Tasked with taking on the defending provincial champion Regina White Sox, the youthful Canucks would surrender five runs in the first inning and go on to drop a 14-0 decision in Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League action at Ross Wells Park.
The game — and the evening in general — was anything but normal.
Players, parents, coaches and everyone else who walked into the park had to answer a questionnaire that asked if the individual had any COVID-19 symptoms or had recently travelled and needed to be in quarantine. Everyone then had to sign in in order to facilitate contact tracing in case of an outbreak, and take a handful of hand sanitizer with them into the park.
On top of it all, the number of fans was limited to 30 per team — parents and close friends for the majority — with the door to Ross Wells closed once that limit was reached.
Then there were player precautions.
No players in the dugout, with the fencing down the first baseline removed in order for players to have lawn chairs and maintain social distancing while still having easy access to the playing field. Other precautions were in place throughout the game: when coach Ray Wareham went out to visit starter Cam O’Reilly in the first inning, he stopped at the edge of the pitching mound, and catcher Sam Caplette stood even further back as they discussed strategy.
Strange, but at least there was a game being played.
And to that end, the Canucks have a bit of catching up to do.
O’Reilly lasted 2 1/3 innings, surrendering nine runs, eight earned, on four hits and six walks while throwing 80 pitches. Dylan Anderson had a bit more luck, giving up five runs, three earned, on four hits in 1 2/3 before Dylan Reed tossed a scoreless fifth.
In addition to their opening five-spot, the White Sox added another the second and six in the third to go ahead 12-0. Two more in the fourth made it 14-0 and the mercy rule was invoked after the fifth.
Caplette and Duncan had the Canucks’ only hits in the game.
The Canucks also committed seven errors in the field.
Wyatt Mohr-Royer took the win for Regina, giving up a single hit and striking out four in two innings; Riley Knoll led their offence with a 2-for-3 night at the plate that saw him knock in three and score one. Josh Cleggett crossed the plate three times.
The Canucks are back in action Saturday when they travel to Regina to face the Athletics in a doubleheader.
