SASKATOON — Visiting Sooke Loggers of British Columbia swept their opening day assignments to lead their pool at the Start of the 2021 Rawlings Grand Slam Softball Championship Thursday at the Gordie Howe Sports Complex. Hometown bets Angels and Manitoba’s Peguis Redmen defeated separate foes in the other grouping in the Men’s division.
The four-day tournament, being held over the Labour Day weekend, attracted a total of 19 teams where 10 are competing for the top honours in the Men’s division while nine are entered in the Under-23 class. The Men’s side are split into two pools (Gene McWillie - Blue and Rob Guenter - Green) of five teams each while the U23 is divided into three (Black, Red and White).
Pitcher Tyson Barkman was untouchable on the mound as the Loggers completed an 8-0 shutout win over the Regina Golden Hawks, then later tossed two innings in start for the B.C. crew’s come-from-behind 7-5 victory against Alberta’s Grand Prairie Pirates. Barkman allowed a combined three hits with an earned run and eight strikeouts.
Blake Hunter, with one out and two men on board, doubled to ignite the Loggers’ offence against the Hawks. B.C. added three more in the bottom of the second behind Bryan Abrey’s two-RBI sac fly to right. From there, the Loggers’ defense worked tirelessly fielding grounders and catching fly balls.
Scott Lieph pitched two innings in relief for the Loggers against the Golden Hawks, retiring Regina’s Joshua Montana to complete B.C.’s dominance.
It was a different story for the Loggers in their afternoon meeting with the Pirates as they needed Derek Mayson’s walk-off three-run homer in sealing a 7-5 win. Mayson, with B.C. down 5-4 and two outs in the bottom of the seventh, took a 1-0 count and sent Patrick Burns’ next pitch flying behind the fence between the center and right field.
B.C. had two man on base — Abrey walked and Kris Walushka on an error — before Mayson whacked that game-winning dinger.
Earlier, the Saskatoon Angels recorded three runs in the top of the seventh then Devon McCullough pitched five innings in relief as the hometown bets completed a 7-3 crushing of the Ontario Bear Creek Express.
Tied at 3-3, in the top of the sixth and with one out, Devon McCullough singled on a 2-2 count to bring in Derek Arsenie to break the tie. The Angels were the first to score courtesy of a Cole Reid solo round-tripper in the second inning.
McCullough also worked his magic on the mound, tossing five innings in relief where he allowed three earned runs on two hits while striking out 12 and walking three.
In other opening day matches in the men’s division: the Peguis Redmen downed the Irma Tigers, 7-4, and the latter bounced back with a 12-3 demolition of the Prince George Kings, while the GP Pirates bested Team Bigman, 9-2.
Results in the U23 side had Newfoundland recording wins over Team AB, 6-3, and the Tavistock Merchants while the Delisle Pride edged Owen Sound, 2-1, and Alvinston Lumberjack Junior Aces crushed the Peguis Redmen, 8-1.
