The Barrhead Orioles shutdown the Edmonton Athletics on Tuesday, May 17, posting a 6-1 victory in a game filled with pop flies, foul balls, and hit players.
The win puts the club at 4th in the North Central Alberta Baseball league, behind the Camrose Axemen and ahead of the Sturgeon Paladins.
Starting pitcher Craig Connolly worked the pitcher’s mound like a champion, rapidly striking out Edmonton’s batters in the first, second and third innings, while teammate Ryan Warehime succeeded in taking the first run across home plate, bringing the score to 1-0 for Barrhead.
In the fourth, Connolly kept up the pressure and allowed only one player to walk to first base, while Brent Wierenga caught a play to centre field.
Warren Warehime refused to be baited and walked to first, eventually earning a run along with Connely and brought the score to 3-0.
The fifth inning saw little action from either side and by the beginning of the sixth, with no change in score, tension was evident in the form of thrown bats and curt words, at least from the Athletics.
For the Orioles however, the sixth inning proved to be the point of no return.
With bases loaded, Lee Warbec, Dean Rau and David Schaffrick all made it across the home plate on the strength of Mitch Carstairs’ hit, although he himself was caught out before he reached the third base.
In spite of a tension-filled moment in the top of the seventh when the Athletics were at bat and all bases were loaded, the game ended 6-1 for the Orioles.
