Pool play ends today for the St. Albert Red Cardinals at the U18 Baseball Canada championship in Fort McMurray.
The Cardinals play Manitoba at 11:30 a.m. and the result will determine the playoff bracket for the Alberta reps at the midget AAA tournament.
Nationals started Thursday for the Cardinals in pool B with the 2-1 extra-inning loss to Etobicoke (Ont. 2) and 3-2 win against the host Fort McMurray Oil Giants.
Friday’s score against Nova Scotia was unavailable at press time.
The playoff round begins tonight at 7 p.m. and Sunday’s medal finals are 3:30 p.m. for bronze and 6:30 p.m. for gold.
Visit www.baseball.ca/18U/ for the schedule and results.
In the tournament opener, the Cardinals out-hit Etobicoke 7-4 but lost on the walk-off RBI single with one out in the bottom of the eighth.
The Cardinals knotted the game at one in the sixth, as Ryan Marples hit into a fielder’s choice and Colton Girard scored.
Girard and Brad Goodwin, a pick-up from Spruce Grove, led the Cardinals with two hits apiece, including a double by Girard to lead off the sixth.
The Cardinals struck out six times and reached base five times on walks.
Brayden Cust, a pick-up from Sherwood Park, drew the start and fanned 11 while walking three during a three-hitter over seven innings.
Reliever Brady Kobitowich was tagged with the loss.
Liam Froment pitched the Cardinals to victory against the Oil Giants with eight strikeouts during a two-hitter while giving up two runs, both in the bottom of the seventh.
Froment faced six batters in the seventh as two walks turned into both runs for the Oil Giants.
Girard banged out two of the team’s five hits.
The Cardinals struck first with runs by Tyson Kowaluk and Girard in the team’s first at-bat.
Girard made it 3-0 as the lead-off batter in the sixth.
Cust and Evan Bourassa produced one RBI apiece.
A pair of Oil Giants combined for 10 strikeouts and four walks.
Both teams committed one error apiece.
The Cardinals arrived in Fort McMurray with an overall record of 40-15 after winning the provincial Tier I championship Aug. 5 at Legion Memorial Park.
Peewee westerns
The peewee AAA Cardinals dropped Thursday’s opening game at the U13 westerns in Brandon.Regina (Sask. 1) scored three runs in the top of the sixth to erase a 5-3 deficit as the Cardinals (Alta. 1) fell 6-5.
Hits were 7-5 for Regina.
Jack Lines, a pick-up from Okotoks, tripled and Cam Bergstrom doubled for the Cardinals. Both players had RBIs, along with Michael Yusypchuk, a pick-up from Edmonton, and Keenan Parker.
The pool B draw of the eight-team tournament ended Friday for the Cardinals, the Tier I provincial silver medallists, against North Winnipeg (Man. 2) and the host Brandon team. Scores were unavailable at press time.
The playoffs start today and Sunday’s medal finals are 9 a.m. for bronze and 12 noon for gold.
Visit www.baseball.ca/13Uwest for the schedule and results.
The Red Deer Braves (Alta. 2) are also competing at westerns.
