U18 AAA Canucks Score Five In First On Route To 6 - 1 Victory

By Robert Thomas

Powered by their best start of the year the Moose Jaw U18 AAA Canucks defeated the Regina White Sox 6 - 1 on Monday.

The Canucks led off the game with a season leading five runs first inning.

Although ahead by five runs the White Sox continued to look for scoring opportunities to exploit.

Canucks pitcher Rylan Caplette - Tarrent had a good outing on the mound pitching six and one-third innings - MJ Independent photo

The Canucks would start off the first inning with two players - Kale Pratte and Max Simmons - getting to first base on balls.

Owen Varjassy and Hunter Scott would next come up with doubles and the Canucks run count would advance to four.

The five run first inning for the Canucks when Tyson Ross got on with a single. He then stole second base.

A single by Max Craig drew an RBI.

The Canucks would go through all of their lineup in the inning stranding runners at second and third as the inning ended.

The White Sox would get on the scoreboard in the fifth inning with the Canucks responding with a single run in the sixth.

Despite a 6 - 1 lead the White Sox continued to look for a breakthrough and a potential win.

With bases loaded the White Sox threatened but they hit into a double play ending the threat and the game in the seventh inning.

Canucks third baseman Max Simmons is prepped for a ground ball - MJ Independent photo

Assistant coach Byron Dahl called the game an “interesting day because we didn’t have three of our veterans (players).”

“We still came out and played a good game. Rylan (Caplette - Tarrant) came out and pitched a heck of a game. He went six and a third innings. He pitched really well. He got into some jams but he was able to stand his ground and get out of it,” Dahl said.

The early quick start - which the Canucks have been looking for all season - materialized on Monday afternoon.

“It’s so good when you can get into a five to nothing early lead. It just puts everything into use. We struggled to get runs after that but the first inning was a fantastic inning for us,” he said.

Despite the five runs given up in the first inning the White Sox’s pitcher still threw a good game Dahl said.

“You still have got to give credit to that pitcher he was throwing pretty good. He had a really slow looping curve ball and our guys had a hard time reading it…I think at the end of four (innings) we started to lay off of that and it helped us out,” Dahl said.

Canucks players sit on the bench while the team is at bat - MJ Independent photo

The bases loaded double play for the win had the White Sox in the game the full seven innings.

“Spenny (Spencer Craig) made it interesting. But I trust Spenny he’s one of our guys we go to when it’s tough as he gets those strikes.”

It’s a great team win. The White Sox are one of the better teams in Regina. Let alone the league and we played well enough to defeat them,” he said.