Two well-earned wins last week extended the Westlock Red Lions’ winning streak to six games, settling them solidly into second place in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.
Tuesday’s home-field match versus the first-place Parkland White Sox saw the Lions score a decisive 6-2 victory, and Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the Athletics in Edmonton brought the hometown boys within two wins of first place.
“That’s the goal for the end of the year is to get that No. 1 spot and have home-field advantage for the playoffs,” said Lions’ second-baseman Adam Sawatzky.
The two wins last week represented not just victories over two of the top teams in the league, but also the Lions’ ability to overcome a formidable force of nature: mosquitoes.
The entire Edmonton region has been hit with higher-than-normal mosquito populations in recent weeks, which makes playing ball a little tougher.
“That’s the worst I’ve ever played with mosquitoes for sure. Usually you can get away from them in the infield on the shale, but they were unrelenting,” Sawatzky said. “You learn pretty fast not to run with your mouth open, because you’ll get a mouth full of mosquitoes.”
Fortunately, the insects affected both teams equally so the Lions did not find themselves at a disadvantage.
The score was fairly close in the first few innings of Tuesday’s game against the Parkland White Sox.
The Lions’ defence got to work quickly, shutting out the Sox in the top of the first. The offence then took over, with Aaron Watamaniuk batting in Trever Miller to end the inning 1-0.
In the top of the third, Parkland got the momentum back in their direction, with a solid inning that saw both Brad McAdam and Steve Genron round home plate pulling the Sox into the lead.
It was short-lived, though. In the bottom of the third, a single by Nathan Swap brought Chris Brand home to tie the game.
The Lions were able to easily maintain the lead, scoring two runs in each of the fourth and sixth innings, clinching their 6-2 victory.
Wednesday’s away game against the Edmonton Athletics was a little bit closer, and the Lions’ offence had to work a little harder for the win.
“We only had four hits,” Sawatzky said. “Chris Brand tripled and Trevor doubled right after him to score the first run.”
The Athletics responded in the bottom of the fifth to tie the game 1-1, then some sharp offence allowed the Lions to score two more in the seventh.
“I led off with a single then Nathan (Swap) walked,” Sawatzky said. “Then we had a double steal — both second and third — then Ryan Teske came in with a pinch hit and scored us both.”
The clinched the 3-1 victory for the Lions, and dropped the Athletics to the middle of the pack in the 11-team league.
“They were neck-in-neck, but that was their fourth loss in a row,” Sawatzky said. “They were right at the top, but they’ve been in a bit of a slide.”
The Lions will have a bit of break coming up, with just one home game, July 13, before the all-star break, which will see Brand and Swap play among the league’s best.
Following that lull, however, the Lions will be back in action in full force in August, when they will play four games over 12 days.
