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Red Lions no-hit Orioles

Club improves to 4-2 with 9-0 home win June 7
WES - RL IMG_2027
Red Lions first baseman Steve Cote slaps a tag on Barrhead Orioles Colin Lovich during the club’s 9-0 win June 7 at Keller Field — starting pitcher Regan Hoet posted seven innings of no-hit ball and came up one batter short of a perfect game. The victory improved the Red Lions to 4-2 in North Central Alberta Baseball League.

WESTLOCK – The Westlock Red Lions avenged their early-season 2-0 shutout defeat to the Barrhead Orioles in style, posting a 9-0, no-hit win to improve to 4-2 in the North Central Alberta Baseball League.

Pitcher Regan Hoet was nearly perfect at the June 7 tilt at Keller Field, striking out six over seven innings of no-hit ball as he faced only 22 batters, one shy of a perfect game as only a single Oriole reached base on an error in the second.

Although the game was scoreless through the opening innings, the Red Lions exploded in the third with three runs to essentially put the contest out of reach — they followed up with three more runs in the fourth, then two in the fifth and a single in the sixth.

“The Orioles are a young team, but if you let them stick around they find a way to win — example our first game against them this year,” said player/manager Chris Brand.

“Three of our starting pitchers are new to the Red Lions this year and they’re all solid. They throw strikes and let the defence do their job.”

Although the Red Lions do have two losses, it’s a bit of a misnomer as those defeats were by three runs combined — through six games the Red Lions have scored 32 times while only giving up 11 runs.

 The club’s next game is Tuesday, June 14, when they’ll host the Fort Saskatchewan Reds at 7:15 p.m. The Red Lions have faced the Reds twice this year, winning both contests by a combined 16-2 margin — the clubs are also slated to square off again June 23 in Fort Saskatchewan.

 “Playoffs will be a race for some of the other teams as I think we’ll be OK. But we always want to continue working on our game, pitching and our defence,” said Brand.

On June 21 the St. Albert Cardinals, the only other team to beat the Red Lions this year, will be in town for the long-awaited rematch. Game time is 7:15 p.m. at Keller Field.

George Blais, TownandCountryToday.com

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