and in need of
a few more wins to ensure a top 6 finish. They travelled to Port Burwell to challenge
the Lakers with an 8 man lineup. Once again Jeff Ferguson had the ball for Ayr and
again it was brother Steve who got the ball rolling. This time it was a solo tater to put
the redshirts up by a run. In the third he was at it again with a double to plate Reid
and Beenackers and open the lead to 3-0. A pitching change by the home side didn’t
improve matters as Ayr continued to press on offense. Reid singled and then stole
second. He followed that up by taking third on a passed ball and when the throw got
away from the third baseman he scampered home to open the lead to 4-0. Clement
drove a double to the wall in left center but Jeff Ferguson, coming all the way from first
on the play, was gunned down at the plate to end the threat. Clement then came in to
relieve Ferguson and the Lakers took advantage of a leadoff walk to score their first
run on a double. The bats responded for their pitcher as Beenackers doubled home
Yost and Sherk. Steve Ferguson then singled home Reid and Beenackers to up the
lead to 8-1. The Lakers were down to their last out due to the mercy rule but came up
with a big two run single to extend the match. Koebel singled home Jeff Ferguson to
increase the lead in the top of the 7th. A couple errors by the defense allowed a
single to score a final run for the Lakers but the game would end in a 9-4 score for Ayr.
Vics Take First of Back to Back Against Heat
Aug 9, 2012
Jeff Ferguson had the ball for Ayr as they took on the Heat in Victoria Park on a rainy
Thursday. The Vics tried to break out quickly in an effort to get the game done before
the rains came back for another round. In the second Leeming singled to score Steve
Ferguson then Chad Wells sacrificed home Sherk to make it 2-0. The Heat struck
back with 3 in the third to take the lead. In the fourth it was Clement scoring on an
error then Armes and Sherk coming home on a single by Freeman. He later scored on
a single by Clement and the Vics were up 7-3. Hickson clawed back one run in the fifth
but the wheels fell off for them in the home half of the inning.
Relief pitcher Baer ran into difficulty as he hit two batters then walked two more to push
across a run. After the second out was recorded Steve Ferguson was hit by a pitch to
score another. The Heat made a pitching change but it did not help as Clement
walked to score another and then with one run needed for a mercy win Sherk delivered
a single to right to plate Jeff Ferguson. It was a 11-4 win for the home side and moved
them one step closer to a top half playoff position.
Vics Tame Tigers
Aug 5, 2012
Ayr travelled to Tillsonburg on Sunday to take on the Tigers. Although they only had 9
players the Vics came out strong and posted 3 runs in the top of the first thanks to a
long homer by Steve Ferguson. The Steamroller took the ball for Ayr but the Tigers
were ready for a fight and pushed across 3 runs to even the score. The Ayr bats
responded by striking for 5 more once again powered by Ferguson with a two run
triple. Jeff Ferguson singled to follow his first inning double giving the brothers a
combined cycle in the first two innings of play. After shutting down the Tigers in the
second the home team battled back with another 3 in the third. In the fourth Jeff
Ferguson hit a sac fly to score Scott Freeman and up the lead to 9-6. The game
remained close until the 6th when Ayr erupted for another 5 spot including a two run
single by Freeman who scored on a single by Clement. The final was 14-6 for Ayr.
Expos Knock Off Vics
July 29, 2012
The Innerkip Expos plated single runs in each of the first 3 innings then closed strong
with 3, 1 and 2 in the final three frames to outslug the Vics 9-4. Scott Freeman had a
two RBI double in the bottom of the first to score Steve Ferguson and Oberle which
gave the Vics a brief 2-1 lead. In the fifth it was Ferguson's turn as he singled home
Armes and Beenackers to close the gap to 6-4. Oberle had the start in the circle for
Ayr and was relieved by Jeff Ferguson in the 6th. Both pitched well but the Ayr bats
could not keep up with the Expos on this night.
