In Game One of Sunday's doubleheader, Jack Gagliardi's bat was as hot as the mid-September weather. The second baseman was a one-man wrecking crew in the lead-off spot as he went four for four, scored four runs, and stole three bases. Kael Clarkson's two singles and a double out of the cleanup spot accounted for four RBI's. Clarkson's double in the sixth inning plated three runs including the game-winning RBI that put the Astros up 9-6 after six innings.

Catcher Giancarlo Bernardo's clutch 2-out, 2-run double gave the Astros an early 4-2 third inning lead. Bernardo was an Ironman over the weekend, catching all 25 innings played. Tyler Kelly had a productive day on the basepaths by scoring three runs for the Astros on two singles and a walk.

Starter Ethan Solilo struck out four in his Astros debut on the bump and left leading the game 4-2 after three innings of effective work. Clarkson's big sixth inning hit made a winner of Joseph Handley whose 2+ innings of work and two strikeouts kept the Astros in the game. Mikail Aqui pitched a nervous ninth to notch his first save of the Fall Ball season.

In Game Two of Sunday's doubleheader, the Astros fell behind 4-0 after half an inning, but Aqui's towering two-run homer at the bottom of the first showed that there is lots of fight in this feisty 15U team.

Down 4-2, the Astros rallied for four more runs at the bottom of the second to take the lead 6-4 that they did not relinquish. Jack Gagliardi was hit by a pitch to force in a bases loaded run, and Kael Clarkson picked up where he left off in Game One by pulverizing another double to clear the bases to pick up three more RBI's. Clarkson was at it again when his double in the third plated two more runs to finish the doubleheader with an impressive nine runs batted in.

With Ethan Belisle hanging up zeroes in relief, the Astros completed the sweep in the time-shortened second game. Belisle allowed only one earned run and struck out five over four innings of work to earn the win in his second stint on the bump for the Astros. He also helped out the offence by scoring two runs and driving in one.

Joseph Handley's timely sac fly plated Ethan Richardson to score the Astros' ninth run. Giancarlo Bernardo added two hits in the 9-5 comeback win that revealed the gritty nature of the 15U Astros.

On Saturday, at Ireland Park in Burlington, the Astros 15U had kicked off their Fall Ball Season with an 11-11 tie and a 5-3 win over the Ontario Royals.

During the first game, the Astros were down 11-3 at the end of five innings, but they rallied in the top of the 6th to tie the game. Domenic Silla (single), Belisle (double), Clarkson (single), Kelly (single), Richardson (single), Bernardo (single), a passed ball, and a throwing error contributed the RBIs during the 8-run, team-effort rally.

During the second game, Wesley Maya, who was 2 for 4 plus a walk in the first game, had to be taken to a Burlington hospital ER to receive stitches in his upper lip after an unfortunate collision in shallow right field, which caused him to miss Sunday's doubleheader.

Photos taken at Saturday's game are posted on the 15U page.

The 15U Astros will return to the field after their undefeated weekend with an 8:30 practice on Thursday night at King Memorial Park.

Jim Stewart
Director of Communications
Team Ontario Astros

with contributions on Saturday's games from Christine Brüggemann, 15U parent