With a club record 35 regular season wins, the defending champion were once again, without question, the team to beat at the
On Sunday in Burnaby, Mike Ellis and the underdog North Fraser Nationals found a way to derail the Sun Devils乌鸦传媒� aspirations of claiming back-to-back titles.
In the semifinals, in a bona fide pitcher乌鸦传媒檚 duel, Ellis allowed just four hits and struck out 10 as the Nationals eliminated Kelowna with a 2-1 win.
Nathan Ringness-Law, who went 8-0 during the regular season, was nearly as solid for the Sun Devils, allowing five hits and a pair of runs in five-plus innings.
In the end, a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fourth inning by Nick Santarelli stood up as the difference as the heavily-favoured Sun Devils watched their 2018 season come to an abrupt halt.
Down by a run, the Sun Devils threatened with base runners in both the sixth and seventh innings with just one out, but couldn乌鸦传媒檛 find a way to get the equalizing run home.
乌鸦传媒淎s I乌鸦传媒檝e said before, any given Sunday, anything can happen,乌鸦传媒� Sun Devils coach Rob Law said. 乌鸦传媒淚t was just a great game and that performance by Mike (Ellis) was the best against us all year, he乌鸦传媒檚 an unbelievable pitcher. We just couldn乌鸦传媒檛 execute when we needed to. That乌鸦传媒檚 baseball.乌鸦传媒�
While Sunday乌鸦传媒檚 loss wasn乌鸦传媒檛 the desired result for the Sun Devils, Law said there were more than a few positives to take away from the 2018 campaign.
乌鸦传媒淲e finished first in back-to-back years, we set a club record for wins this season, the program just continues to get better and better,乌鸦传媒� said Law. 乌鸦传媒淲e can sit here and harp on stuff that happened (at provincials), but that乌鸦传媒檚 the way it goes. Hopefully it does leave a bad taste in the guys乌鸦传媒� mouths and those returning players will be even hungrier.
乌鸦传媒淭here乌鸦传媒檚 no reason to hang our heads,乌鸦传媒� he added, 乌鸦传媒渋t just wasn乌鸦传媒檛 our time.乌鸦传媒�
Despite the graduation of seniors Tyson Lamb, Jordan Laidlaw and Ethan Soroka, Jackson Sowerby and Spencer Klassen, with 11 returning players, Law expects the Sun Devils will be 乌鸦传媒渧ery talented乌鸦传媒� again in 2019.
Kelowna has filed an application for a promotion into the College Prep League next season but has yet to receive an answer from BC Baseball.
乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 where our program needs to go, it乌鸦传媒檚 the next step in our evolution,乌鸦传媒� said Law. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e ready and we乌鸦传媒檙e hoping BC Baseball gives us the go-ahead.乌鸦传媒�
Meanwhile, North Fraser went on to capture the B.C. 18U AAA baseball title, defeating North Island 11-5 in the championship final.
The Nationals will represent B.C. at the 18U Blue Chip Prospect Tournament, Aug. 4 to 9 in Yapshank, NY.
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