MITCHELL ADVOCATE a Astros fall to host Simcoe in OBA ‘B’ final TheMitchell Senior Astros finished their 2024 season with another ing just one first inning run. The Astros racked up 12 hits, withSam ; a chfr tough loss in a final, falling 5-1 to the hosts from Simcoe atthe end of August. Red-hot bats and great starting pitching carried the Senior Astros, ultimately falling short of their second provincial ‘B’ title in three years. The Astros and Simcoe were tied 1-1 until the top of the sev- enthinning when Simcoe scored four unearned runs with two out which proved too big a hill to climb with only three outs to go. Kevin Gardner threw a complete game, his second in two days, al- lowing just one earned run on seven hits. The Astros offence was shutdown for the first time allweekend, managing just asin- glerun on four hits. _ The Astros won their opener in Delhi, knocking off the Mid- land Mariners 5-1. Dave Haggitt ugh a complet ix-hit: Near Derek Smitjes and Brett Thomp- on. Later that afternoon the Astros faced their namesake from Lisle and jumped out to a quick 4-0 start in the top of the first. How- ever, Lisle responded with seven of their own in the bottom half, lead- i eve inning 18:8 " second home run in as many days withaline shot toright in the sixth inning to seal the deal. DerekSmitjes took the ballinthe night cap and delivered another strong pitching performance, al- lowing just six hits in a 6-1 com- plete game victory, putting the Astros into the final four and set- ting up arematch with Lisle. Nate Smitjes, Tom Fulton and Marsden had twohits as the club amassed 10 in total. Lookingto avenge their onlyloss to Lisle, Jake Near took the ballin another must-win game. After a scoreless first, Fulton sparked the offence with a leadoff single, B: = ing ig loss. Keegan Marsden paced the offence, going 2-for-3 with a walk an his own and Brett Thompson de- livereda perfect sac bunt down the Smitjes added three hits. Facing a win-or-go-home sce- nario thenext day, Mitchell turned to Gardner against Leamington who responded by going the dis- tance, allowing just six hits as the Astros cruised to a 10-4 victory, setting up an evening matchup against co-hosts Port Dover. The bats stayed hotin that contest, put- ting up 14 hits as Nate Smitjes and iti h hil e gi ter, striking out eight and allow- ae a) Jeff and Chelsea Steenbergen of App SRE Se pe open Weekends for pick-your-own apples. Near had two. Marsden tallied his lebottom Orchards in Gowanstown are which was prompt- ly thrown away, scoring Fulton. Munoz and Thompson both came around to score on Haggitt and Derek Smitjes’ singles, putting the Astros up 3-0. Near cruised through five shutout innings until the offence exploded for six runs in the bottom of the fifth and the locals never looked back in a 9-3 triumph to clinch their spot in the final. The Astros had 11 hits, with two each from Jake Near, Marsden and Fulton. 24 13 7 HAWKS LOSE SEASON OPENER | Sam Barrett (18) of the Hanover Barons, along with teammates Mark McIntosh (44) and Alex McGillvray (5) swarm the Mitchell Hawks’ end and defencemen Rhett Terpstra (5) and Carter Coates along with goalie Tomas Brintnell during a first period power play of their PJHL Pollock Division sea- son-opening game in Mitchell Sept. 14. Hanover built a 4-0 lead 13-minutes into the contest, with two power play markers, en route to a 7-1 win. Coates was the lone Mitchell scorer in the third period. apy BADER Perth County announces new signature experience - apple picking Perth County is thrilled to an- nounce the addition of a new ‘Discover More Adventures’ sig- nature experience at Applebottom Orchards, a vibrant addition to Perth County’s fall-season tour- ism landscape. Owners Chelsea and Jeff Steen- bergen have transformed their passion for farming into an edu- cational and community-focused orchard that promises to delight apple-pickers of all ages. Located just outside of Gowanstown in the municipality of North Perth, this : “By embracing agritourism, rich, farming heritage that defines Perth County,” said Clara Leney, tourism officer for Perth County, “Pick-your-own at Applebottom Orchards celebrates our agricul- tural roots while creating mem- orable experiences for the whole family.” “We started this orchard to di- versify our farm and provide local, nutritious fruit to our communi- ty. Farming is our passion and we k I sesasthe chal charming, pick-y expe- rience invites guests to wander rows of apple trees, fill their bas- kets, and discover the journey of an apple from blossom to harvest highlighting sustainable farming practices in action. of something little bit different,” said the Steenbergens about the opening of their orchard last year. “We at Applebottom Orchards are so excited to gather with the peo- ple around us and invite everyone to enjoy the fruits of our labour... literally!” Now until the end of the harvest season, Pick-your-own at Apple- to: to5 p.m. for visitors to experience the extraordinary opportunity to share the joy of the harvest. For more information about Applebottom Orchards please contact Chelsea and Jeff Steen- bergen at applebottom.or- chards@outlook.com. z For more information about Perth County, our ‘Discover More Adventures’ experiential tourism program, and to plan your next adventure, visitperth- county.ca/discover or follow us on Instagram at @perthcotour- ism!