Fastball

The Emo Bulldogs once again showed why they’re the cream of the Rainy River District Fastball League, drubbing a recently-hot Sight and Sound squad 14-0 at VanJura Stadium last Thursday.
Sight and Sound once again was felled by a pitcher who can hit quite well. Two weeks ago, it was Pinewood’s John Desaulnier who silenced them on both sides of the plate.
This time, Bulldog hurler Warren Voth earned the shutout while belting three home runs in the process.
The Bulldogs sit atop the RRDFL standings with a 10-1 record while Sight and Sound dropped to 4-6. Going into the night’s action, Sight and Sound had downed Stratton, Barwick, and Big Grassy to come within one game of the .500 mark.
Emo jumped on Sight and Sound pitcher Donnie Larson in the first inning. Home-run champ Don Copenace led off with a triple before Voth capped off the attack with a two-run blast–and an early 4-0 lead.
Voth repeated the feat again in the fifth to give the Bulldogs a 7-0 lead. He and Brent Tookenay then added one more homer each in the sixth inning.
And that was that for Sight and Sound’s winning streak.
“We’re kind of new this year and we never had a steady infield so it’s tough to adjust,” Larson said of Emo’s many grounders that got by the defence. “They’re the powerhouse of the league, they have been for years.”
“They’ve set themselves up to be a very good travelling team,” agreed Sight and Sound captain Derek McKinnon.
Voth was happy with his team’s performance but was well aware Sight and Sound’s recent success.
“Our hitting showed up. But we also kept them off balance because they have some pretty good hitters, too,” said Voth, who has been pitching most of the Bulldogs’ games while Shane Bliss is nursing a hamstring injury.
Sight and Sound’s next home game will be Thursday against Big Island at 8 p.m. at VanJura.
In other fastball news, the Bulldogs looked to sharpen their teeth before the Division II World Series by playing a qualifier in Rice Lake, Wis. two weeks ago.
They finished with a 2-2 record, bowing out in the ‘B’ semi-final with a 3-2 loss to a team from Minneapolis. The World Series is set for Aug. 22-27 in Kansas.
Meanwhile, the rest of the league will get together for a tournament in Barwick this weekend. Squads from Dryden, Winnipeg, and the States also will make the trip.
< *c>RRDFL standings
< *c>(as of June 25)
Emo 10-1
Stratton 7-3
Pinewood 6-4
Big Island 5-6
Big Grassy 4-6
Barwick 3-5-1
Zig’s Place 3-7-1
Sight and Sound 4-6
< *c>Leaders
< *c>(Home runs)
Donnie Copenace (Emo)–6
Shane Bliss (Emo)–5
Bob Andy (Big Grassy)–5
< *c>(Pitchers)
Warren Voth (Emo)–7-1
Murray Armstrong (Stratton)–6-3
John Desaulnier (Pinewood)–6-3