Tales from the Doug-out: Let’s Play Ball

Last year, this team won the tier two gold medal in the Baseball Alberta AA league. This year, with many returning veterans and some promising new rookies in the lineup, the Bonnyville U18 AA Braves hope to have the same success.

The U18AA Braves kicked off their season in Bonnyville this past weekend.  The first game on Saturday they hosted the Sherwood Park Athletics.  The Braves decided to let a couple of their first year players get their feet wet pitching.   Colin Rardon started the game and pitched a very good game.  Giving up only 3 hits and 4 runs over 2 innings it was a good debut.  Another first year, Jaxon Gauthier came in to pitch 4 innings, giving up only 2 hits and 1 run with 3 strikeouts, another solid outing giving the team a chance at victory.  The A’s were leading 5-4 going into the top of the 7th inning.  The Braves brought in Cadogan Rachynski to shut the A’s down and he didn’t disappoint.  He struck out the side, blowing away all 3 batters.  The Braves could win it in the bottom of the 7th. Colin Reardon and Andrew Haxby singled to get some baserunners and Casey Warawa drove one to center to tie the game with a nice base hit.  Zach Lapointe, who had a great weekend at the plate and behind the plate catching, came up with a chance to win the game.  Zach hit a beauty single to left field to score the winning run with a walk off victory for the Braves.

Sam Atwal making a running catch in left field

On Sunday morning the Braves were playing the SW Edmonton White Sox.  Starting pitcher Cody Archibald pitched 2 innings giving up only 1 run with 1 hit and 3 strike outs. A great first outing for the fourth-year player.  Dane Archibald, another first-year on the team, came in to throw one inning and struck out a couple of batters, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs.   The Braves trailed most of the game as they couldn’t get rolling on a cold May morning.  Nothing seemed to click and Braves lost this one 11-6.  However lots of room for improvement and some good things to build on going forward.

The final game on Sunday was against the NE Edmonton Padres.   Starting pitcher Colton Lacoursiere had a fantastic first outing, pitching 3 solid innings, giving up only 3 hits and 2 runs with 3 Strike outs.  Sam Atwal had a great weekend in the field and at the plate, making several nice catches and driving in multiple runs at the plate.  Casey Warawa came in for some relief innings and pitched 2 solid innings, giving up 3 hits and 3 runs with 3 strike outs.  The Braves were down 7-6 in the 6 inning when first year player Andrew Haxby came up with a big hit to tie the game.  Ethan Walgren, who is a returning fourth-year player, made it out to his first action of the season and came in in the top of the 7th inning to help shut down the Padres.  The bid lefty did just that and stranded the bases loaded with a final strikeout to give the Braves a chance at another walk-off in the bottom of the 7th inning.  Gane tied 7-7 Colton Lacoursiere lined a shot to right field to get the first runner on.  After Zach Lappointe advanced the runner to third base, Cadogan Rachynski lined a shot to right field to drive in the winning run for a second walk-off victory of the weekend.

Colton Lacoursiere knocking down a ground ball at short shop

The team was missing three veterans, but the new players did a great job for their first weekend of U18 AA baseball, helping the Braves have a successful 2-1 weekend. Most teams would be more than happy to win two out of three games. Just ask the Blue Jays management! The Braves are on the road this coming weekend, off to Sherwood Park for another three-game set.