Jack Kuderian, FEMB, June 24, 2024
The Greater Fort Erie Minor Baseball (GFEMB) season is well underway, with teams across all age divisions enjoying a busy schedule of games and strong performances on the diamond.
Softball Results
In softball action, Inkaholics earned a decisive 13-0 victory over NCNW. NCNW later battled Rotary Club to a hard-fought 12-12 tie.
House League Baseball
In the 7U division, Team Green defeated Team Red 10-7.
The 9U division featured several exciting contests. Team Black posted two victories, defeating Team Gold 13-2 and Team Green 10-7. In another matchup, Team Yellow edged Team Green 7-5.
Interlock Play
In the 11U division, Fort Erie Blue Goose played to a pair of 7-7 ties against both Fort Erie Rizzos and Port Colborne Boggios. Fort Erie Rizzos later fell to the Welland Pirates by a score of 7-3.
The 13U division saw mixed results for Fort Erie clubs. The Fort Erie Rizzos Fireballs endured a challenging week, dropping games to the Welland Mustangs (11-5), Fort Erie Blue Goose Bananas (9-3), and Welland Aquaducks (12-7).
Meanwhile, the Fort Erie Blue Goose Bananas continued their impressive season with four consecutive victories. The Bananas defeated Port Colborne Home Hardware 10-4, Fort Erie Rizzos Fireballs 9-3, Welland Mustangs 12-8, and Welland Roses 10-2. The winning streak has propelled the Bananas into first place in their division.
In 15U action, Fort Erie recorded one tie and two losses. They battled Port Colborne Steel Works to a 5-5 draw before falling narrowly to the Welland Mustangs 14-13 and Port Colborne Allied Marine 13-8.
Rep Team Highlights
The Fort Erie Rep 10U squad faced tough competition, dropping games to the St. Catharines Cobras (16-6) and Grimsby Coyotes (13-1), but bounced back with an impressive 10-5 victory over BMBA.
Several players delivered standout performances. Against St. Catharines, Haiden Larson and Luke Gear each drove in two runs. In the victory over BMBA, Austin W. dominated on the mound, striking out 11 batters while allowing just three hits and no runs. In the matchup against Grimsby, Haiden Larson struck out eight batters over 3.1 innings of work.
The Rep 9U team continued its strong season with victories over Welland Jr. Jackfish 9U (18-5), Welland Jr. Jackfish 8U (27-17), and the Grimsby Coyotes (25-9).
Against Grimsby, Jackson Adamek, Beau Bisson, and Brooks Molnar each collected four hits. Adamek added an inside-the-park home run, while Molnar drove in five runs. In the win over Welland Jr. Jackfish 8U, Adamek recorded five hits and seven RBIs, while Cole Foebel went a perfect 5-for-5 at the plate.
The Rep 9U team also competed in the Welland Roses Tournament. Despite losses to the Welland Jr. Jackfish and Essex Yellow Jackets by scores of 11-6 and 12-2, respectively, Fort Erie closed the tournament on a high note with a convincing 14-4 victory over the North Bay Panthers.
Tournament highlights included three-hit performances from Jackson Adamek, Cole Foebel, Theo Mlot, and Boston Athoe. Nolan Morao and Brooks Molnar each added two-hit games, while Molnar, Morao, Beau Bisson, and Jack Gibb contributed two RBIs apiece. Cooper Hall earned the win against North Bay, pitching five strong innings without issuing a walk.
Successful Opening Day
GFEMB’s Opening Day celebration on June 12 was a tremendous success, providing an entertaining afternoon for players, families, and fans.
Town of Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop was in attendance, along with Jacques, the mascot of the Welland Jackfish. Families also enjoyed visits from Fluffy the Clown, a variety of food trucks, and several children’s activities, including hair tinsel, temporary tattoos, and stickers.
The festivities concluded on a winning note for both Fort Erie’s Rep 9U and Rep 10U.
