The Moose Jaw All Stars played one of their closest games of the tournament to close out the Little League Canadian Championship round robin on Tuesday afternoon, but will still be coming home without a win.
The All Stars dropped a 9-6 decision to Ontario West to wrap up their appearance at the tournament, capping the event with a 0-6 record and missing the playoffs.
The game was replayed from the opening day of the tournament back on Tuesday, Aug. 1, when the contest was postponed after the first inning due to lightning.
Ontario got off to a fast start with three runs in the first inning, but Moose Jaw got two of those back quickly.
Burke Bechard and Alex Schmegelsky hit back-to-back singles to lead off the inning before a two-out single by Cruz Schwabe would bring both home, making it a 3-2 game after the opening frame.
Ontario scored three runs in the top of the third, but Schmegelsky made it a three-run game by scoring on a Will Funston fielder’s choice in the bottom of the inning.
There things remained until the sixth, when another three runs made it a 9-3 Ontario lead, but Taylor Usher would cross the plate in the Moose Jaw half of the inning. Riley Nielsen knocked home Funston and Tucker Knoop with two more runs before getting into an utterly epic rundown that saw Ontario need 15 throws before getting Nielsen out.
The All Stars would be unable to get any closer, though, and would lose by three runs.
Usher got the start and allowed two runs on a hit without getting an out in the first before giving way to Schwabe, who had one of the best showings of the tournament for Moose Jaw by going five innings, allowing four runs -- one earned -- on four hits and two walks while striking out 10.
Funston finished things off, allowing the three runs on four hits in the sixth.
B.C. (6-0) took on Alberta (3-3) in one semifinal on Wednesday, with Quebec Diamond Academy (5-1) facing host North Regina (3-3) in the other.
The semifinal winners will play for the championship and the right to represent Canada at the Little League World Series at 12 p.m. on Thursday.
