Juniors get first win at nationals

By Sean Rooney on August 1, 2018.

Medicine Hat News

Medicine Hat’s junior AAA baseball team improved to 1-2 at nationals Tuesday, and it wasn’t even close.

At Lethbriddge, the Alberta champions invoked the mercy rule on the British Columbia representatives, winning 13-1 in five innings.

A 10-run third inning was highlighted by Kayden Hleucka’s grand slam. The day couldn’t have gone much better for Hleucka, who also had an RBI double in the decisive inning and a triple his first time at bat. He finished 3-for-3 with 7 RBI.

Evan Morrison was 4-for-4 with three runs as the Gas City crew belted 13 hits at Spitz Stadium. Kevan Schafer went the distance on the mound, allowing two hits and no earned runs.

B.C. fell to 0-2. Medicine Hat, fresh off a pair of tough losses, next plays Quebec on Thursday. They lost 8-7 to Ontario Monday, following a 12-8 loss to the host Bulls Sunday.

The loss to Ontario finished with a play at home plate in the bottom of the seventh inning. Hleucka singled but Payton Eddy was called out to end the game while trying to score the tying run.

Earlier against Lethbridge, the Bulls scored 11 runs in their last two at-bats to take the victory.

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