Strathmore Reds served silver

Times Reporter   

 

Originally seeded last of six teams, the Strathmore Reds surprised everyone at the Tier 2 PeeWee Baseball Provincials from July 26-28 in Lacombe, by finishing second in the province.

Their first game, against South Jasper Place (SJP), had them leading 7-3 after four innings, though SJP tied the score up in the fifth. The Reds held on tightly for a 9-8 win, and earned a playoff berth with the victory. Joe Furfaro won Reds’ MVP for throwing five strong innings, while Mitch Desserre had a double with two RBI’s leading the offense.

Later that day, against Lacombe, the Reds utilized five different pitchers, so they could be rested up for the playoffs on Sunday. Lacombe began the game strong, and led 12-2 at the top of the fifth, eventually holding on for the 12-6 win. 

“Although it was a loss, the comeback against a very good Lacombe team – and to take them the distance – said a lot for the Reds mental toughness and boosted their confidence heading into the semifinals,” said Coach Darin Dunlop. The Reds would eventually face Lacombe once more in the final, but had to get through Grand Prairie first.

Grand Prairie had dropped down from Tier 1 and were undefeated during pool play at provincials – but the Reds had a plan up their sleeves.

“Our strategy was to minimize free passes (walks), let them hit the ball, and play solid defense behind pitcher Hunter Biskup,” said Dunlop. “It worked to a tee.”

Biskup pitched 83 pitches over six innings, and won Reds’ MVP. The game was very back and forth, with Strathmore prevailing 11-8. The much smaller underdogs had one hour to get nourished and prepare for Lacombe in the final.

“The back-to-back games combined with the emotionally charged semi-final win proved to be too much,” said Coach Dunlop.

Strathmore suffered too many errors, and paired with the strong hitting from Lacombe, the Reds lost 16-5. Connor Dunlop won MVP for the Reds, as he was 2-3 at the plate and pitched a solid game.

Other notables included Darcy Hall and Andrew Ericson, who played both infield and outfield, and made consistent defensive plays at any position.

“It is players like these who were willing to do whatever was asked of them that formed the cornerstone of our team,” Coach Dunlop said.

Special thanks to the parents for “their support and understanding, and for raising such top notch kids,” said Dunlop, and also to Reds Manager Susan Biskup for “her unbelievable commitment and enthusiasm”.