Ending their North Central Alberta Baseball League season on a high note, the Red Lions edged the Sturgeon Paladins 4-3 in an Aug. 3 match up at Keller Field, keeping their playoff hopes alive for now.
With the Stony Plain Mets defeating the St. Albert Cardinals 7-3 that same night, the Lions, at 8-8, now turn their eyes to the regular season’s final game between the Edmonton Primeaus and the Cardinals.
If that happens, the three clubs will all have identical 8-8 records and the tie will be determined by a playoff match between the two teams with the least runs against.
With the Cardinals sitting at 97 runs against, the Primeaus at 87 and the Red Lions at 75, should the wind blow in the Red Lions’ favour, that would pit them against the Primeaus to determine who returns to Westlock for the NCABL semifinal during the Aug. 18-20 Ag Fair.
“We’re hoping that St. Albert loses and we still have a chance to make it in,” said interim skipper Chris Brand.
“It’s not fun not playing when the post-season comes. It’s nice to finish the season on a winning note and carry something on to the next year.”
At the Aug. 3 game, both teams exchanged runs in the first inning of what turned into a solidly defensive game. Red Lions Taylor Heck managed to make it around the diamond to put the club up 2-1 in the second inning. With both teams scoring a pair of runs apiece in the third inning, the run by Heck turned out to be the difference in the pitching duel.
The game went on lockdown after that, with both teams holding strong on the mound and catching just about everything in the outfield.
“Curtis Burlet threw a great game tonight, kept us in it all game long,” said Brand. “Then Kris Johnson came in at the end and closed it out for us. It was a good game.”
Brand said that regardless of how the math plays out, the Lions had a good season they could be proud of.
“The season was good,” he said. “We went through a little lull where we lost a few games in a row due to injuries. Things just didn’t work our way.”
