What a weekend for the Sun Devils!
They had a tough draw in a strong pool where not a single game ended in a mercy rule, and no team went undefeated. Kelowna started it off with a hard fought 9-7 win Friday morning over Ladner. That night their bats went cold as they struggled to score against Ridge Meadows, who’s 2 run homer propelled them to a 7-5 victory over the hosts.
Saturday morning Nolan Langill pitched into extra innings against top-seeded Cloverdale, to keep the game close, and Rhys Geishardt hit a walk-off double to secure the win. That afternoon Kelowna fell to Victoria 6-7 in a heartbreaking loss.
The 2-2 record was enough to send your Sun Devils to the semifinals, as they had beaten Cloverdale and Ladner who both also finished 2-2.
Sunday morning, Ajax Smith pitched a gem of a game against the winner of Pool B, Abbotsford. Going 6 complete innings, and striking out Josh Hotell with his last eligible pitch, Smith led the Sun Devils to a 6-3 victory, advancing the Sun Devils to the finals against White Rock.
In one of the closest games the Sun Devils have experienced they were down by 2 headed into the fifth inning. After scoring one run, with runners on second and third and two outs, Jachin Bitgood hit a stand up triple to give the Sun Devils their first lead of the game. Rhys then knocked Jachin in with a triple of his own, putting the Devils up 2 heading into the sixth. The final score of the game was 8 to 7 for White Rock after a tough sixth inning, but the whole game, the Sun Devils never gave up. A stellar weekend for the host team, coming second overall, and missing the championship by only one run.
Thank you again to all of our volunteers who made this weekend such a success! We couldn’t have hosted without the many hands on deck!
Congratulations Sun Devils on your 2nd place finish in the Provincial Championship!
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