It was a tough weekend of baseball for the Mariners 18U AA team during the tier 3 provincials, held here in Sylvan Lake July 29, 30, 31. But the team dug in, fought back and managed to bring home a fourth-place win.
“We got off to a slow start, but we definitely improved as the weekend went on,” said head coach Ryan Lucas, adding that setting aside a rough inning or a rough game is something the team has struggled with all year.
The Mariners were mercied in their first game of the weekend on Friday morning and their Friday evening game was rained out. But Saturday brought a new day and fresh ambitions and the Mariners were able to pull their team together.
The Friday evening game was moved to Saturday morning and although the Mariners lost 3-0, Lucas said their pitching remained strong and their defense had improved.
For the Mariners’ third game, played Saturday evening, they pulled off their first victory of the provincials and found themselves on the winning side of the mercy rule against the Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox.
On Sunday, the Mariners battled the Calgary Redbirds and the opposing team managed to squeak out a 10-9 win over the hometown team, giving the Mariners a fourth-place finish in the tournament.
Other Mariner teams also competed in provincial tournaments over the weekend. The 11U AA team placed second in the tier 3 provincials in Edmonton; the 13U AA team finished third in their tier 3 provincials in Chestermere; and the 15U AA team finished seventh in the tier 1 provincials in Strathmore.
Provincials wraps up the season for these teams.