Bantam Reds crush on May Long
By Tyler Lowey, Times Reporter
Tyler Lowey Photo
After some adjustments through the first few weeks of the schedule, the Reds came alive in the tournament while using league-rated aluminum bats for the first time, unlike the wooden bats they typically use during Baseball Alberta play.
The production nearly lasted all weekend long, until the clock struck midnight in the championship game Sunday night at Jaycee Park.
Taking on the powerful Lethbridge Bulls, the Reds yielded one run in the seventh to force extras.
The long weekend took a toll on the pitching staff as the Reds ran out of gas and arms, as they surrendered seven runs in the ninth inning to lose 13-6, as the last out was recorded just after midnight May 21.
Kobe Gosling went 2-for-3 at the dish and scored a pair of runs, while cleanup hitter Ray Warrack also scored a pair of runs while registering one hit and one walk.
“That Lethbridge team is really, really strong. We took a great team and we played them head-to-head for eight innings, so they should be proud of that,” said Reds Assistant Coach Sonny Warrack. “We also played some teams that we have struggled with in the past and actually beat them, which was great to see.”
The Reds got the better of the secondary Lethbridge Bulls club in the tourney opener, when they torched the Bulls 17-3.
Torbin Jorgensen crossed home plate four times, while Tyson Dmyterko and Gosling scored three runs each in the blowout.
“There seemed to be a little extra pop in the bats this weekend,” said Sonny. “It was quite a change for some of our kids coming up from peewee to use the bigger bats to start this year, but this weekend looked like it was a turning point for us.”
Not every game was a blowout. The Reds geared up for some late inning dramatics on both sides of the ball in a pair of round robin wins.
The Reds were able to hang onto the 8-7 victory over the Beaverlodge Royals thanks to a heads-up play by second basemen Dmyterko.
The Royals sent the tying run to third with two outs on a single. When the Reds tried to gun down the lead runner, the batter tried to scoot up to second. Dmyterko called for the ball and had the runner in a rundown between first and second. That is when the runner on third base tried to score, but Dmyterko noticed that out of the corner of his eye and fired a laser to Jacob Galandy at home for the final out of the game.
Against the Sylvan Lake Mariners, it was the Reds’ offence that bailed them out down the stretch.
Trailing 8-2 in the third, the bats came alive and pounded out a pair of five-run innings and a six-spot to hang a 18-8 loss on the Mariners.
The Reds positioned themselves for the late evening affair against the Bulls in the finals after thumping the Chestermere Crushers 29-5.
“We have been putting in a lot of work at practice with these kids and their swings and it really paid off this weekend,” said Sonny. “Hopefully we keep this rolling as we head back into our league play this weekend.”
The Reds will resume Baseball Alberta league games May 26, when they head to Okotoks to take on the Foothills Outlaws at 9 a.m. and will get their first chance for redemption against the Bulls at 6 p.m. Back in Okotoks to close out the weekend, the Reds will take on the Calgary Bandits.
The Reds 2 program competed in the same tournament but ran into some tough competition.
The Reds opened the tourney by taking on one of the heavyweights in the province, in the Bulls May 18 at Jaycee Park and lost.
“The Bulls are going to be one of the teams that will compete for a provincial championship in Tier 1. They’re a really strong team,” said Reds Head Coach Geoff Hall. “Our results didn’t reflect how my team played this weekend. We played some good teams and lost, and when we played some teams more equal to us, we had some good games and the guys learned a lot from them.”
Playing a double header on the second day of the tournament, the Reds were edged by the Regina Blue Jays 8-7 in a nail biter and brushed back 10-2 by the Cal West Blues in the nightcap.
Wrapping up the tournament, the Reds lost a barnburner to the Calgary Grizzlies, 21-18.
The Reds can look forward to their first home games of the season this weekend, when many of Hall’s players will kick up the dirt at Kinsmen Field for the first time.
“We have a lot of younger kids on our team from peewee and they’ve never played on their new home field,” said Hall. “They are definitely excited at the opportunity.”
To close out the first round of seeding in the Baseball Alberta schedule, the Reds will host the Red Deer Braves (12 p.m.) and the Grizzlies (6 p.m.) May 26. The Reds will close out the weekend by hosting the Grizzlies (9 a.m.) and Braves (12 p.m.) again on the 27.
The midget program took the long weekend off and will resume their league schedule this weekend in Chestermere when they take on the Crushers at 11 a.m. May 26. Playing a pair of games on the 27, the Reds will first battle the Calgary Cubs (11 a.m.), followed by the Calgary Grizzlies (2 p.m.) at Chestermere Park.