Morning Star Staff
Corey Anderson went the distance as the Vernon Canadians upended the Kelowna Sun Devils 9-6 in B.C. Midget AAA Baseball League play Saturday at Marshall Field.
Anderson (5-1) gave up four earned runs. Brett Lambert was 2-for-3 with a two-run double and a single, while Tyler Liefke was 1-for -3 with a double, two RBI and three stolen bases.
Ethan Huizinga was 2-for-3 while Eric Embleton was 1-for-2 with an RBI-double and one swiped bag. Noah Allyene smacked an RBI-double.
Kelowna ambushed Vernon 10-3 in the opener with Ty Wellman (4-2) giving up four earned runs.
“We came out flat for the first game but the boys woke up and played Vernon ball the second game,” said Canadians coach Ken Liefke.
“We spotted them a five-run lead before our bats came alive and we put up nine runs over three innings. Brett Lambert had an incredible day on defence and had some huge hits for us. When we play to our level, it is a beautiful thing to watch.”
Landon Currie went 2-for-3 with three stolen bases and two runs in Game 2.
The C’s host the Nanaimo Pirates Saturday for a twinbill and entertain the Cowichan Valley Colts for two Sunday before closing the regular season with road tilts.
The Braden Robertson Construction Canadians dusted off the Kelowna Sun Devils 9-2 and 12-2 in Midget AA play Sunday at Marshall Field.
Jaxson Cummings counted a double and single, along with two runs and one ribbie, while Caden Bracken went 2-for-3 with one run and Tyler Droder rapped two singles and scored twice. Hayden Vardon produced a pair of singles, two runs and two ribbies.
Catcher Jake Crandlemire didn’t give up any passed balls and added one run-scoring single.
Tyler Droder pitched five innings for the win, getting relief help from Dakota Becker.
In Game 2, Cummings went 3-for-4 with a triple, double and one RBI, while Caleb Versteeg stroked a triple and Riley Preston was 2-for-3 with an RBI.
Droder was 3-for-4 with a walk, two runs and one ribbie, while Crandlemire, Vardon and Becker each provided two hits
Kalvin Blaeser struck out five in four innings, while Vardon took over in relief.
The C’s flexed their muscles early with Bracken and Cummings smashing triples and Becker following with an inside-the-park home run.
“Although we only had 10 players we played with heart and capitalized on our at bats,” said Vernon coach Carl Vardon, assisted by Ryan Novakowski. “Our bullpen has continued to develop and with Jake backstopping this team, we will have a great chance to win it all”
In Saturday Picture Day play, Vernon rattled Kelowna 19-3 with Bracken and Becker each scoring three times and Ethan Sawka busting out with a single and double.
Versteeg went four innings for the win, throwing eight strikes and one ball in the first winning. Sawka was the closer. Bracken recorded a spectacular back-handed grab behind first base for an out.
The Rotary Blue Jays iced Hi-Pro Sportswear Stingers 13-12 in Mosquito league play at Lakeview Park.
Riley Cormier, Adam Hansen and Logan Killingbeck all had great games at the plate for the Jays. Killingbeck threw out a Stinger at third base who was attempting to steal in the last inning.
Ryan Cox and Connor Jones had doubles and Kyle Wheeler hit a three-run dinger in the last inning for the Stingers, who got great hustle from Owen Turnbull and Hunter Johnstone. Luke Gardiner pitched a shutout inning in the third, helped by an unassisted double-play by Killingbeck.