It was a disappointing end to a successful season for the Westlock Red Lions Aug. 21 at Keller Field, as the team lost its best-of-three semifinal series with the Edmonton Blackhawks.
In their first playoff action since winning the North Central Alberta Baseball League championship in 2007, the Red Lions faced off against the Blackhawks, a team that finished two games behind them in the standings.
“We played a tough team,” said manager Ryan Rau. “We’ve played the Blackhawks close the last few years.”
In Game 1 on Saturday afternoon, the two teams battled back and forth through the first five innings. The Blackhawks took a 2-0 lead through three innings, before an Adam Sawatzky single with the bases loaded tied the game in the bottom of their third.
Westlock took the lead 3-2 on a Chris Brand sacrifice fly in the fourth, before Edmonton came back to tie it 3-3 in the top of the fifth.
Three Blackhawks runs in the top of the sixth gave the visitors a 6-3 lead.
The bottom of the sixth saw the Red Lions mount a comeback. With runners on second and third, Trevor Miller hit a two-run single to bring the home side within one at 6-5.
However, that would be as close as they would come, as the Blackhawks took Game 1 by that same 6-5 score and a 1-0 lead in the series.
“I look back at game one as a missed opportunity,” Rau said.
Where Game 1 had offence, Game 2 on Sunday afternoon was full of defence.
Scoreless through six innings, the only runs came from the Red Lions in the top of the seventh.
With bases loaded and two outs, Rau stepped to the plate and hammered a single to score two runs — the only runs of the game in a 2-0 win to tie the series at 1-1.
When Game 3 rolled around Sunday evening, the momentum the Red Lions may have had after their Game 2 win disappeared in the first inning as the Blackhawks jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead.
Two more runs came in the third inning, giving the visitors a 4-0 lead.
The teams traded zeros until the bottom of the fifth. With a runner on second and two outs, Miller stroked a double to score one run and bring the Red Lions to within 4-1.
However, that was all the offence the home team could muster, as the Blackhawks shut them down the rest of the way en route to a 4-1 win in the game and a 2-1 series win.
Despite coming up short in the playoffs, Rau said it was a good year for the team.
“I think there was a lot of growth on the team,” he said. “We’re hoping for a similar record next year.”
For the second consecutive year, Rau was named the Bob Kootenay award winner for manager of the year in a ceremony before Saturday’s game.
“It’s a bit of a surprise,” he said. “It’s an honour to be thought of around the league as a competent manager.”
Still, Rau said it’s not really the hardware he was hoping to win this year.
“I’d rather trade it in for a berth in the final,” he said.