Vics Sneak Past Stealth
July 23, 2012
Ayr headed to Straffordville to take on the Stealth on Monday night and wasted no time
getting on the board. Beenackers scored on a fielders choice for Jeff Ferguson then
Gillow came in on an Oberle single. It was Ferguson with the ball for the Vics and he
allowed one run in the first on a couple hits then another in the second but settled in
nicely after that. The Vics came up big in the third with Mitchell, Ferguson and Oberle
all stroking base hits. Freeman pushed Oberle across with a single of his own to make
the score 5-1 Ayr. Some shaky defense cost the Vics in the fourth when Straffordville
trotted three runs across to level the score at 5. The score remained tied until the
sixth when The bottom of the order started a rally. Freeman and Sherk singled and
then after two quick outs Mitchell tripled Ferguson singled then Oberle singled to count
four big runs. Bobby Gillow came on to pitch in the sixth and held the Stealth bats
under control. Gillow drove in Freeman for another run in the 7th to up the lead to 10-
5 before he closed out the game striking out the final 2 batters and give Ayr the win in
the first of two meetings between the clubs.
Vics Level Season Series with Crush
July 22, 2012
After a tough loss in Sweaburg the Ayr squad was ready to take it to the league
leaders on Sunday night at Victoria Park. The Steamroller took the ball for Ayr against
Adam Martin for the Crush and neither wanted to give anything away. The Crush
struck first in the top of the opening frame with a single run. Ayr took advantage of
some sloppy defence from the Crush as they pushed across three runs in the home
half of the third. Sherk, Beenackers and Gillow all scored as Jeff Ferguson picked up
an RBI. The Crush continued to put runners on base but Oberle would not let them
score until the fifth when a walk was followed by a triple to make it a 3-2 game. Gillow
picked up Ayr's second hit of the night in the fifth but was stranded. That would be the
Ayr bats could put together against Martin but Oberle kept the Sweaburg bats off
balance and the infield defence took care of business turning a double play along the
way. The Vics held on for a 3-2 win and move above the .500 as they search for a top
half playoff spot.
Shorthanded Vics Defeat Woodstock
July 17, 2012
Ayr travelled to Woodstock on Tuesday night knowing they would be shorthanded but
a couple late cancellations meant the Vics would have to take to the field with only 8
players. Jesse Leeming and Will Armes manned the outfield for this critical game. Ayr
struck first in the second inning when singles by Armes and Ben Reid set the table for
Mark Koebel to double and score two runs. Mark Beenackers followed with a single
that cashed Koebel and put Ayr up 3-0. The Steamroller Dwayne Oberle was in the
circle for the Vics and he held the dangerous Kelsey's lineup in check. He also drove
in Jeff Ferguson for the fourth Ayr run which was enough to secure a hard-fought 4-3
win.
Crush Put The Pressure On Ayr
July 18, 2012
After an inspirational shorthanded victory in Woodstock the boys travelled to
Sweaburg to take on the league leading Crush. This time Ayr had 10 players although
not all were healthy they were ready for the challenge. Sweaburg jumped out to an
early lead plating two in the first on three straight hits against started Jeff Ferguson.
Ayr could only manage a hit and a walk through five innings against Crush hurler
Martin. Then the floodgates opened with Sweaburg adding three runs to the score
making it a 5-0 lead. In the 7th the Vics finally got on the board as Steve Ferguson
walked and later scored on a single by Mark Koebel. With the tying run at the plate
the Vics had Martin under pressure but a groundout ended the rally and put the game
away.
Eagles Too Much For Vics
July 11, 2012
The Vics had an opportunity to pay the Eagles back for a drubbing at Victoria Park a
few weeks earlier but it was more of the same from the defending champs and the Vics
had no answer with the sticks. Tim Neill had the ball again for Innerkip and racked up
13 strikeouts on the way to a 6-0 victory. Jeff Ferguson started for Ayr and pitched
well but the Eagles just pecked away at every opportunity and pushed a run across in
the second followed by three in the third and another in the fourth. Dan Mitchell came
in to relieve in the sixth and allowed one run. Ayr only managed four hits in the game
courtesy of Chad Wells, Oberle, Jeff Ferguson and Clement.
Vics Trample Bulls
July 8, 2012
It was time for redemption on Sunday night in Victoria Park as the redshirts welcomed
the Burgessville Bulls to town. The Bulls outslugged the Vics in their first meeting of
the season so the Steamroller was keen to show what he could do with the powerful
BVille crew.
