Medicine Hat News
A devastating injury made for a solemn last day in Kalispell for the Medicine Hat K of C Knights baseball team.
In the second inning of their game against Fort Macleod Sunday, the Knights’ Nick Sweeney suffered a broken arm while delivering a pitch.
According to Medicine Hat Big League Baseball president Lovell McDonnell —who travelled to watch both the Knights and Moose Monarchs at tournaments south of the border — Sweeney screamed in pain as he threw. He was taken off the field by ambulance and the game was called due to time restrictions with the Knights leading 2-0.
Scores, of course, became secondary after that, though the Knights did play their last game at the John R. Harp Memorial Tournament, losing 7-6 to the Kalispell Lakers.
McDonnell didn’t have any update on Sweeney’s condition.
Earlier in the weekend the Knights lost 13-6 to the Mission Valley Mariners, then 14-9 to the Vauxhall Spurs. The late innings were costly in both Saturday games, Medicine Hat’s opponents each scoring nine runs between the fifth and sixth innings to break open what were close contests.
The tournament was a purely round robin affair. The Knights’ next game is Thursday, when they host Lewistown in a conference doubleheader at Athletic Park.
Monarchs
As for the Monarchs, they wound up just out of the playoff hunt at the Fourth of July Tournament in Spokane.
After winning twice, tying once and losing once (the News incorrectly reported Saturday that they’d won three times), Medicine Hat needed a win over the Spokane Bandits to advance from their five-team pool.
Spokane held the Monarchs off the scoreboard until a three-run sixth inning, but that wasn’t enough in a 4-3 loss.
Wyatt Bergen’s 2-RBI double got his team on the board. Tyran George was charged with the loss, going four innings and giving up two runs.
The Monarchs host Billings’ Royals in a doubleheader Tuesday at Atheltic Park.
Seminoles
Medicine Hat’s other team in Spokane, the Seminoles, finished 1-4 in their pool and didn’t advance.
They beat Juanita BC 8-2 Saturday, thanks in part to a strong start from Matt Rath. Rath went all seven innings without allowing a walk. Joel Herron was 2-for-2 with 2 RBI and two runs scored.
Playing their last game right after the win, the Seminoles lost 10-2 to North Idaho. Herron pitched the last 4 1/3 innings plus went 2-for-2 at the plate.
