Around The PBL: May 21 - May 24

Week two of the 2019 Powerline Baseball League season starts with a trio of unbeaten teams with the 2-0 Armena Royals, the 2-0-1 Holden Blue Jays and the current first place Rosalind Athletics who are 3-0. Baseball fans will be treated to a great game on Tueday night as the Royals visit the Athletics for their first meeting of the season. The Athletics will have a tough schedule this week with the game against the Royals and then on Thursday a re-match of the 2017 PBL Championship against the Holden Blue Jays. This week will also feature a pair of Friday night games with the Tofield Braves visitng the Sherwood Park Athletics and the Leduc Milleteers heading to Empire Park to take on the Expos. 

TUESDAY MAY 21

Camrose Roadrunners - 3

Holden Blue Jays - 11

The Blue Jays played their 2019 home opener in Holden on Tuesday night, one of four home games in Holden this year with the other four being played in Vegreville. On Thursday the Jays used defence and pitching to squeak out a 2-1 win over the Tofield Braves. Tonight the Jays, while still getting good pitching and defence, pounded out 15 hits and scored 11 times against the Roadrunners. Colten Ziegler was a menace for the Roadrunners as the Jays lead off, going 3 for 4 on the night. Driving the Blue Jays offensive explosion was Stephen Hrabec and Kyle Muzechka who combined would go 5 or 6 with 5 RBIs in the win. The win moves the Jays to a 3-0-1 record as they look to keep pace with the Royals and the Rosalind Athletics atop the PBL standings. 

Tofield Braves - 4

Leduc Milleteers - 8

After a couple of heart breaking losses by the Braves last week, they were looking to get back on track with a road game in Leduc against a Milleteers team they beat 12-0 on Opening Day. The Milleteers however were no longer push overs as they moved out of the PBL basement with a 8-4 at Fred Johns Park on Tuesday night. No details were available regarding the game, however the win will tie the season series 1-1 between the two teams with Tofield winning the tie break +8 (16-8) over those two games. 

Armena Royals - 5

Rosalind Athletics - 4

Prior to the game Rosalind odds makers set a 17.5 O/U with two of the highest scoring teams meeting in the leagues smallest field, the Homer Dome. It was good pitching and even better defence that would be the story however as reports out out of Rosalind were limited to the game being played well by both teams. The win gives the Royals a three game win streak against Rosalind with the last loss by the Royals coming on June 29, 2017 at Anniversary Park. 

WEDNESDAY MAY 22

Sherwood Park Athletics - 8

Camrose Axemen - 9 

For the second season in a row, the Axemen have won their home opener 9-8. Last year it was a 9-8 win over the Rosalind Athletics and tonight, the Axemen defeated the Sherwood Park Athletics for their first win of the season. No details were provided. The win moves the Axemen a half game closer to 2.0 games back of the Armena Royals, who they will face on Thursday. The loss for Sherwood Park moves the team into the basement of the standings for the time being as they will take on the Tofield Braves on Friday night. 

THURSDAY MAY 23

Edmonton Expos - 4

Camrose Roadrunners - 8

On Thursday night the Roadrunners managed to split their season series with the Edmonton Expos after the won 8-4. The win was anchored by a strong complete game pitching performance from Lance Zimmer and a big third inning which saw the Roadrunners score seven runs. Despite the win, the Expos will hold the tie break over the Roadrunners with a +6 run difference after they won the first meeting 10-0. The Expos are currently sitting in fourth with a 2-2 record, tied with the Roadrunners also at 2-2. 

Camrose Axemen - 1

Armena Royals - 3

The Axemen were able to muster seven players to start the game before player number eight arrived in the first inning and player number nine arriving in the third inning. The Royals would capitalize by scoring two runs, inlcuding the eventualy game winner, in the first inning while the Axemen were getting organized. The lack of offence from the Axemen, who struggled to string together enough offence to beat the first place Royals. Axemen pitcher Zach Bailey would pitch a great game in the loss. 

Holden Blue Jays - 6 

Rosalind Athletics - 0

In the PBL Game of the Night, the Holden Blue Jays would walk away with a big shutout win on the road. Kyle Muzechka would pitch a complete game gem for the Jays by striking out eight and allowing on three singles to the Athletics. Randall Ziegler would take advantage of the Homer Dome and hit his first career PBL home run and Craig Weder hit three doubles. Jays newcomer Steve Thiessen also went yard in the win. The Jays kept pace with the Armena Royals atop the PBL standings, sitting only half a game back. 

FRIDAY MAY 24

Tofield Braves - 11

Sherwood Park Athletics - 1

Veteran pitcher Ray Lehman would pitch four scoreless innings for the Braves while the offence was clicking in a Friday night win over the Sherwood Park Athletics at the Strathcona Athletic Park. Third baseman Dylan Solberg hit a pair of doubles and a home run, all to the opposite field gap, in his final three at bats to put an exclamation point on the win. Solberg's home run would come with a borrowed bat from Corey Epp who in the at bat prior to Solberg's solo home run, would be robbed of extra bases by a diving catch from Andrew Koziol  deep in the right field gap. The win moves to the Braves to 2-3 on the season, breaking their three game losing streak while the Athletics have yet to find their stride in the 2019 season. 

Braves thirdbaseman Dylan Solberg at the plate against the Sherwood Park Athletics

Leduc Milleteers - 0

Edmonton Expos - 10

No information was available.

Standings At The End Of The Week