North Delta Pirates Roar Back Into Contention at Provincial 18U AAA Tournament

MAPLE RIDGE, BC — After opening the provincial 18U AAA tournament with a tough loss to rival North Island Cubs, the North Delta Pirates entered Day 2 under intense pressure. With their tournament hopes on the line, they needed nothing short of perfection — and they delivered it in style.

In Friday’s morning matchup, the Pirates took on the Chilliwack Cougars in a must-win game and responded with a poised 6-3 victory. The offence was led by the trio of Payton Harper, Noah Grant, and Dakota Simicak. Harper went 2-for-2 at the plate and drove in three runs, Grant reached each at bat and scored three runs, and Simicak counted two others. On the mound, lefty Liam Jones led the charge with seven strikeouts over four innings, Cole James contributed one-and-two-thirds in relief, and Eliaz Murti closed things out with one-and-one-third innings of scoreless relief. Murti earned the game MVP for his timely contributions and efforts.

But the Pirates weren’t done yet.

Later that evening, North Delta faced the undefeated Cowichan Valley Mustangs in what was widely expected to be a tight contest. Instead, it turned into a rout. The Pirates erupted for 10 runs on 15 hits, blanking the Mustangs in a dominant 10-0 complete-team win. Harper once again shined, going a perfect 3-for-3 with a double and two singles. Simicak not only excelled on the mound with a five-inning no-hit performance, but also went 3-for-3 at the plate, rounding out a statement victory. He earned the game MVP for his all-around heroics.

Heading into the final day of round-robin play, the tournament’s landscape is anything but settled. Four teams in North Delta’s pool — the Pirates, North Island Cubs, Cowichan Valley Mustangs, and Kamloops Riverdogs — are still mathematically alive in the hunt for two semi-final spots. Three of those teams hold 2-1 records, while Kamloops sits at 1-1 with two games to play on Saturday, making every pitch and every run critical in the final standings.

Over in the opposite pool, the Tri City Thunder, Penticton Tigers, and Victoria Seawolves lead the way with matching 2-1 records. Richmond and Ridge Meadows, sitting at 1-2 and 0-2 respectively, still have slim paths to advance but will need help — and a bit of magic — to break through. In an unexpected development the Richmond City Chuckers, who entered the tournament as regular season juggernauts with a .833 winning percentage, have faltered only to find themselves on the outside looking in.

With tiebreakers looming and so many possible outcomes, the drama is set for a thrilling Saturday. North Delta’s path is simple: beat Kamloops and they’ll punch their ticket to play Sunday and have a chance to be provincial champions. A loss, however, could trigger a tiebreaker scenario that might see them miss out depending on runs for and against, head-to-head results, or other deciding metrics.

One thing is certain — the North Delta Pirates have found their rhythm at exactly the right time. After a bit of a rocky start, they’ve sent a message to the rest of the field: they’re not done yet. With momentum, swagger, and a clear goal in sight, Saturday’s clash with Kamloops promises to be a can’t-miss showdown that Pirate-nation, hope sends them to play for a provincial championship on Sunday. Game time Saturday is 3:30pm at Larry Walker Field in Maple Ridge.

For more information about the North Delta Pirates, visit www.northdeltapirates.ca. Follow the team on Instagram (@northdeltapirates), Facebook, and Twitter (@piratesnd) for exclusive content and updates throughout the season.

To become a team sponsor or for media inquiries or interview requests, please contact:

Matt Grant
Director with the North Delta Pirates
northdeltapirates@gmail.com