A Pelly woman and a Norquay woman cheered as their great-grandson helped Team Saskatchewan win the Canada Cup baseball tournament in Fort MacMurray, Alta., on August 7.
Brody Vogel of Saskatoon, a great-grandson of Ann Vogel of Pelly and June How of Norquay, was a member of Team Saskatachewan which played at the competition held August 3 to 7.
Readers of the Times heard of Vogel in April, when he was a member of the Saskatoon Contacts AAA Midget hockey team, which was seeking the Telus Cup.
“Down to their final out in the semi-finals against Québec, Saskatchewan appeared destined to play in Sunday’s bronze medal game,” said a story in the Fort MacMurray Today newspaper. “Five hours later, Saskatchewan seemed destined to accept the silver for a second straight year against British Columbia.
“But those two positions seemed to only light a fire under the province’s entry in the 2016 Baseball Canada Cup as they pulled off two straight comebacks, winning the gold medal match by a 6-1 final, to capture their first championship at the tournament since 1994,” the newspaper said.
“It’s unbelievable,” said Saskatchewan head coach Greg Brons. “Just to get into a medal game is a big accomplishment for us, but to win a national championship, it’s a dream come true.”
“Saskatchewan kept fighting from the first inning of their semi-final game Sunday afternoon,” it said. “Québec bolted out of the gates with a seven-run first inning.
“Refusing to give up, Saskatchewan scored a pair of runs in each of the third, fourth and sixth innings. Entering their half of the seventh down 10-6, Saskatchewan continued their comeback by scoring four runs on five hits to extend the game.
“Three full scoreless innings would pass by before Saskatchewan found their way onto the board,” it said. “These guys have a lot of heart and a lot of perseverance and I never doubted these guys at all. They don’t doubt themselves, I don’t doubt them, I knew they had it in them to come back and keep fighting. “That’s just the way they are.”
