Royals reign supreme at 22U Championship

The Orillia Royals won the 'A' classification 22U provincial championship on Aug. 10, 2025 after defeating Mitchell 8-0 in the final game. Pictured are, from left, coach Wes Winkel, coach Ryan Curtis, Reese Boyle, Nolan MacNeal, Ben Barzo, Wyatt Thompson, Nathan Molloy, Matthew Klingspohn, Whyatt Winkel, Gabe Rutherford, Chase Brennan, Kobe Geofroy, Jhett Winkel, Teddy McCollum-Kuntz, James Pritchard, manager Katherine DeCaire, coach Jack Brennan. (Wes Winkel Photo)

August 11, 2025

The Orillia Royals are the new provincial champions in the 'A' classification of the 22U division, following a successful weekend in London.

The Royals played six games over the three-day, 12-team championship to secure the title.

They opened with a 3-0 win over Ancaster, followed by a dominant 13-3 victory against Windsor. On Saturday, the Royals defeated Mitchell 8-2 and edged Halton Hills 8-6.

With four teams remaining on Sunday, Orillia faced league rivals Innisfil Cardinals and suffered their first loss in a close 2-1 contest. The Royals received a bye in the sixth round, forcing Innisfil and Mitchell to meet in the semifinal. Mitchell emerged victorious, setting up a rematch with Orillia in the final.

Behind the strong pitching of James Pritchard for seven innings, the Royals blanked Mitchell 8-0 to win the championship and claim the provincial title.

Innisfil also made a strong showing to get to Sunday play. After a 5-2 loss to Halton Hills in their opener, the Cardinals bounced back with wins over Mississauga North 11-0, Wyoming 9-5, and Ancaster 5-4.

On Sunday morning, Innisfil upset Orillia before falling 3-0 to Mitchell, ending their run.

Meanwhile, the Creemore Padres competed in the 22U 'B' tournament in Listowel.

Creemore opened with a 2-0 win over Clinton, followed by a 6-4 victory against Leamington, earning a bye in the next round.

In their third game, the Padres faced a tough Simcoe Giants squad on Saturday evening and fell 6-5.

In semifinal action, the Padres met Port Lambton and trailed 10-0 after four innings. In the fifth, with one run already scored, Liam Reynolds hit a grand slam to close the gap to five runs. However, Port Lambton responded with five runs in the bottom of the inning to walk it off, dashing Creemore's hopes.

Simcoe defeated Port Lambton 12-1 in the championship game to win the 'B' title.