The Westlock Grey Lions enter their final month of regular season play with a 10-2 record after going 1-1 on the road last week.
The club celebrated a 5-0 victory against the Spruce Grove Eagles June 22, before dropping an extra-innings heartbreaker against the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox June 24 in Alberta West Central Baseball Association action.
Manager Keith Szautner said pitching was one again at the forefront in Monday’s win in Spruce Grove.
“Carmen Brown pitched a complete game shutout,” Szautner said. “He threw a gem.”
The Lions jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead and later padded it en route to the club’s 10th victory of the season.
“We played a very solid game,” Szautner said.
Two nights later the Grey Lions were back on the field in Fort Saskatchewan to take on the Red Sox, a familiar foe whom they defeated in last year’s league finals.
Szautner said it was a close game that didn’t go their way in the end.
The Old Red Lions gave up two early runs, tied the game up at 2-2 in the sixth inning, but fell 3-2 in extra innings.
Sheldon McGonaghy pitched seven innings in the loss.
“We left a few base runners on, we could have got a few more key hits,” Szautner said. “We actually outhit them, just not at the key times.”
The club now has six games remaining on their season schedule with five at the friendly confines of Keller Field.
Szautner said the team has put themselves in a good position to close out the regular season.
“We’ve guaranteed ourselves making the playoffs, it’s just a matter of what ranking we’re going to come in,” he said. “We’re pretty much where we want to be.”
The manager said he won’t look to change anything in the final six games of the season and will stay with what’s working.
“We go out to win every game. Not much is going to change, mentally,” Szautner said. “We’re going to go out there and enjoy ourselves, but we’re going to go out there and play hard and aggressive.”
Next up, the Grey Lions host the Spruce Grove Eagles and Edmonton Blues at Keller Field on July 8 and July 9.
