U18 AA Canucks End Home Season On A Strong Note
It was a night of many pitchers, a trip around the bases and a hug from mom at home plate as the Moose Jaw U18 AA Canucks defeated the Regina Wolfpack 13 - 1.
It was seniors night as the Canucks celebrated the seven players who graduate at the end of the season.
Despite the fanfare and farewells the Canucks put on one of their best shows of the season.
The Canucks bats were hot and the hits found the holes in the Wolfpack’s defence. A complete opposite to last Sunday’s Canucks’ loss.
Moose Jaw Canucks starting pitcher Riley Cushway lines up a strike - MJ Independent photo
“They played well. They hit the ball hard and we got good pitching from everybody,” Canucks head coach Zach Klyne said.
The Canucks offence had strong hits. Hits that found the holes largely picking apart the Wolfpacks’ outfield.
“We hit the ball hard. And there was some they should have been able to catch but we also hit the gaps. I think we had five or six doubles today,” Klyne said.
Moose Jaw Canucks’ base runner Kyren Ernest (background) gets ready to slide into third - MJ Independent photo
Klyne, who also coached third base for the Canucks, held back runners who could have had triples.
“You hit a triple to get a double,” one of Canucks quipped from the bench during the game.
It was a quip that Klyne sluffed off.
“I was watching their center fielder and left fielder prior to the game and they had good arms. A double is just as good as a triple. If you hit a double the next guy is going to get you home.”
Moose Jaw Canucks’ base runner Van Sinclair is tagged out while heading for third base - MJ Independent photo
The Canucks started the game out strong.
They scored two runs in the first following the Wolfpack scoring their lone run.
The Canucks would go on to score four runs in the second inning, two runs in the third inning and finally five runs in the fourth inning.
The Canucks did not bat in the fifth inning as the game was over due to the mercy rule - from the fifth inning if any team is ahead by 10 runs they automatically win.
What was remarkable about the win was all but one of the seven graduating players took to the mound - holding the Wolfpack in a cage.
Moose Jaw Canucks Mason Rasmussen rounds third base on his way home - MJ Independent
The eighth place Canucks next big stop is Estevan next weekend as they have qualified for Tier One in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League U18 AA.
It’s a tournament that Klyne is hopeful for given the team’s strong performances in tournaments the past two years.
“We’re a tournament team. I don’t know what it is but we do well at tournaments…if we play a good tournament we could come out on top.