NCABL Cardinals
The St. Albert Cardinals are off to a flying start in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.The second win of the season was 3-2 against the Sturgeon Paladins on Tuesday at Legion Memorial Park.
Both teams opened the league schedule last week in Bon Accord with the Cardinals coming out on top 17-2 in six innings before darkness set in.
The home debut for the Cardinals was a well-played defensive gem and even better pitching duel.
Brendan Badry started for the Cardinals and gave up two runs over three strong innings and reliever Brendan Larsen worked three innings as the winning pitcher. Mitch King earned the save with three up, three down in the seventh inning.
The Cardinals didn’t commit an error while assisting the pitching staff to secure the victory.
The Cardinals are led by NCABL veterans’ Hayden Chies, Scott Peterson and Zach Pollard.
Chies was last year’s runner-up for the NCABL batting crown with a .474 average.
The 2017 Cardinals fell one win short of advancing to the NCABL playoffs for the first time in team history after losing the wildcard elimination game 4-1 to the Westlock Lions. Both teams finished in a three-way tie with the Edmonton Primeaus for the fourth and final playoff spot with 8-8 records.
The Cardinals joined the NCABL, a senior AA circuit, in 2013 and in 2016 finished at the bottom of the standings at 3-15.
Several players on the junior AAA Cardinals will also see action with the NCABL team and they include King, Nic Arlia, Logan Buchanan, Landon Christoffel, Jake Enright, Tanner McLean-Poll and Robert Sullivan.
Anthony Owen, Conor Bronson and Andrew Odegar are also among the midget graduates with the junior AAA Cardinals.
The Baseball Alberta junior AAA season kicked off last weekend for the Cardinals in Innisfail with the 8-7 loss to the host Merchants and 11-8 win over the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox.
The Cardinals and Red Sox play a doubleheader Sunday in Fort Saskatchewan at 12 and 3 p.m.
The next NCABL game is Wednesday in Stony Plain against the Mets at 7 p.m.
Jason Enright, a longtime SAMBA coach, is the dugout boss for both the junior AAA and NCABL Cardinals.
Football honours
Mackenzie Enger is this year’s recipient of the Football Alberta Novice Coach of the Year Award.Enger was recognized for his role as atom football coordinator and head coach in the St. Albert Minor Football Association.
Enger assisted SAMFA with the adaptation to six-man football in the atom division of the Capital District Minor Football Association and focused on establishing a fun and educational environment so every player could contribute at a level they were comfortable with. The creation of three teams based on skill level included a practice plan that combined all of the teams when it was appropriate and separated them when it wasn’t.
Enger, a University of Alberta education student, served as an assistant coach with the junior Paul Kane Blues in 2016.
Enger is among 12 coaches, officials and volunteers to be honoured by Football Alberta for their contributions to the sport at the Senor Bowl banquet Sunday at Lister Hall.
Playoff rugby
The crossover playoff pairings for pool A and B teams in metro Edmonton division two men’s rugby have been finalized for next week.Wednesday at 4:45 p.m. the Bellerose Bulldogs (3-0, 107 PF/56 PA) line up against the St. Francis Xavier Rams (0-3, 68 PF/126 PA) at St. Albert Rugby Football Club and the Sturgeon Spirits (0-3, 63 PF/89 PA), the defending champions, battle the Jasper Place Rebels (3-0, 138 PF/42 PA) at Pirates Rugby Club.
Thursday at 4:45 p.m. the Paul Kane Blues (1-2, 56 PF/72 PA) battle the J. Percy Page Panthers (2-1, 99 PF/135 PA) at Ellerslie Rugby Park.
The semifinals are May 29 and the final is May 31 at 6:15 p.m. at Ellerslie.
