So far, so good for the Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks in the Sask Premier Baseball League.
After putting together a commanding showing to win their lone exhibition game earlier in the week, the Canucks found themselves in a far closer outing in their regular-season opener on Sunday afternoon at Blackwell Diamond, eventually battling to a 4-3 extra-inning victory over the South East A’s.
Tyson Ross was the hero of the day for Moose Jaw, with his ground ball to short forcing an error that led to Kyren Ernest scoring from second with the game-winning run.
The fact the game needed to go to extras was the product of one area the Canucks will need to clean up. Leading 3-0 heading into the final inning, South East took advantage of a pair of errors -- two of six Moose Jaw defensive miscues on the day -- and would go on to score their three runs on a pair of walks and a single hit.
Up to that point, it had been a solid outing for the Canucks, in no small part due to their impressive pitching.
Spencer Craig got the start and was all but untouchable, holding the A’s scoreless through four innings while allowing only a pair of hits and three walks to go along with three strikeouts.
Ryan Gibbs came on in relief in the fifth and cruised through two innings, allowing two hits and striking out five before South East made their comeback. Ryder Hicks then shut down the A’s in the extra inning, as with the international tiebreaker in play, he’d get a double play off the first batter and a flyout to end the threat.
The Canucks scored a pair of runs in the fourth inning and added another in the fifth to take their 3-0 edge.
Ernest capped his day with a 2-for-4 performance that included a run scored and run batted in, while Ronan Tonge was 2-for-3 with a run scored.
The Canucks are back in action on Saturday, May 13 when they host the Saskatoon Astros for a doubleheader at Blackwell Diamond. Game times are 12 p.m. and 3 p.m.
