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The 13U Soo Black Sox made their season debut at the Rep ‘A’ level over the June 6th to 8th weekend, traveling to Midland, Ontario, for their first tournament of the 2025 season. With nine teams competing, the Sox displayed grit, offensive firepower, and resilience across five games enroute to a thrilling championship final against a familiar northern rival.
The tournament opened in dominant fashion for the Soo, as they took the field Friday at 5:00 p.m against the Oakville A’s. From the first pitch, the Sox bats came alive, cruising to a convincing 14-2 victory to start the weekend 1-0.
Saturday afternoon saw the Sox square off against the Valley East Voyageurs, a team they had split a pair of one-run exhibition games with just the weekend prior. Despite their familiarity, the Soo struggled to convert with runners on base, stranding nine and ultimately falling 12-8 in a tough back-and-forth contest.
With a 1-1 round-robin record, the Black Sox advanced to a 4:00 p.m. quarter final clash against the Grimsby Coyotes.
Tied 5-5 through three innings, Evan Hirvi entered in relief and delivered a masterclass—four innings of shutdown pitching, allowing only three hits. The Soo offense responded in the bottom of the fifth, plating three critical runs enroute to a well-earned 8-5 win.
Sunday morning’s semi-final featured another slow start at the plate for the Sox, but a 13-batter, seven-run third inning changed the game’s tone entirely. Despite leaving seven runners on base and scoring in just two innings, the offense did enough to secure a 9-5 victory and a spot in the championship game.
The final saw a rematch with the Valley East Voyageurs, and it lived up to its billing. Down 1-0 after two innings, the Soo jumped ahead in the fifth courtesy of an Angus Bell two-run homer to make it 3-1. Two more runs in the sixth extended their lead to 5-1, but disaster struck in the bottom half of the inning. The Voyageurs sent 14 batters to the plate, scoring nine runs and flipping the game on its head, 10-5.
In true Black Sox fashion, the team refused to fold. A furious rally in the top of the seventh included a grand slam by Devon Grbich, part of a six-run outburst that reclaimed the lead at 11-10. However, the lead would not hold, as Valley East responded in the bottom half to walk it off with a 12-11 win, denying the Sox a championship but not their pride.
Reflecting on the weekend, coach Steve McLeod acknowledged “both the promise and the growing pains of a young and largely new roster. Midland was our first tournament of the season and there were a lot of peaks and valleys,” said the Black Sox head coach. “It’s difficult playing a couple games in the heat, but they need to get used to it and take care of themselves to prepare properly.”
“The team’s offensive upside was undeniable, scoring in bunches across the weekend, but the inability to capitalize consistently proved costly. We stranded over 40 runners in five games. Our team can definitely score, but we need to be more consistent—especially with runners on base. Defensively, the focus remains on fundamentals and building team cohesion. We only have four returnees from last year’s team, so we’re still young and still learning. But overall, I’m happy with our progression this early in the season,” added McLeod.
With their first Rep ‘A’ tournament under their belts, the 13U Soo Black Sox now have a clear sense of both their potential and the work ahead. If Midland was any indication, this group has all the makings of a team that can compete—and win—at the highest level.
The 13U Black Sox next action will be in Windsor, Ontario on June 20th to 22nd with round robin games on Friday, June 20 versus Lasalle Titans at 4:30 p.m, followed by Saturday, June 21 versus the London Tin Caps at 11:00 a.m, and rounding out the round robin with a Saturday, June 21 versus Lakeshore at 2:00 p.m.
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