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The Standard Hill Lakers team picture following their provincials victory in Kindersley. (Submitted photo/Standard Hill Lakers)
Senior baseball champs

Standard Hill Lakers win Tier 2 provincials

Aug 8, 2022 | 4:31 PM

The Standard Hill Lakers are coming off a home run weekend at provincials, taking home the title of champions.

It was a wide-open field at the AA Tier 2 tournament in Kindersley as all five teams competing finished the round robin with a 2-2 record. This led to the top two teams that would make the finals being decided by the tiebreaker of fewest runs allowed.

Veteran second baseman with the team, Brett Harrison, said it was quite literally down to the final game of round robin play to see if the Lakers would be advancing to compete in the championship game.

“The only way we could get into the final was if Wilkie beat Cabri as Kindersley had one less run-against than we did in the whole tournament, so they were in,” Harrison recalled, detailing just how close the margins were.

Wilkie delivered, defeating Cabri by a single run in the final inning to earn Standard Hill a spot in the finals, where they would go on to top the host Kindersley Stallions 3-1 en route to the championship.

“Any time you have the opportunity to get to that final game it’s special, and obviously to win feels pretty good,” Harrison said. “Sometimes you go to those tournaments and it’s one or two guys who carry you through, but it was truly a team effort this weekend and that’s what made it special, everyone knew they were involved.”

The Lakers’ championship serves as their first since back-to-back provincial titles in 2017 and 2018, giving them now three in the last six years.

The Lakers will now shift their focus back to the pursuit of a North Sask River Baseball League championship, with a chance to double-dip atop the senior ball podium this season.

The Lakers will open their best-of-three finals series with the Wilkie Brewers Aug. 11 in Wilkie.

Harrison said the series is one the team is looking forward to, with a chance to accomplish something truly special

“Wilkie’s a very good team, they’re good defensively, they hit the ball well and they play the game the right way and have for years, so we know what to expect,” he said. “We go there this Thursday hoping to steal one in their [grounds] right off the bat, and have a chance to win at home next week.”

Game 2 of the finals will be played at the Lakers’ home field at Silver Lake Aug. 16, with Game 3 back in Wilkie if needed on Aug. 17.

Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1