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Last Updated: Sep 2nd, 2008 - 04:29:39
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After riding a roller-coaster of emotions over a period of about 20 hours, the Lethbridge Southwest All-stars squad was ultimately plenty fired-up early Thursday evening at Spitz Stadium.
There’s certainly not much time to recharge the batteries however, with a potentially season-ending encounter for both teams versus Medicine Hat today at 2 p.m.
Lethbridge Southwest improved to 3-1 in the Prairie Junior Little League Championships posting a 17-7 triumph Thursday over Lethbridge Norcrest (1-3.) The contest was a roller-coaster in and of itself as Southwest led 7-0, only to see Norcrest tie the fray at 7-7, before the victors pulled away.
Late Wednesday night and early Thursday morning Southwest tasted the bitter agony of defeat. They led Calgary Fish Creek 7-2 in the top of the final regularly scheduled (seventh) inning, only to see the Cowtown crew score eight runs en route to a 10-7 triumph.
The preliminary round-robin portion of the event ends today. The top two preliminary finishers advance to the final. The way the event has worked out there cannot be a three-way tie for first.
If it’s a two-way tie on top of the table at day’s end those teams will play in Saturday’s final, with a trip to the national championships on-the-line.
However, any tie for second will be determined on the field. There are multiple possible scenarios which could involve one or more tiebreakers. It’s possible the tourney could extend until Sunday.
Southwest, Medicine Hat and Fish Creek are all 3-1. Edmonton East Park (2-2) could still end up in a tie for second if things break their way.
Calgary Centennial (0-4) take on Fish Creek at 9 a.m. today. The 11:30 a.m. encounter sees East Park tangle with Norcrest. At 2 p.m. its Southwest and Medicine Hat.
THURSDAY
Lethbridge Southwest (3-1) 17 Lethbridge Norcrest 7 (1-3)
Southwest was still on the field versus Fish Creek when Thursday began at midnight. After that stark disappointment there was still work to be done as the infield tarp was applied.
By noon they were taking batting practice at Lloyd Nolan Yard.
“Every guy took about 60 or 70 balls,” said Southwest manager Lorenz Bohnert.
“The attitude was good. We knew we had to win a few games to do something.”
Perhaps the most important number in the game was 96. That’s the number of pitches Norcrest starter Brock Groves had delivered when he was mandated by pitch-count to leave the game with one-out and one-on in the top-of-the fifth. At that juncture the score was 7-7. Southwest proceeded to tally nine in the frame.
“We were a little bit more patient (batting) today,” credited Bohnert.
“Last night (versus Fish Creek) our starter was at 96 (pitches) and there’s was only at 44.”
Another difficult number for Norcrest was 10. That’s the amount of errors the team committed. Southwest had three.
Russell Maxwell earned the pitching win aided by scoreless relief from Tanner Layton and Austin Hendry.
Southwest cracked 15 hits. Jordan Shirakawa led the hit parade with three. Ren Visser, Tom Billard and Matthew Malec had two each. Visser drove home three runs, Billard and Russell Maxwell had two RBI. Shirakawa and Drew Herauf scored three runs each. First cousins Russell and Brooks Maxwell scored twice as did Stodolka, Visser and Billard.
Kaden Odland and Michael Houghton had two hits each for Norcrest. Odland scored two runs and Houghton plated two.
Bohnert, who helmed Southwest to the Prairie title last year, knows all-too-well how important today’s 2 p.m. Medicine Hat encounter is.
“It’s the game.”
With strict pitch count rules it’s uber-important to have talented arms available by this stage in the event. Bohnert says that shouldn’t be a determining factor today.
“We still have a pretty good compliment of our pitching staff — and so do they.”
Medicine Hat (3-1) 11 Calgary Centennial (0-4) 0
Medicine Hat were totally dominant, stopping the show by 10-run mercy rule, in the minimum 4-1/2-inning allotment. The Gas City crew whacked 12 hits and allowed two. Greg Adams and Troy Gedney fired the longest Medicine Hat artillery with homers. Curtis Bader, Braden Goldade and Adams shared the mound duties.
Edmonton East Park (2-2) 8 Calgary Fish Creek (3-1) 5
Edmonton East Park knocked Calgary Fish Creek from the ranks of the unbeatens in a morning start that was delaed by over two hours due to accumulated and pelting moisture. Fish Creek were the last team to lose a game. East Park’s positive result obviously pleased every other team with playoff aspirations as an undefeated club in round-robin play would have had two chances to get one win in the final and advance to nationals in Coquitlam, B.C.
“Our friends from the north helped,” said Southwest head coach Lorenz Bohnert.
Tyler Thomas earned the pitching win. Peter Quenneville, Clay Davis and Dan Knopp all had two hits. Nic Lapointe slashed three hits, including a homer and double, for Fish Creek.
VERY LATE WEDNESDAY AND EARLY THURSDAY
Calgary Fish Creek 10 Lethbridge Southwest 7
“We played a pretty good game until the top of the seventh” recalled Southwest head coach Lorenz Bohnert after bouncing back later Thursday. “Four or five mistakes in a row. Little things add up. These kids are 13-and-14-years old. Then they hit a Grand Slam . . .”
Seth Fioretti hit the timely grand slam for Fish Creek. In the first inning, Chris Stodolka had launched a two-run homerun for Southwest.
Stodolka finished with two hits and three RBI. Teammates Jordan Shirikawa and Tom Billard each authored two baseknocks. Russell Maxwell, Brooks Maxwell and Stodolka each scored two runs.
Stodolka did an excellent job of starting pitching too allowing only two runs in 4-2/3 frames before being KOd by pitch count.
Fish Creek had 12 hits and Southwest fashioned nine. Fish Creek starting pitcher Keenan Gieb was more effective offensively than rom the rubber for his outfit, contributing three hits and two RBI to the cause. Matt Eaid got the win and Richard Fischer earned the save.
© Copyright by Lethbridge Herald.com
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