After a sizzling start to the Pee Wee AA baseball spring league playoffs, the Vernon Canadians ran out of steam at McArthur Island Park in Kamloops.
In the bronze medal game, top-ranked Kelowna whacked the Canadians in five innings 11-1 Sunday morning.
Eric Foufoulas was game MVP and Sapion Joe was named the top pitcher of the tournament.
The Canadians downed the eventual tourney champ Kelowna in extra innings, 13-12, in the opener Saturday morning.
Tye Fore singled to centre to score Dylan Frank and the winning run. Joe was named game MVP with a sac fly RBI and a few stellar plays on defence.
Cole Hutchinson started on the mound and pitched 4.2 innings, keeping his team in it by getting ground balls and strike outs.
Jack Janzen swung the biggest bat for the C’s with two doubles, a single, three RBI and a run scored.
The C’s consistent offence kept them alive with big innings early and late.
Ryan Vandesande scored a pair of runs with a screaming double down the third base line and struck out two batters in an inning of relief.
Jared Nickoli then cashed a pair of runs in with a single, hopped on the mound with a tie game in the seventh and kept Kelowna off the board.
The Canadians edged Penticton 5-2 Saturday afternoon to finish first in their pool.
Seiji Bott was MVP after closing the last 2.2 innings with three strike outs.
The C’s received great pitching all game. Janzen pitched in relief and fanned four batters over two innings.
Joe scored the first run for the C’s when he cashed in Jackson Soucy on a sac fly. Joe later stole two bags and pitched a scoreless inning.
Foufoulas and Hutchinson came home on passed balls and Nickoli recorded an RBI single.
Rutland halted the Canadians 9-6 in the semis Sunday morning.
Vandesande was MVP for the Canadians.