The Bulls jumped out to an early lead as a walk and error led to two runs in the
opening frame. Ayr responded quickly as Bobby Gillow singled home Chad Wells then
Steve Ferguson doubled in Gillow and Oberle to put the Vics in the lead. Oberle held
the Bulls off the board in the second and his team rewarded him with three more runs.
Starting with two outs Ben Reid doubled then stole third before coming home on a
fielding error which put Gillow on first. Oberle then crushed a ball over the right field
wall to up the lead to 6-2. The Bulls fought back in the third with a couple hits and a hit
batter to plate a couple runs. Bulls pitcher Steinhoff had been removed in the second
to make way for McDonald but he was not to fare much better. Clement and Leeming
singled to set up Wells who walked to load them up. Reid then put a ball past the
shortstop to plate a pair of runs then Gillow reached on a fielders choice and picked
up an RBI. Oberle lofted a high ball to the outfield and the sac fly sent Reid home to
up the lead to 10-4. With the game now in control the Steamroller seemed to pick up
speed as he kept the Bulls off the board for the next two innings. A couple hits in the
sixth led to another Bulls run but that would be all the scoring as the Victoria Park
faithful headed home happy with a 10-5 Vics win.
Eagles Overpower Vics
June 24, 2012
The Eagles came to Victoria Park on Sunday night and took it to the Vics and starter
Jeff Ferguson early. The home side could not convert a couple tough grounders and
a ball down the third base line to spot the visitors a 5-0 lead in the top of the first.
Tim Neill had the ball for the Eagles and proceeded to mow down the Ayr batters with
only one hit through four innings. In the fifth the Eagles once again got to Ferguson to
plate 3 more runs. Steve Ferguson tried to help his brother out by sending the only
deep drive of the night into the darkening skies of center field but it was not enough to
elude the 5 inning mercy. Eagles take the game 8-1.
Vics Maul Tigers
June 18, 2012
With a full week between games the Vics had plenty of time to rest their bats and
prepare for their return to Victoria Park against the newly formed Tillsonburg Tigers.
Jeff Ferguson started in the circle for the Ayr boys against Dylan Polfliet. After an
uneventful opening half inning the Vics leadoff man Graham Scott opened the scoring
with a line drive over the left center fence. The Tigers responded on the second as
Tribe drilled a single to right that eluded the fielder and went to the fence. The speedy
runner rounded the bags to tie up the game at ones. The Vics didn't seem to like that
result much as they proceeded to spank the ball all over the yard in the home half.
Jesse Leeming highlighted the offence with two singles that drove in three runners. In
all the Vics plated 10 runs on 7 hits all singles. Ferguson took a pitch off his throwing
arm in the inning and had to be replaced on the mound to start the third. The
Steamroller came in to try and hold the Tigers down. He proceeded to strike out 5 in
two innings of work. Ayr added to the lead in the bottom of the third as Bevan Wells
notched his second RBI and substitute Scott Freeman added one on a sac fly. With a
13-1 lead the Vics turned the ball over to regular second baseman Dean Clement who
pitched the fifth. The Tigers put a couple hits together and did score a run but it was
not enough to avoid the mercy rule and a 13-2 victory for Ayr. Graham Scott led the
way for the Vics on offences with 3 hits and 4 RBI. Bevan Wells and Leeming each
had a pair of hits. J McKie had two of the four Tiger base raps in the contest.
Vics Sweat It Out Against Eagles
June 10, 2012
It was a hot, humid evening in Innerkip on Sunday when the Vics met the Expos. Both
teams were in need of a victory and this crucial game was put in the hands of Crawford
for Innerkip and the Steamroller for the Vics. Ayr was not able to get much going
against the Kip hurler and Oberle was keeping the Expos off balance through three
innings. Twice Ayr had a pair of runners on with Clement and Ferguson reaching
safely but could not score. Innerkip finally got to the big righty in the bottom of four
when they opened the frame with a double and single to plate the opening run. Oberle
kept the batters guessing and a popout ended the frame with three runners on the
basepaths. The Ayr offense finally hit the scoreboard in the fifth when rookie Mark
Beenackers legged out an infield hit and later scored on a single by Dan Mitchell. With
the club running out of sweat towels and another game on tap for Monday night the big
righty handed the ball over to the even bigger righty Jeff Ferguson to close out the
game. Fergie yielded an opening walk and a hit but but kept the Kip runners from
getting as far as third. Once again they put a couple on in the sixth but he held the
fort. The Vics offense responded with Beenackers again getting things going with a
walk. Chad Wells reached base by way of the plunk and an error loaded them up.
