Sports Oakville Beaver SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 255) Fax 905-337-5567 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com · SATURDAY, JUNE 28, 2008 23 Looking up A's hurler enjoys perfect outing against Brampton Clean line for Arnone in scoreless draw By Jon Kuiperij kid and he fields his position well." Arnone, who also plays collegiate ball for the Brock University Twenty-one up, twenty-one Badgers, shared the credit with down, and Anthony Arnone barely catcher Matt Sulyma. even realized it. "I've been pitching to him for The 20-year-old Oakville A's four years now. I (often) have a hurler needed only 56 pitches to pitch I want to throw in my head, retire all the Brampton Royals he and when I look in that's the (sign) faced during a recent Ontario Minor he puts down," said Arnone, a rightBaseball Association junhanded curveball speior tournament in St. "Not that I didn't cialist. "Every pitcher Thomas. But, deadlocked know I was has one catcher they in a duel with a have a perfect chemistry throwing well, Brampton pitcher who with, and that's what we struck out 16 A's hitters but the last guy have." and allowed only one hit of the game I Arnone is in his final of his own, completing a struck out and year of junior eligibility. perfect game was the last then the team He plans to spend next thing on Arnone's mind. season playing in either started going "Not that I didn't the Intercounty Baseball know I was throwing crazy." League or senior COBA well, but the last guy of (Central Ontario the game I struck out Oakville pitcher Baseball Association). and then the team start- Anthony Arnone The A's came close to ed going crazy," Arnone getting Arnone the vicsaid of the round-robin contest, tory against Brampton, putting runwhich finished in a scoreless tie. "I ners on second and third with one was too focused in the heat of the out in the bottom of the seventh. A moment, the heat of the action. I squeeze bunt play, however, was was in the same routine for the unsuccessful. whole game -- I'd get back to the Oakville went on to finish second bench, sit down and take off my hat, at the tournament, one of two finalwatch the guys hit, then put my hat ist showings this season. The A's back on and go out there again." have also lost only once in regularArnone's clean line -- which season play, and have their sights included four strikeouts, 11 set on winning the all-Ontario elimgroundouts and six flyouts -- was ination tournament this fall. seriously jeopardized only twice. "Last year we went in `B' and won Oakville centre fielder Mike the Ontario championship in Gareri made running catches in the Chatham," said Larson. "This year, third and fifth innings to preserve we're going `A'. Last year, we beat a the perfect game. lot of the good teams but we didn't "One was a real amazing catch," have a lot of depth. Now we've got A's coach Dale Larson said. "Other 19-20 players (all local) and have than that, it was easy. (Arnone) was been doing quite well." moving the ball in and out and up Oakville's usual home night is and down. He threw a lot of first- Sundays at Oakville Park. The A's pitch strikes, which he does a lot. will host the Mississauga Twins He has great control, he's a smart tomorrow for a 7:30 p.m. start. BEAVER SPORTS EDITOR CHRIS KORNACKI / OAKVILLE BEAVER NOW WHAT?: Sal Sayeed (left) tries to figure out a way to get around Mike Sieukumar during the first-ever Community Cup 3-on-3 basketball tournament, held recently at Upper Oakville Shopping Centre. The event raised more than $5,500 for the Big Brothers and Big Sisters of Halton. Youngster can pitch, hit and run with the best Nick Trogrlic-Iverson, a third-year player in the Oakville A's triple-A rep system, was crowned champion of the 9/10-yearold division at the Aquafina Pitch Hit & Run Toronto Blue Jays finals earlier this month at the Rogers Centre. Trogrlic-Iverson was one of four competitors in his age group who advanced to the team championships by winning both his local and regional competitions. In the 2007 Pitch Hit & Run competition, more than 150,000 kids across North American competed in the 9/10 age group. The Pitch Hit & Run competition involves overall scores in individual skills of pitching to a target from 45 feet, baserunning speed from second base to home plate, and distance and accuracy of hitting. Trogrlic-Iverson plays left field for the major mosquito A's and often bats leadoff because of his base-running skills and speed. "If diving for flyballs or throwing a rope from left to home were part of the competition," he said, "then I'd really kick some serious butt." Now Trogrlic-Iverson will have to wait and see whether his point total at the team championships will be enough to earn him a berth in the Major League Baseball finals, to be held at the All-Star Game in San Francisco next month. Competitors with the top three point totals in each age division will advance to the MLB finals. Oakville's Kyle Hann also competed at the Toronto championships, placing second in the 13/14 division.