The St. Albert Cardinals stopped the Vernon Canadians 6-3 Monday in the finals of the Kamloops Sussex Insurance Mosquito All-Star Baseball Tournament.
Maguire Lauridsen drove in Carter Morris, while game MVP Eric Foufoulas hit an RBI-single to score Ryan Gamage and Brayden Beacom knocked in Jackson Soucy for Vernon’s runs.
Koll Cherkowski started on the mound for Vernon and went three innings. He also made a great double play with a catch on the mound and a quick throw to Chase Batchelor at first base. Batchelor replaced Cherkowski on the hill early in the fourth.
The Canadians rallied to shade the Spruce Grove Sox 5-4 in semifinal play.
Down by a run in their half of the sixth, game MVP Caden Colmorgen nailed a two-run single, bringing home Batchelor and Morris. The C’s got two big strikeouts from Morris in the top of the inning.
Colmorgen earlier singled in Batchelor, while Gamage struck out one batter in the third, shutting down Spruce Grove with only eight pitches.
Gamage mowed down two batters in the fourth, while Morris hit a double to centre field and scored on a double by Gamage. Soucy then drove in Cherkowski with a slide just under the tag.
Vernon opened the Canada Day tournament by losing 5-3 to the Cardinals 5-3 with Batchelor taking MVP.
The C’s then ambushed Spruce Grove 13-4 with Morris amazing at shortstop and smashing two doubles to earn MVP. Cherkowski collected three ribbies, while Foufoulus and Lauridsen each had two.
Vernon, a AA class team, then outlasted the Kamloops AAA River Dogs 9-8 with Lauridsen named MVP for stellar pitching, one RBI and one run stealing home.
Infielders Lincoln Connor and Landen Harison enjoyed superb outings with both players walking home in the sixth. Morris, who hit a two-run double, swiped home for the winning run.
