Colts take this round

By Sean Rooney on May 2, 2018.

srooney@medicinehatnews.com @MHNRooney

The McCoy Colts got back at the Hat High Mohawks Tuesday, but both sides are acutely aware their season series probably has another round or two to go.

The Colts took a 5-4 high school baseball win at Athletic Park, cashing some early runs and holding off a late charge in a matchup of the local Tier 1 division’s powerhouses.

“Anytime you play Hat High there’s always a little extra —and it’s always friendly — but an extra competition,” said Colts coach Austin Weisgerber. “You focus a little bit more.”

The first time Hat High and McCoy met April 17, the narrow 10-7 score line in Hat High’s favour was a sign nothing was going to come easy between the foes.

Tuesday, both teams sent ace pitchers to the mound and the result was a close game again.

The difference? A first inning in which the Colts got four runs off Hat High starter Travis Small, two of them after catcher Zach Stark threw wildly to first base after a third strike in the dirt with two outs to allow the frame to continue. McCoy’s Ethan Boutkan hit an RBI double as part of the early attack.

“It was certainly a frustrating first inning for us, making some errors,” said Mohawks coach Lyall Foran. “We had some good opportunities, defensively they made some plays that saved them some runs. Had we been able to capitalize on those situations it would’ve been a different ball game.”

McCoy pitcher Wyatt Bergen nearly took it the rest of the way from there. The right-hander struck out six Mohawks, walked three and gave up three runs on five hits in 6 1/3 innings to get the win.

Bergen got into some trouble in the seventh, as Hat High got an RBI double from Jayden Ball and he was pulled with two runners in scoring position. Ashtyn Street’s ensuing ground ball to third off reliever Ethan Bartram wound up scoring two when it was thrown away by Silas Blair. But Bartram struck out Lane Rempel swinging to end things.

“Once we get down we’ve got to bounce back,” said Stark, who slid in for his team’s last run in the seventh. “But unfortunately it took us a little too long. We needed that in the third, fourth inning.”

The Mohawks had chances in the earlier innings but couldn’t push any runners home. With two men on and two out in the third inning, Ashtyn Street ripped a ball to deep centre-field. But Joel Herron made a great catch on the tailing shot to strand the runners.

Small went five innings, giving up five runs on seven hits, striking out six and walking three.

For McCoy, Cavan Kolody went 4-for-4 with two runs.

The teams could meet again as soon as this weekend’s UCT tournament, which also has teams from Saskatchewan, British Columbia and southern Alberta. But everybody knows they could easily meet in the league final, too.

“I think if we get to the championship game I don’t care who we face,” said Bergen when asked if he’d like to meet the Mohawks again.

“I know a couple guys on the other team, we bugged them after the (first) game ‘oh, we got you,'” said Stark, knowing the shoe would be on the other foot this time. “It puts a lot more excitement on the league, I love being in tight ball games. It brings everybody up.”

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