Intermediate softball: NL Selects edge defending champs to earn berth in Swing Into Summer championship game

The Chayee Bourras NL Selects have advanced to Wednesday’s final of the 21st annual Swing Into Summer intermediate softball tournament in St. John’s.
The Selects are 3-0 in the double knockout tournament, with their latest victory coming Monday night at Lions Park as they edged the previously undefeated and defending champion Lafontaine Club of Placentia 6-5.
Winning Pitcher Marcus Pittman (6K) survived 11 walks and two hit batters, in part because he allowed just four Lafontaine hits.
Losing pitcher Johnny O’Reilly (13K), surrendered five hits and four walks.
Ryan Maher and Liam Shea both homered for the Selects, while Darcy O’Reilly drove in two runs.
Johnny O’Reilly had two RBIs for Lafontaine, which is still alive in the tourney, taking its double life into a Wednesday evening semifinal against the Conception Bay Central Junior Canadians. The winner of that game tangles with the Selects in the championship final.
The Junior Canadians stayed alive with a 10-1 lambasting of Sportscraft Water Valley in a Monday game shortened to five innings by virtue of the mercy rule.
Daniel Byrne drove in three runs for the winners, while Peter Kavanagh scored four times, hit a solo homer and had two RBIs. Patrick O’Leary had a two-run homer, while Gerald Wall scored twice.
Jeff Conway had two hits for Waterford Valley.
Eric Healey (5H, 2W, 10K) pitched the win over Jeremy Hickey.