Bobby Gillow then showed tremendous patience in working a walk to bring home
Beens. A double play put a quick end to the threat but Ayr had the lead into the
bottom of 7. Unlike many previous games this one would end quietly and in favour of
the redshirts. Fergie put them down in order including a catch by brother Steve as he
rumbled in from left field to gobble up a dying quail and end the game. The fans were
treated to a great match that could have gone either way right down to the end.
Vics Robbed by Oxford Bandits
May 28, 2012
Ayr took to the road on Monday to take on the newly formed Oxford Bandits in
Innerkip. Klingenberg started for Oxford against Dwayne Oberle and both players
were dealing the heat. Fred Killing opened the scoring for the Bandits with an RBI
double to score Justin Krown. There was no further scoring until the fourth inning
when Oberle helped his own cause with a single to plate Dan Mitchell. The Vics
managed to load the bases with only one out but were unable to push across another
run. Oxford struck back quickly as Matt Flood cashed Steve Morris on a single in the
bottom half of the inning. In the fifth Klingenberg added to the lead with a monster
shot to center field and the Bandits were up 3-1. After a scoreless sixth Ayr came out
swinging in the 7th inning. Will Armes trotted home on a double by Chad Wells then
after Bevan Wells walked Dan Mitchell cleared the bags with a shot off the wall in left
center. Mitchell had taken over pitching duties in the 6th and came out with a 4-3 lead
to try and close the game but had some trouble finding the zone. After the first two
batters walked he struck out Klingenberg to get the first out. A grounder to second
could not be converted and a wild throw brought home the tying run and put the winner
on third. Clement then fielded a grounder and threw out the runner trying to score to
keep the game alive. Matt Richardson was the batter and proceeded to drop a soft
flare into right field to score the winning run in an entertaining 5-4 contest
Woodstock Come Back to Beat Vics
May 27, 2012
The red shirts returned home on Sunday night and were greeted by a sizeable crowd.
The Vics were happy to see Betty Pettigrew and family in their familiar right field perch
and the team wishes to extend their condolences to the entire family for the loss of Les
last week.
Ayr started the game out with Ferguson once again taking the ball and he made quick
work of the top of Woodstock’s lineup. The Vics loaded the bases in the home half but
were not able to bring home a run. They fared a bit better in the second as Chad
“Mickey” Wells drilled a hard single to center that was misplayed by the fielder. Jeff
Ferguson chugged around the bases and scored to put Ayr up 1-0. Fergie was sharp
on the mound as well as he kept the Woodstock batters off balance. A sharply hit ball
back to the circle was turned into a double play to end the third. The Kelseys finally
put a few hits together in the fifth and scored the tying run on a double by Dan
Wilkins. Bobby Gillow entered the circle to take over pitching in the 6th and was
greeted by another big double from the bat of Abby to put Woodstock into the lead 2-
1. Woodstock starter Mike Pullin went the distance and retired the final 6 batters
cleanly to close out the game.
Burgessville Outslugs Vics
May 23, 2012
Ayr visited Burgessville on Wednesday night and it was Vics Rookie Jeff Ferguson
making his first appearance of the year facing Bulls vet Shawn Steinhoff in the circle.
