15U AAA Wrap Up A Productive Week With A Win
To sum up the past week for the Moose Jaw 15U AAA Canucks it would be ahead of the curve.
Ahead of the curve not simply because they won three out of five games over the past week but more importantly the hard work and sweat at practice is starting to pay off.
Saturday’s split of a doubleheader with the Saskatoon Astros seemed to be the opening of a door the Cubs have yet to venture thru.
A Canucks’ runner is tagged out attempting to slide into home plate - MJ Independent photo
Game One
Canucks 8 - Astros 11
A slight dip in their play had the Canucks ending up dropping the first game in Saturday’s doubleheader.
“The boys played very well in Game one with the exception of an inning and a half. In an inning and a half we had a couple of batters we got behind on. We had four walks and then they had a couple of timely hits,” Canucks head coach Rodney Audette said.
“We were in it each inning.”
Despite the loss Audette said he felt good about how the Canucks played in the opening game.
“It felt good. It felt fine. They battled every at bat when they were in the batters box. They battled defensively and we made some good plays in the first game. I’m very happy with how they played,” he said.
Game Two
Canucks 11 - Astros 10
The doubleheader’s second game looked like the Astros were on a trajectory for a doubleheader sweep but three strong innings set the stage for a walk off victory in the 8th inning.
The Astros had a lead in the third inning but the Canucks battled back.
The Canucks had a very strong sixth inning.
As it appeared the Canucks’ spirit was lagging and momentum was sliding away Lucas Lind punched a solo home run into right field lifting the team’s fortunes to tie the game.
The Canucks would win the game in dramatic fashion in the bottom of the eighth inning as a player slid in safe at home to score the walk off victory.
Game Two saw some baseball psychology deployed.
“We were talking to the boys after the first game it doesn’t matter what the score is you have to play like you’re down one run instead of six or seven…they clawed back and kept working for each run and each base runner we had,” Audette said.
The Canucks went through two innings where they went three up and three down allowing the Astros to get ahead.
The Lind home run to tie the game was seen as “the spark that keeps them in the game.”
“The last three innings they checked themselves. They checked their effort and attitude and it was all positive,” he said.
“I think when our boys come to play ball we can play with anybody.”
Wednesday evening’s game versus the Yorkton Cardinals was a hot affair both temperature wise and long ball wise for the Canucks.
The three game series rubber match saw the Canucks record three home runs on Yorkton’s smaller field on route to an 11 - 3 victory.
“The boys played sound defensively. And when you play sound defensively you limit bad things that can happen.”
He said he was happy with how the team has been developing.
