Like their AA counterparts, the Penticton SOMBA Tigers A squad wrapped up a successful season with a silver medal at the provincials in Mission last weekend.
Earning the right to advance to the championships with a 2-1 extra-inning victory over top-ranked Surrey Canadians in the semifinal, and working with a depleted pitching roster, the Tigers came out on the short end of a 13-3 score against the tough Ridge Meadows squad in the championship game.
The game MVP for Penticton, McGarry Allen, pitched three solid innings leaving the mound after reaching his pitch limit with the Tigers ahead 2-0 but they were unable to limit the bats of the eventual winners in the final four innings.
Tigers coach Tony Orioli said the team worked hard all weekend and performed above expectations.
He described the semifinal win as one of the best games of the tournament, a true pitching duel.
The Tigers fell behind by a run to Surrey in the first inning and neither team was able to score until the sixth when Penticton tied the game with a sacrifice fly by Linden Gervais who scored Calum McGill who got on base with a lead-off triple.
The seventh inning went scoreless, as did the first extra inning, but in the top of the ninth Adrian Orioli hit a solo home run over the right field fence.
Allen came in for the pitching save in the bottom of the ninth, getting the final fly out to Jacob Schulting in deep centre field.
Game MVP was Tigers pitcher Ryan Paulhus who went seven innings, striking out 13 and allowing just three hits.
Penticton opened the tournament with a 13-8 win over hosts Mission. That was after rallying from a 7-1 deficit after three innings and battling back with five runs in the sixth and seventh innings.
MVP Markus Snair had some key hits in the later stages of the contest and pitched a stellar one, two, three-out seventh inning for the save.
Game two saw a balanced hitting attack from all 10 Tigers players en route to a 17-11 decision over Newton.
Game MVP was Penticton’s Riley Evasiuk, getting hits in four of five trips to the plate and stealing five bases.
Related: Penticton Tigers runners up at provincials
In the third match, after keeping things close early on, the Penticton squad ran out of steam giving up a 16-6 decision to Ridge Meadows.
Penticton game MVP was Calum McGill with some great plays at the catching position and going three for four at the plate.
The final round robin match was a must win for the team to advance to the playoffs and they came through with a 5-3 verdict over Prince George.
Game MVP Orioli pitched four hitless innings and was four for five at bat.
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Mark Brett | Reporter
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