Sixth Inning Explosion Sees Canucks Defeat Broncos
By Robert Thomas
Montgomery Field was alive with the crack of bats as the Moose Jaw U18 AAA Canucks defeated the White Butte Broncos 9 - 6.
It was an evening of variable pitching by the Canucks. Pitching would go from brilliant to struggling only to roar back to brilliant to finish off the Broncos.
Batting for the Canucks was sound with solid hit after solid hit falling between the infield and the outfield often for extra bases.
Despite their recent struggles the perfect baseball weather delivered a decent sized crowd.
Canucks starting pitcher Van Sinclair. A highlight of the evening was the bases loaded and one out Sinclair was able to pitch his way out of the predicament - MJ Independent photo
The Canucks came out strong in the first inning.
The Canucks scored two runs stranding a runner on third base.
The Canucks would add a third run in the third inning.
The Broncos never scored until the fifth inning.
After five innings the score was 3 - 1 Canucks and the win was in no way guaranteed.
A major highlight of the evening was first baseman Ryan Duncan’s double in the sixth inning that energized the team.
Duncan would record two RBIs with Kyren Ernest and Tryten Legare headed home.
Duncan would go 1 for 3 up at the plate on the evening.
The sixth inning would see the Canucks seal the victory with six runs.
The Broncos fought back with four runs in the top of the seventh. Not enough to catch the Canucks.
Canucks Jesse Lesperance steals second base. Lesperance would go on to steal third base as well - MJ Independent photo
For Canucks head coach Zach Klyne the outing for the team was a good one. Especially in the hitting department.
Hitting, until Wednesday evening, as of late could best be described as anemic for the local team.
Hitting has been a key focus of recent practices with the work apparently paying off.
“There was lots of hits. We came off a four game weekend in Martensville and Muenster and I think we had about 40 hits combined over those four games so we rolled it into the week and we finally put a game together,” Klyne said.
The number of balls hit just in between the infield and outfield is music to the coaching staff if not for the players.
“We try to tell them, try to get it in their minds, as long as you get on base that’s all we need right now,” he said.
Despite its problems Klyne said the pitching did the job.
“We had a great stop by Van (Sinclair). He came in and in his second start this year he only gave up one run.”
Sinclair would run into trouble in the fifth but Klyne opted to show confidence in his starter with one out and the bases loaded.
Sinclair would force a ground out and then had a strike out leaving the Brincos with three runners stranded.
“Yeah that was big. At that point it was a one run game…it was big,” he said.
“We know some guys we can keep in there and they are going to work through it…he’s one of the ones if we put him in there we know what he’s going to do.”
OUT AT HOME - Canucks Riley Cushway tries to score a run but is ultimately called out after a tag by the Broncos bat catcher - MJ Independent photo
About the massive hitting play by first baseman Ryan Duncan Klyne said it was big.
“He’d be the first one to tell you he hasn’t been to hit a beach ball all season. He had a double there with runners on second and third giving us two runs. He kind of opened it up for us.”
About the game overall Klyne said he was happy despite the adversity and giving up runs in the end that could have saw the victory fall away.
The Canucks are off to Prince Albert this weekend and are hoping that a good series will move them back up into the middle of the standings.