CANMORE – The Bow Valley Blues are looking to hand a receipt to the top team in the Calgary North Baseball League this weekend following a hometown clash of the baseball rivals.
The local U22 team’s (5-2) late rally fell short against the top-seeded Davisburg Sodbusters (6-1) in the second game of a doubleheader Sunday (May 28) at Millennium Park in Canmore.
“They just knocked us around for a little too long and when we tried to come back it was a little too late,” said Blues slugger Torin Young.
Driving in RBIs for the Blues were Teagan Young, Torin Young, Matthew Arsenault, and Ryan Brunet.
Ending 10-7, there was a little extra on the line in the game halfway through the season with the league’s numero uno spot up for grabs.
Early on, the Blues’ top pitcher Arsenault was pulled from the mound with a throwing-related injury. However, he stayed in the game as a batter and in the field.
With the score 10-4 in the bottom of the seventh inning, the final at-bat for the hometown club, the Blues put their rally caps on and gave victory one final push.
The team managed to load the bases for Arsenault, who knocked in the first run off the bottom half and kept the bases loaded. At bat next was Ryan Brunet, who added some comeback excitement after driving in two runs with a double. With no outs, and momentum shifting, the Sodbusters yanked their pitcher in exchange for Ian Crackel.
It was all business for the rifled-armed Sodbusters closer, who gunned down the only three Blues batters who came up to the plate to end the game.
After the game, Blues’ Jackson Ostman said the team had a tough time bouncing back after the early injury to Arsenault.
“I think it’s safe to say it would be a whole different ball game if we had our whole team and if everyone was healthy, and we’ll get them back next weekend,” said Ostman.
In the first game of the doubleheader, Ostman pitched a complete game for the Blues with seven strikeouts against Calgary North One (CN1), leading to a 6-4 victory.
The local pitcher helped his own cause at bat, as well, smacking in two RBIs.
Also with RBIs were Arsenault, Torin Young, Gavin McLennan, and Logan Carruthers.
After CN1 took an early lead, the Blues fought back to take over the game.
“I think the whole team just kind of forgot about it and reset everything and started from scratch, it was a new game. We just keep going and that’s what we did,” said Ostman.
The Blues and Sodbusters won’t have to wait long for a rematch, as the two top clubs play again Saturday (June 3) in Davisburg.
On Sunday (June 4), the Blues are home against Calgary North Two. First pitch is at noon.
