BARRHEAD - There is an old baseball saying that the game is not over to the last out.
The Barrhead Orioles proved just how true that is when they defeated their Highway 33 North Central Baseball League (NCABL) rivals, the Westlock Red Lions, beating them in a come from behind sixth inning comeback 15-12 victory at home on May 22.
The win was the second of the season, with their first coming the night before, an 8-4 victory on the road against the Legal Primeaus. The two wins put the Orioles' record at two wins with two losses.
In the first inning, Barrhead got off to a quick start, scoring five runs and taking a 5-2 lead.
Westlock bats came alive in the second inning, scoring five runs and holding Barrhead scoreless. In the third, the Red Lions' pitching and defence blanked the Orioles while manufacturing a run of their own to take a narrow lead.
In the fourth inning, Westlock would outscore the home team two to one
In the fifth inning, the teams would exchange runs. Barrhead would then blank the Red Lions in the top of the sixth, trailing the road team 11-7.
After recording the first out, Barrhead's offence took over, loading the bases twice, scoring eight runs, and taking a commanding 15-11 lead.
In the top half of the seventh, the Orioles held the Red Lions to one run to end the game.
After the game, Barrhead governor and third baseman Chase Visser said that going into the final innings, he was confident that the Orioles could come back, noting that the Orioles have been batting well to start the season.
"We've swinging fairly well, scoring runs early, which has really helped us," he said, adding that the day before against Legal, they also got off to a strong start, scoring multiple runs in the first two innings on route to their first win of the season.
Visser said the Orioles have been more competitive than their record indicates.
He added that the squad will only improve as the season goes on, saying the Orioles only had limited practice time, getting on the field for the first time in the second or third week of April due to poor field conditions because of the weather.
Visser also believes the Orioles are poised to make a move this season.
He noted that it is Barrhead's third season since returning to the NCABL after a several-year hiatus.
In 2022, the Orioles finished the regular season with a 5-win-15-loss record, finishing at the bottom of the league standings, one game behind the St. Albert Cardinals. Last year, the Orioles made the playoffs, finishing the regular season with a two-game cushion over the Fort Saskatchewan Reds for the final playoff position.
"This year, I hope not only to make the playoffs but also to win a round or two," Visser said. "We have a great group of guys here that have been together for a while now, and I don't see why we cannot make it to the next step."
The Orioles' next game is against the Parkland Twins on May 31 at Henry Singer Field in Spruce Grove. They are at home again on June 5 against Legal.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