Ayr jumped out to an early lead as Dan Mitchell cracked a solo homer over the left
center field fence in the top of the first. The Bulls fired back as Andy Richardson
belted a two run shot in the bottom half. Andrew VanWyk added another two run tater
in the bottom of two to give the Bulls a 4-1 lead. The hit parade continued in the top of
3 as Dwayne Oberle went yard to push Mitchell and Scott across the plate and tie the
score. Ayr forged back into the lead in the fourth when Mitchell belted a two run
double plating Reid and Wells. Oberle took the ball in the bottom half but it was not to
be his night as the Bulls continued to swing freely. Hamulecki sent a ball deep into the
night with two on the base paths which pushed the Bulls back into the lead 7-6. Three
singles in the fifth added two runs to the Burgessville tally and then five more knocks in
the sixth made the score 12-6. Not ready to roll over the Vics offense tried to battle
back against Neil McDonald but after a promising start the only run they could push
across was Steve Ferguson grounding out to plate Mark Koebel. The Bulls closed out
a 12-7 win to hand the Vics their first loss of the season.
Vics Take One From Harwood
May 15, 2012
Vics veteran Graham Scott was on fire at the plate as he provided the offense for the
visitors against Harwood Corners. Scott was 3/4 with two doubles, a triple, a run and
two RBI's. Dwayne Oberle started in the circle for Ayr and kept the Corners off the
scoresheet despite allowing 6 hits over 5 innings.
Scott scored in the top of 1 after reaching on an error then moving around on 3
passed balls. In the fifth inning Scott tripled home Will Armes to give Ayr a 2-0 lead.
Oberle handed the ball to Dan Mitchell in the bottom of 6 but the second batter drove
a ball over the right centre fence to cut the lead to 2-1. Rookie Ben Reid came home
on Scotts third rap of the night in the top of 7 then Bobby Gillow grounded out to plate
Chad Wells to up the lead to 4-1. Mitchell hit the opening batter in the bottom of the
7th but a lineout to Scott produced a double play to end the game. Ayr moves to 2-0
on the season with the 4-1 victory.
Vics Sink Lakers in Season Opener
May 13, 2012
Unlike past seasons this opening day brought beautiful weather as the Vics hosted the
Port Burwell Lakers to kick off the 2012 campaign. There were many familiar faces
and quite a few new ones filling the seats to watch Dwayne Oberle return to the circle
for the home side. The “Steamroller” was tough on the visitors as he allowed only two
singles in three innings of work. At the plate the Vics started quickly by pushing across
one run in the first as Oberle singled home leadoff man Chad “Mickey” Wells who had
reached on a walk. Ayr added to the lead in the second as newcomer Ben Reid
cashed in another rookie Mark Beenackers with a single. Wells then stroke a single to
cash Scott Freeman and Bobby Gillow launched a sac fly to the outfield to plate Reid.
The home crowd was more vocal than in past seasons and that seemed to inspire the
Vics bats as Beenackers, Freeman and Reid produced the same results again in the
fourth. The only difference was this time Wells drove a ball over the center field fence
to plate three and give Ayr a commanding 8-0 lead.
Bobby Gillow took over the pitching duties in the fourth and was greeted by a deep
blast from the Burwell pitcher. The Lakers put another on the board in the fifth as
second baseman Dean Clement made an outstanding over the shoulder catch but a
runner scored from third to avoid the game ending by the 7 run mercy rule. Burwell
added another run in the 6th to make it an 8-3 game. That seemed to be enough for
the Vics whose bats had run cold for a couple innings. Gillow led off with a walk
followed by a single from Jesse Leeming. Clement then cashed Gillow with a single.
The final run was plated when the Lakers third baseman could not handle a grounder
from Beenackers and Leeming scampered home to make the final score 10-3. It was a
great night for the Vics and the fans went home happy with the result.
Vics Roster Set for 2012 Season
May 6, 2012
The Vics have set their lineup as they get ready for opening day in Tri-County Men's
Fastball Action. Several new faces and a couple former Vics will take to the diamond
at Victoria Park this season. The club welcomes newcomers Mark Beenackers, Will
Armas, Ben Reid, Tom Luelo and Jeff Ferguson to Ayr Fastball. There are also two
players who return to Ayr after an absence. Steve Ferguson is back after a few years
off and former league top pitcher Dwayne Oberle is back after one year off.
The season opens with Port Burwell at Victoria Park on Mother's Day May 13, 7:30pm.
The Vics will then take to the road on Tuesday May 15, 8:30pm in Hickson against
Harwood Corners.
This will be an interesting season and the Vics look to challenge the top teams in the
league for a position in the A division.
