It was a big weekend for baseball in Greater Trail.
Trail Minor Baseball managed to throw out the first pitch on Saturday without a downpour, the J.L. Crowe Hawks baseball team won their tournament in decisive fashion, and the Trail AM Ford Sr. Orioles loosened up with a three-game series against the Calgary Wolfpack.
For the first time in many years, TMB’s opening day wasn’t postponed due to rain, and all 140 players, coaches, and parents participated in the Opening Day ceremony at Andy Bilesky Park, with longtime Trail volunteers Darrell and Doreen Boisvert throwing out the first pitch.
Related read: Trail Minor Baseball opens season
Over at Butler Park, the J. L. Crowe Hawks baseball team shut out Nelson’s L.V. Rogers Secondary School 5-0 in the final on Saturday to come out on top of their mini tournament against the LVR Bombers and Mt. Boucherie Secondary from Kelowna.
Crowe lost their opening exhibition game to Cranrbook, 8-4, but was dominant in their games against L.V. Rogers and Mt. Boucherie in the round robin.
“We didn’t hit very well (against Cranbrook), but they pitched one of their better pitchers,” said Crowe coach Darren Miracle. “We did real well after that. Luke (Miracle) threw against Nelson last night and beat them 15-0. So it was a good weekend, the kids had a blast.”
The Bombers beat Mt. Boucherie in the semifinal 7-2, but faced a strong defence and excellent pitching against the Hawks in the final.
Related read: J. L. Crowe Hawks host annual tournament
The Hawks scored three runs in the bottom of the third, then added another two in the fourth for a five-run lead.
Marshall Debruyen pitched four innings of shut-out ball, then Allison Schroder came on in relief in the fourth inning. The Fruitvale native needed to strike out four batters to retire the side. With two out, a Nelson batter was awarded first base, after his bat came into contact with batcatcher Miracle’s glove on the third strike. The Bombers loaded the bases but Schroder got the third out with her fourth K of the inning to keep the shutout intact.
The Hawks finish up their baseball season with a doubleheader in Chewelah on Wednesday.
“It’s been a great year,” said Miracle. “The kids have had a blast, a lot of fun, a lot of laughs, made some errors, hit some balls on the way, and that’s the name of the game. That’s the main thing, as a high school team, the kids have some fun, and the kids that are going to play in the summer, they get some extra ball.”
Parents and volunteers helped run the concession for the Hawks’ tournament and stuck around for the Trail AM Ford Men’s Orioles games as they hosted a doubleheader against the Calgary Wolfpack on Saturday evening.
Related read: Trail AM Ford Orioles open season with series vs Calgary Wolfpack
The Wolfpack won a close first game 4-3, and in the second match, the Orioles’ Scott Reinhold pitched four scoreless innings, before the Wolfpack stormed back, scoring five runs in the final two innings for a 10-7 win.
On Sunday, the Senior Orioles found their stride, as Trail pounded out 13 runs including a two-run bomb by Cam Strachan in a 13-2 drubbing of the Wolfpack. Orioles pitcher Chris Kissock earned the win and Joel Graff pitched an inning of relief before the game was called due to the 10-run rule.
The Orioles host the 2019 BC Senior Men’s Baseball Championship Aug. 2-4, with the season highlighted by a pair of games against Union de Reyes baseball academy from Cuba, scheduled for June 22 and 23.
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