The Kindersley Raiders took a 1-0 series lead in the best-of-three FVBL championship finals with a 6-3 win Monday. Game 2 goes tonight, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.
Kevin McBain
of The Clarion
The Kindersley Raiders have a 1-0 series lead, in the best-of-three Fertile Valley League Baseball Championship finals, after a win over the Kindersley Stallions Monday night.
The two teams had yesterday off in preparation for game two that will go tonight at 7:30 p.m. on Berard Field.
Ace Tyler McKee will take to the mound for the Raiders while Corson Harris gets the nod for the Stallions in what should be an epic pitchers’ duel.
The Raiders ended up winning game one, 6-3, but it was one that could have went either way.
To start this one, Dallas McGrath took the bump for the Stallions, while the Raiders’ countered with seasoned-veteran Byron Ismond.
Through five innings of play, the game was tied at zero, thanks to some great pitching and great defence.
The Stallions did have a few chances, with bases loaded twice, but squandered their opportunities to get on the scoreboard.
In the top of the sixth, the Raiders took advantage of some errors and got in some timely hitting to score six in the inning to take the lead for good.
JD Knutson took over pitching for the Stallions and shutdown the Raiders the rest of the way.
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Ismond earned a complete game win and was able to pitch out of a few jams and the Raiders played some good defence to keep the Stallions off the board until the seventh.
The Stallions would put up three runs with two outs and they were able to load the bases for the third time in the game, but again were unable to capitalize on the opportunity to score.
The Raiders’ Brady Newmeyer Raiders said that it was a great game. “Ismond pitched a great game and the team played very well defensively,” he said. “We knew it was going to be a close game.
“We were just able to take advantage of a few errors in the sixth and able to get on the board,” he added. “We went into the finals as underdogs and that gave us some incentive to play that much harder.
The Stallions, meanwhile, suffered their first loss of the season, Monday, but Austin Jamieson said that they are looking forward to game two.
“It was a good game. We just had a few errors there in the top of the sixth and they were able to take advantage of them,” he said. “We did have chances, but we just couldn’t capitalize on them.
“It was a tough time to take our first loss of the season,” he adds. “But we have to take a little better approach in game two and come out more prepared.”
Game 3, if necessary, is scheduled for Monday night at 7:30 p.m.
The Stallions had won both regular season meetings between the two teams, winning 12-1 back on June 2nd and 3-1 on June 15th.
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