MOOSE JAW -- It was as close to perfection as a team could come without actually pulling it off.
With only a pair of games remaining in their incredible Sask Premier Baseball League 15U AAA campaign, the Moose Jaw Canucks suffered their first loss of the regular season on Wednesday, dropping a 4-2 decision to the Regina Athletics.
The Canucks made sure their season wouldn’t end on a sour note, though, taking a 7-5 win over the Regina Wolfpack one night later.
As a result, Moose Jaw finishes with a 31-1 record, good enough for first place 7 ½ games over the Sask Five Giants, and by far the best showing for a Canucks team in the league in recent history.
There’s still some important ball to be played, though -- the Canucks will be in action at the 15U AAA Tier 1 provincial championship in Saskatoon this coming weekend, with a win there sending Moose Jaw to the Art Berard 15U AAA Western Canadian Championship Aug.15-17 in Saskatoon.
Athletics 4, Canucks 2
The Canucks took a 2-1 lead into the sixth inning when Regina’s bats came alive, putting up three runs to take their 4-2 lead. Moose Jaw would get runners on base in both of the final two innings, but for the first time all season would be unable to string together the offence they needed to make a comeback.
Regina had only two hits in the game, but they both came at an opportune time in the sixth inning, as two singles and a walk would lead to the Athletics scoring their three runs.
Lucas Hartnell scored a pair of runs and knocked in another to lead Regina’s offence.
Cohen Symak was 2-for-4 with a double, run scored and RBI to pace Moose Jaw’s hitters, Daxton Chesney also had a pair of hits.
Creeson Malbeuf was the winning pitcher, giving up two runs on five hits over four innings and striking out six. Nickson Hjelsing held Moose Jaw scoreless over the final three innings, giving up only three hits and striking out the side in the seventh.
Van Glasser went 5 ⅓ for the Canucks, allowing four runs, three earned, while giving up the two hits. He also struck out six and walked three. Chesney finished things off without allowing a hit.
Canucks 7, Wolfpack 5
Things went far better for Moose Jaw in their regular season finale, as with the game tied 2-2, they’d put up four runs in the bottom of the fourth and then add another in the fifth to lead 7-2. Regina put up a pair in the sixth and another in the seventh but would get no closer.
Lucas Lind and Zaid Guillaume each went 2-for-2 with a triple and a pair of runs scored, while Chesney knocked in a pair. The Canucks also showed their speed on the basepaths, swiping nine on the day. Symak and Taylor Usher each had a pair of steals.
The Wolfpack managed only four hits, with Dawson Palanuik scoring a pair of runs.
DIllon Flanagan got the start and allowed a single run in two innings of work, striking out four. Kaiden Gadd was the winning pitcher after going three innings in relief, allow a run on two hits and also striking out four.
Dylan Leach was the losing pitcher, taking over from Linkin Therrien in the third and allowing four runs on three hits over the next two innings.
