It was a beautiful day for a ball game (or two) when the Barrhead Orioles took on the Sherwood Park Athletics June 15.
The first of two games kicked off at 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and the Orioles came out strong.
Barrhead fans cheered as they watched their home team fly to a much deserved victory of 13-9.
Orioles player Ryan Warehime said Barrhead had a really good first game, something the team aims for when playing the same opponents twice in one day.
“Any time in a doubleheader you look to win the first game,” said Warehime. “We won the first game, and that’s what we wanted to do.”
The second game however didn’t have the same result for Barrhead. Warehime said the team decided to try a few things differently, which didn’t work out in their favour with a 6-2 loss.
“We ended up losing, but that’s just the way it goes,” he said.
Warehime added despite the loss in the second game, Barrhead’s pitching remained steady throughout both games.
In general, the Orioles have been holding their own in the competitive North Central Alberta Baseball League (NCABL), which they play in with 10 other teams from Edmonton, Camrose, Westlock, St. Albert, Sherwood Park, Stony Plain, and Sturgeon.
Barrhead even won their first game of the year, 8-5 against the Sturgeon Paladins.
The two games over the weekend marked their eighth and ninth games of the year, now putting the Orioles at five wins and four losses.
The last time the Barrhead Orioles won the league championship was against Westlock August 17, 2003, a date marked down as a glorious one in Barrhead’s baseball history.
This was Barrhead’s first NCABL championship since 1983, and it looked like a bright baseball future was in store for the team.
Unfortunately that year would be the last for the Orioles, as interest in baseball dwindled and the team was forced to pull out of the league.
The last Barrhead team to play in the league was the Blue Jays in 2007.
This is the 47th season for the NCABL, and league commissioner Paul Riopel said he is happy to see the return of the Barrhead Orioles. Baseball used to be a source of community spirit, he said, which he hopes will be rekindled.
“I really hope the community gets behind this,” said Riopel, also an umpire in the games this weekend. “There were quite a few fans out today.”
The Orioles are on their home diamond again this Friday taking on the Edmonton Warriors at 7:15 p.m, as well as the following Wednesday against the Westlock Red Lions.
