NEWS PHOTO JAMES TUBB
Medicine Hat High Hawk Kevan Schafer throws a pitch in his one inning of work in the Hawks 13-3 win over the Chinook Coyotes in Tuesday night's quarter finals match at Athletic Park.
jtubb@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat High Hawks senior baseball team got their playoffs started with a bang Tuesday night.
The Hawks picked up a 13-3 quarterfinals win over the Chinook Coyotes at Athletic park on the back of scoring 10 runs in the first two innings. Head coach Lyall Foran said it was a team effort.
“We were able to get a commanding lead early and then I was able to move some guys around to get a lot of playing time in for guys,” Foran said. “I think everybody that was in the lineup did really well, even our guys that came in late, they were able to get some hits. It feels good just being able to have it as a full team effort.”
The Hawks were led offensively by Trevin Ressler who had three hits, three RBIs and two runs scored. The Grade 11 student said he felt good after the game and was glad they picked up the playoff win.
“It always feels good to have a game like that, of course you’re gonna come in with a lot more confidence next game, I think I just have to stay with my game,” Ressler said.
Jeff Bullock had two hits of his own Tuesday night and added five RBIs. Cade Harrison also led offensively with two hits, two RBIs, two runs scored and a home run to centre field. He was also the winning pitcher with five strikeouts in three innings of work.
When asked about his stats in the win Harrison smiled and said it was beautiful to hear. He said the offensive night helped him snap a slump at the plate and he hopes the confidence carries into the rest of the Hawks playoffs.
“We’re gonna try to keep smoking the ball, keep driving it up the middle, and we’ll see what happens,” Harrison said.
He believes if the Hawks play their game they have a strong enough team with a lot of good arms and bats to push them over the edge. For him, Harrison said continued success will come from visualization at the plate and on the mound.
“Just keep going quick to the ball, keep practising over and over again, we’ve been going through the entire week, it usually comes down to that” Harrison said. “Seeing hand to bat then in the field, pitching with rhythm over and over again.”
Aidan Nelson and Kevan Schafer entered the game from the bullpen. Both threw an inning with one and two strikeouts each. A total of 15 Hawks made an appearance in Tuesday’s win. Foran said seeing those different faces get game action was a good feeling.
“We’ve got a good group of young guys coming up here and and I think they’ll be ready to go next year when it’s their turn to be to be starters for the Hawks,” Foran said. “I’m excited about that and it’s just a great feeling knowing that we’re continuously building our program.”
With the win, the Hawks move onto the semi-finals tonight at McCoy field with their opponent not decided by time of press. That game gets underway at 5:30 p.m. Foran said the biggest thing for the Hawks to keep being successful in the playoffs is doing what they did Tuesday night.
“The biggest thing for us is we know we have strong pitching and good defence. We have to keep the bats rolling,” Foran said. “Hopefully they get a good night’s rest and really come out swinging tomorrow.”
After receiving a quarterfinals bye from finishing in first place of the regular season, the McCoy Colts senior baseball team will get their first taste of playoff action tonight in their semifinals game at Jeffries field. That game gets underway at 5:30 p.m.
