Majors silver but lose Getz

By Sean Rooney on July 4, 2018.

SUBMITTED PHOTO
The Saamis Rotary Majors pose for an undated team photo. The team finished second at a tournament in Kalispell.

Medicine Hat News

There was good news and bad news for Medicine Hat’s top major AAA baseball team this past weekend.

At Kalispell for the annual Firecracker Tournament, the Saamis Rotary Majors wound up with an impressive second-place finish, losing 8-1 to the Trail All Stars in Sunday’s final.

But with their eye on the bigger goal of getting to Little League nationals — a year after Medicine Hat hosted the big event — an injury to starting first baseman Brett Getz certainly dampened the mood.

Getz broke his arm during a Sunday semifinal against Lethbridge’s Southwest Little League. Medicine Hat won the game 8-0 but the usual timetable for a broken bone is certainly more than the three weeks before provincials begin.

The weekend started well with a 20-1 win over Conrad. They then tied Trail 4-4 Saturday in a prelude to the title game, before beating Castlegar/Nelson 8-0. Carson Christianson’s clutch hit in the bottom of the fifth (and final) inning drove in the tying run against Trail.

Christianson threw 4 2/3 innings in the final, striking out six but letting up a two-run home run in the first inning that proved to be the only offence Trail needed. Medicine Hat had five hits but Trail pitchers struck them out 10 times.

Medicine Hat hosts its major AAA tournament this weekend at McDonnell Field, starting Friday and winding up on Sunday.