MELBOURNE, ON — The pristine diamonds at JDT First Energy Veterans Memorial Fields played host to a spectacular weekend of elite men’s fastpitch. The 2026 Bear Creek Classic brought together some of the absolute best squads in the International Softball Congress (ISC) circuit, treating fans to a clinic of world-class pitching, deep home runs, and high-stakes drama.
However, mother nature ultimately had the final say. With Sunday’s final starting – but ending because of the heavy rainfall, the tournament was forced to conclude early, leaving the Bear Creek Gremlins Fastpitch and JDT First Energy to be crowned as tournament co-winners.
Here is how a jam-packed weekend of top-tier fastball unfolded in southwestern Ontario before the storms rolled in.
Friday Night Lights: Pitching Duels and Extra Innings
The tournament kicked off Friday at 7:00 PM with two absolute blockbusters. In a heavyweight clash, the Bear Creek Gremlins edged past the Hill United Chiefs 2-1. Kuba Osicka earned the win with stellar relief from Jack Besgrove, while a clutch two-run home run by Cole Evans provided the difference. Simultaneously, the NorthEast Drillers outlasted the tournament hosts, the Bear Creek Express, in an 8-inning thriller. Ralph Reilly Makea drove in the game-winning run to lock down a tiebreaker victory, 3-2.
The 9:00 PM slot saw offense take center stage. JDT First Energy blanked STK Fastball 7-0, powered by a massive Guadalupe Ayon grand slam (5 RBIs) and a combined shutout by Devon McCullough and Pami Madizulukwa. Meanwhile, the Toronto Batmen started their weekend in style, cruising to an 8-0 shutout victory over the Chippewa Chiefs.
Saturday: Offensive Firepower and Shifting Momentum
Saturday saw a flurry of games that kept the scoreboard operators busy all day long, highlighted by massive run-mercy victories and tightly contested rematches.
The Heavy Hitters Bounce Back
The top teams wasted no time putting up crooked numbers after Friday’s close battles:
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Hill United Chiefs rebounded fiercely from their opening loss, dismantling the Ohsweken Redmen 10-2, and later crushing the Chippewa Chiefs 15-0 on the back of Ty Randerson’s dominant pitching performance.
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Bear Creek Express showcased their explosive bats by routing the Midland Explorers 13-4, and later closing out their evening with a hard-fought 7-3 victory over STK Fastball.
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JDT First Energy put on an absolute clinic against the NorthEast Drillers, dropping 12 runs in a commanding 12-5 victory.
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Bear Creek Gremlins continued their relentless march, shutting out the Ohsweken Redmen 13-0 behind Cody Gibbons’ pitching, and routing the Chippewa Chiefs 12-0. Pablo Migliavacca earned the win against Chippewa while Jerome Raemaki turned heads with a perfect 4-for-4 performance at the plate.
Tense Defensive Battles & Key Rematches
While the blowouts turned heads, the true highlights of Saturday came down to elite execution under pressure:
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Bear Creek Gremlins 2, Toronto Batmen 1: The Gremlins proved their elite status early in the day, escaping a pitching duel against Toronto by a single run.
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Toronto Batmen 7, Hill United Chiefs 3: The Batmen pulled off a massive statement victory over Hill United later in the afternoon. Roman Godoy outdueled Marco Diaz and Tyler Randerson on the rubber to secure the win.
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Bear Creek Express 2, JDT First Energy 1: In one of the best games of the weekend, Carlos Parra and Liam Potts held down a potent First Energy lineup. A dramatic two-run home run by Rafa Flores provided all the offense the Express needed to squeeze past Pami Madizulukwa.
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NorthEast Drillers 9, Midland Explorers 1: Nahuel Saenz picked up another victory, supported heavily by Reilly Makea, who launched a clutch 3-run home run.
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NorthEast Drillers 7, STK Fastball 0: Huemul Mata dominated from the circle, dealing a complete-game shutout to cap off a strong Saturday showing for the Drillers.
Other Saturday Action
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Ohsweken Redmen 2, Chippewa Chiefs 0: The Redmen relied on great defense to take down the Chiefs in a quiet, traditional fastpitch battle.
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STK Fastball 10, Midland Explorers 0: STK flexed their muscles early in the day, taking care of business against the Explorers in a definitive shutout.
Sunday Summary
On Sunday there were 2 semi finals played. The first game between the Bear Creek Gremlins vs. NorthEast Drillers ended in 8-1 in 5 innings. The other semi-final was between JDT First Energy and Toronto Batmen, this game ended in victory for JDT with a 8-1 win. The Final had a good start where the teams were able to put in 3.5 innings, before the skies opened up over the ballpark. The tournament organizers and teams agreed that the Bear Creek Gremlins Fastpitch and JDT First Energy rightfully share the honors as the 2026 Bear Creek Classic Co-Champions.