That it happened in the Baseball Regina league championship final and in front of hundreds of fans at Lyle Helland Ball Diamond was just the icing on the cake.
In the end, it was the Yankees who would break through, scoring the game’s lone run in the top of the fifth inning and going on to a 1-0 victory to claim the gold medal.
“I just told the boys we’re super proud of them, they did really, really well and have nothing to be ashamed of,” said Canucks coach Shane Sowden. “I wish we could have pushed one across, but it was a pitchers duel and no one was hitting.”
The contest boiled down to a battle between Canucks starter Houston Hillmer and Regina’s Rylan Struch. In the end, Struch helped out his own cause by reaching base as the lead-off hitter in the Yankees half of the fifth and coming around to score. Hudson Sowden took over with runners on second and third and closed things down from there, but the damage -- limited as it was -- had been done.
Hillmer ended up allowing only three baserunners through the first four innings; Struch would last until one out in the sixth and final frame before running up against the pitch count. His replacement would get a pop out and ground out to the pitcher to end the contest and give the Yankees the title.
As well as Regina’s starter was going, the Canucks had their chances: Isaiah Ross got into scoring position in the second inning, Hillmer reached third in the fourth and Ryder Leblanc was stranded on second in the fifth.
“If you can get kids throwing strikes, that’s the important thing, and that’s what we saw from everyone who was pitching,” Sowden said. “That’s been our strength all season, and it showed today.”
The atmosphere surrounding the game certainly helped make the whole thing an occasion -- the stands at Memorial Field were largely full, and fans lined the fence on both sides of the park. And given the fact both teams had pulled off upsets to reach the title game -- the Canucks knocking off provincial champion Yorkton in their semifinal -- just made it that much more special.
“Oh, the kids loved it. There were over 100 people in the stands and around the park here today, it was a great atmosphere,” Sowden said. “We weren’t even supposed to be here, so we told the kids to go out and have fun and that’s what happened. It was a great way to end the season.”
