Things did not end as well as hoped for for the Athabasca Mosquito Trappers at the Tier III provincials in Slave Lake July 21 and 22.
The team went 0-and-3, falling 11-6 to Sherwood Park and 11-2 against Parkland on the first day.
"It was a challenging tournament for the boys," head coach Jordan Walega said. "Things were close in the third game that was played on July 22 against Southwest Edmonton. After four innings, the Trappers were up 8-4."
But, according to Walega, that's when things started to take a turn for the worse.
"My first pitcher had to be shuffled out, as he had already reached his quota for the game," he said. "The subsequent pitchers who went in saw the opponent's bats a blazing. Southwest Edmonton caught up in the fifth inning, and took the lead in the sixth, and ended up winning the game 11-8."
But despited the not so perfect end to their season, Walega said the boys did really well throughout the season.
"You got to challenge yourself to learn," he said. "The team met the challenge, progressing throughout the season, and improving their skills. Maybe not quite up to the Tier III level, but at least they tried."
Walega said it was the first provincials he had attended as a coach, and added that it was a learning progress for him as well.
"It was the first time for all these kids as well," Walega said. "Going into next year, they will be one step ahead already, and as a result, I am looking forward to it."
But as with any situation, he said there is always room for improvement.
"It would be nice if their bats were a little more lively," Walega. "I think we lacked a little more base runners to provide those runs for us. Otherwise, when we were on base, we did quite well. We just need that little extra mile in order to win."
