A baker’s dozen worth of runs helped the Westlock Red Lions to a season-opening win over the Sturgeon Paladins last Wednesday evening.
The Red Lions opened the 2013 North Central Alberta Baseball League season on May 8 with a 13-2 win at Keller Field, highlighted by a 10-run second inning.
“A win is always a success,” said team manager Adam Sawatzky.
Despite the game being only the first of 18 this season, the Red Lions already have several positives to draw from the win.
“I thought we had really good at bats throughout the entire game,” said manager Adam Sawatzky. “We remained patient and selective and we were able to hit the pitches that were there and take the ones that weren’t.”
For the game, Sawatzky said the Red Lions had nine hits, 12 walks and four batters hit by a pitch, which meant there were lots of baserunners and lots of chances to score, something the team did well. “Scoring 13 shows we were able to bring them around,” he said.
Right off the start, the Red Lions showed they were ready to play. With two outs in the first inning, they loaded the bases. However, a Jordan Brand strikeout ended any chance for some runs.
In the dugout after that inning, Sawatzky said the team talked about the missed opportunity.
“We talked about really capitalizing on those opportunities because you don’t know how often they’re going to come along,” he said.
In the second, it was as if the team took that message to heart.
After the Paladins scored once in the top of the inning, the first four Red Lions batters in the bottom all got on base, with the fourth, Craig Connolly, hitting a two-run double to give his team a 2-1 lead.
Chris Brand got out in his at bat, but got an RBI when Ryan Teske scored on the play, making it 3-1. Connolly advanced to third on the play as well.
T.J. Oliwa was hit by a pitch in his at bat, and moved to second on a Nathan Swap single. Connolly scored on the single for a 4-1 lead.
Sawatzky came to the plate next, and got to first base on a fielder’s choice when Swap was forced out at second. However, Oliwa came in to score from third base to make it 5-1.
Brand walked in his at bat, and James Baird followed that up with a stand-up triple, plating Oliwa and Sawatzky for a 7-1 lead.
A Kris Johnson single scored Baird to make it 8-1.
The Red Lions’ next four batters walked, which plated two more runs to increase the team’s lead to 10-1 before Swap grounded out to end the inning.
After shutting down the Paladins in the top of the third, the Red Lions got back on the sticks in the bottom of the inning, scoring two more runs to stretch their lead to 12-1.
A single run in the bottom of the fourth made it 13-1.
The Paladins notched a run of their own in the top of the fifth to make it 13-2, but that was as close as they would get.
The Red Lions played their second game of the season on May 12 in Edmonton against the Blackhawks. After a May 14 game on the road against St. Albert, the team returns to Keller Field for a home game against the Edmonton Warriors on May 22.
