Over the weekend of July 14-16, the Canora mosquito baseball team travelled to Tisdale to participate in the Mosquito Provincial Playoffs, said Jennifer Sleeva, coach.
The team consisted of players from the three Canora mosquito teams, as well as three players from Norquay and one from Kamsack, said Sleeva. The team members practised together in the few weeks prior to provincials as well as playing some exhibition games against Melville, Tisdale, and Northeast Giants (Nipawin and Porcupine Plain).
The team opened the provincial tournament on July 14 against the Prince Albert Royals. It was a close game with the score going back and forth. In the end, Canora came out on top 11-10.
Canora’s next game was played on the very hot morning of July 15 against the Northeast Giants. Again, the game was close with Canora on top for most of the game. One strong inning for Northeast put them ahead though, and the score ended with a Canora loss by the score of 9-4.
Canora was back on the field in the afternoon versus the Unity Cardinals. This was a strong team who, in the end, won the provincial final.
Canora kept the game close until the fourth inning when Unity pulled away. Canora lost by a score of 10-0, stranding many base runners, said Sleeva.
With a record of 1-2, the team was hoping for a better result, but the weekend experience was excellent.
Canora made some strong plays, had some great at-bats, and found out what baseball is like at the provincial level. In this age group, managing pitchers is very important, and almost everyone on the team needs to be capable of pitching.
The team really appreciated Graham Lamb, Kelly McTavish and Jennifer Sleeva for giving their time and energy to coach and teach. The players learned a lot and had a wonderful experience.
The team recognized the sponsors for their support, including the Canora Hotel, Sas-Kam Sportsman in Kamsack, and Park’s Jewelry in Yorkton. That support included the donation of Rawlings baseball bags for all 13 players with each player’s name on his bag.
