The Westlock Grey Lions — who finished the regular season at 11-3 as the second-ranked team going into the Alberta West Central Baseball Association playoffs — played their last game of the season last week as they were unceremoniously defeated by the Sturgeon Paladins.
After a pitchers duel at Keller Field Aug. 6 that saw the club fall 3-1 in Game 1, the Grey Lions travelled to Bon Accord for a slugfest that saw them score 15 runs against their rivals. The problem is the Paladins scored 16 of their own to win Game 2 and the best-of-three series 2-0.
The Paladins will now take on the Edmonton Heat in the AWCBA Division ‘A’ final, while the Sherwood Park Ducks and Spruce Grove Eagles will face off in the Division ‘B’ final.
“Our bats were alive, but so were theirs,” said manager Sheldon McConaghy. “We just couldn’t shut them down.”
“We started off good and scored five in the first, then they scored four and it was just kind of back and forth for the whole game. They got a lead in the fifth and brought in their pitcher from the first game in the sixth and we ended up scoring four runs off him, but they scored one more in the end and that’s all it takes.”
The Paladins scored their final run in the bottom of the sixth to go up by two, and even through the Grey Lions managed score one more and then got base runners to second and third on a couple of timely hits, they were unable to cycle another run across the plate and fell 16-15 to dash their playoff hopes.
“We’re just going to relax and heal and hopefully everyone had a good time and hopefully everyone will be back next year and we’ll make another good run and hopefully make the playoffs,” said McConaghy.
The Grey Lions also played an exhibition game at the Westlock and District Agricultural Fair, falling 6-2 to the Casland Chiefs.
