Pirates Make Statement at Williams Cup With 13-0 Win Over Raiders

September 12, 2026 | Williams Cup | Diamond 2

The Calgary Pirates delivered one of their most complete performances of the Williams Cup on Saturday, combining a relentless offensive attack with dominant pitching and flawless defense in a 13-0 victory over the Calgary Raiders at Diamond 2.

At the heart of the Pirates’ attack was Cooper Finch, who drove in four runs on a 2-for-3 afternoon as Calgary steadily built its advantage before blowing the game open with a seven-run third inning.

The Pirates wasted little time getting started.

Garrett Russell brought home the first run with a single down the left-field line in the bottom of the first before Roberto Valdez worked a bases-loaded walk, giving Calgary an early 2-0 advantage.

The pressure only increased in the second.

Finch punched a two-run single through the left side to double the Pirates’ lead, and Colin McMurdo followed with a two-run double to center field as Calgary surged ahead 6-0.

Then came the inning that put the game out of reach.

The Pirates erupted for seven runs in the bottom of the third, turning a comfortable lead into a commanding one. Kris Gira brought home a run on a groundout before Daryl Vandenbos drove an RBI triple into the gap. Finch followed with his second two-run single of the afternoon, McMurdo added an RBI base hit, and two more runs crossed on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Nathan McGregor.

By the time the inning finally came to an end, the Pirates had pushed the margin to 13-0.

While Calgary’s offence supplied the fireworks, Ryan Simpson made certain there would be no response from the Raiders.

Simpson was sharp from the opening pitch, tossing three scoreless innings while allowing only two hits. The right-hander struck out four, issued no walks and kept the Raiders from generating any sustained offensive momentum.

Aaron Sebastien started in the circle for Calgary Raiders, allowing six runs on six hits over two innings while striking out one and walking two.

The Pirates received contributions throughout the order. Vandenbos and McMurdo each collected three hits, while Russell and Valdez drew two walks apiece as Calgary worked six free passes overall. The Pirates also stole three bases, applying pressure in virtually every phase of the game.

Just as impressive was the work behind Simpson.

Calgary Pirates played error-free defense, completing a dominant all-around effort that featured timely hitting, aggressive baserunning, strong pitching and clean execution in the field.

For the Raiders, Cam Cote and Tony Chiarot accounted for the club’s two hits. Calgary Raiders were also flawless defensively, finishing without an error despite facing sustained pressure from the Pirates lineup.

But on this afternoon, there was little slowing Calgary down.

With Finch driving the middle of the order and Simpson controlling the game from the circle, the Pirates turned in a convincing 13-0 Williams Cup victory — the type of complete performance that can build momentum quickly during tournament weekend.