Black Press Sports
KELOWNA – They call themselves The Lunch Box Boys.
At the 2013 Valley of Champions Baseball Tournament in Kelowna, the Rutland Rockies proved true to their moniker.
The Rockies battled, scratched and clawed their way to the tournament’s Bantam AA title last weekend at Edith Gay Park, clinching the gold medal with an 8-3 win over Surrey.
In Sunday’s final, Vernon righthander Kyle Ciurka didn’t allow an earned run over five innings while Brandon Ludwig struck out the side in the seventh to secure the victory. Matthew Greer and Liam Hughes sparked the offence with two hits and two RBI each. Ciurka also plays first and third base.
The victory in the final avenged an earlier loss to Surrey in the round-robin, the Rockies’ only setback in six games during the tourney.
“They really wanted that second game against Surrey in the final as they felt they gave it away in the last game in the round robin,” said Rockies coach Rob Law. “All our boys played with heart, intensity and determination. Every player contributed in some way.”
Rutland opened the weekend with a 21-4 win over Kamloops as Vernon’s Jacob Holland, who caught all seven innings, had three hits and two RBI.
Game 2 saw Cole Van Every deliver three hits in an 11-9 win over Cowichan, while Liam Hughes struck out seven.
Greer had three hits and three RBIs as the Rockies then ambushed Sherwood Park of Alberta 19-5.
The fourth game produced their only loss, 9-7 to Surrey.
In the semifinal, Greer had three hits and two RBI and Ludwig homered as Rutland won 8-7 over Victoria.
“They thought they’d won the World Series,” Law said of the win over Victoria. “It just showed the smaller associations can play against the bigger ones.”
Law said the Rockies – who are comprised of players from Kelowna, West Kelowna, Rutland and Vernon – showed throughout the weekend they could play whatever brand of ball was necessary to get the job done.
“They played small ball when they had to, they brought out the long ball when they needed it, we had outstanding pitching, and defensively they were great, too,” he said.
“They’re Lunch Box Boys, they said, ‘Let’s go to work, get dirty and get this done.’”
The Rockies are hoping the same brand of baseball will pay dividends at the B.C. Bantam AA championship in two weeks.
Rutland hosts the provincial tournament, Aug. 1-4, at Edith Gay Park. The rest of the Rockies: shortstop/3B Kadyn Thomas of Vernon, Noah Ringness-Law, Jacob Groinus, Keegan Perron, Keyshon Jackson, Gavin Barrett, Chase Gaudette and Cam Rasmussen (assistant coaches Dennis Holland of Vernon and Mark Gaudette.)
