The Westlock Grey Lions roared back after suffering their first defeat of the season the night before, and scored an 11-1 victory over the visiting Edmonton Brewers at Keller Field June 18.
The Lions got on the board early and often in a game cut short in the bottom of the sixth inning when mercy rule kicked in during regular season Alberta West Central Baseball Association play.
Manager Keith Szautner said he was pleased with the team’s ability to bounce back from their first defeat of the season on June 17 at the hands of the Edmonton Heat.
Szautner said another great offensive performance was a key to Thursday night’s victory.
“We got the bats going,” he said. “We had faced a lefty against the Heat the night before and so they started a lefty against us [Thursday] so it was good to see the boys respond.
“I think we got nine runs off him and scored a couple off the reliever.”
The Lions were also aggressive on the base paths, something Szautner said the team took on themselves.
“Like I’ve said many times, the guys have played this game for a long time,” he said. “If they feel good about going for a base or being aggressive, that’s just good baseball. They know what they’re doing.”
Sheldon McGonaghy started the game pitching the first four innings, while Red Lions skipper Adam Sawatzky made his Grey Lions debut out of the bullpen.
“He did a nice job. He threw lots of strikes, that’s the important thing. You don’t want to give anyone any free bases, so make them put the ball in play and we’ve got a good defense,” Szautner said.
“That was just a guest appearance, he’s still managing the young Red Lions. He said if we were ever short and he was available he would come play with us. He’s still heavily involved with the young guys, and there’s where he belongs.”
The Grey Lions hit the road again and travel to Fort Saskatchewan to take on the Athletics on June 24, before returning home to host the Spruce Grove Eagles on July 8 at Keller Field.
