Click here to sign up for our free daily newsletter

Peewee AA Beavers crowned tier 3 provincial champions

Jul 25, 2017 | 12:00 PM

The 2017 peewee tier III provincials in Lloydminster did not start out well for the Battlefords Beavers.

After the first inning of their first game, they were down 5-0, but managed to come back and win the game handily: 13-6 over the Regina Pacers.

In the semifinals the Beavers found themselves in a similar position after they gave up six runs in the top of the first. And just like the first time, they didn’t let it phase them, scoring 18 runs in the first three innings to defeat Carnduff 19-11 and advance to the finals.

The Saskatoon Athletics were no match for the Beavers in the final, as North Battleford won the game 15-2 to come away with the gold medal.

“It was a complete team effort,” Beavers head coach Carson Wouters said. “There were no super stars. No ‘one-man carried the team’. From top to bottom of the lineup, everyone contributed, all weekend.

“We set goals at the beginning of the season and the boys followed through.”

Wouters said timing was a big reason the Beavers didn’t have too much trouble at the tournament. Their closest marign of victory was five runs, while their average margin of victory was 8.6 runs.

“We seemed to peak at the right time the last couple of weeks,” Wouters said. “Through some exhibition games and things like that, it just all kind of came together at the same time and at the right time.”

A large number of pitching arms also factored into the perfect 5-0 record.

“Our pitching was one of our dominant parts of the team. We were deep in pitching,” Wouters said. “Even going into the finals, we had five of our top six pitchers still available to pitch. I think all teams wished they’d have had that.”

There was also a second Beavers team that competed at the peewee provincials, as they were in tier II in Regina.

Those Beavers lost to the Watrous Lakers in the semfinals following a perfect 3-0 round robin.

 

nathan.kanter@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @NathanKanter11