Rebels rip it up in Cadogan

The Ryley Rebels patchworked a team together for a weekend tournament near Cadogan, Alberta, but baseball was just a sideshow to the partying, dancing and drinking that filled the night sky at Capt. Ayre Lake.

The baseball field, which resembled a picture out of the 1930s was all grass. Yes, everything but the mound and area around homeplate was grass on a sandy-like surface that resembled beach sand. The picturesque setting beyond centre field included the beautiful scenery of a lake surrounded by forested hills and, what most Rebels were gawking at, bikini-clad girls, most of which made this married author feel old and grey.

“We’re trying to get a shale infield someday, but it’s hard when you only play out here only once a year,” said Cadogan’s Lyle Scammel. “But just coming out here and seeing that lake in centre field is awesome. It’s like McCovey’s Cove out there.”

On the diamond, the Rebels started things off with a lacklustre offensive effort that would be a preview of the weekend struggles, as pitcher Kris Kushnerick’s great effort was spoiled in a 6-2 defeat at the hands of the host Cadogan Nighthawks.

They then battled back and forth through a see-saw matchup with the Lougheed Wildcats who cobbled together a team after three of their players left for a wedding nearby. Jordan Jackson started, but his hiatus from baseball rattled him as runners ran rampant on the base paths during his full windup. He left before getting his first out as all-star Dylan Solberg toughed out two innings with a sore arm. It paved the way for Ryley pickup Jason Buzzell to finish out the remaining five, giving up two home runs en route to a slo-pitch like 10-9 win.

Then it was time for Saturday night’s “Cadogan Social.” And Sunday morning came…a little too early.

Both the Provost Combine Pilots and Ryley Rebels stumbled to the diamond – well two Combine Pilots actually slept on the diamond – only to be forced to wait out an almost two-hour rain delay. When the game proceeded, pitcher Cory Epp’s defence was still half in the bag as the Rebels were blown out 17-0 – 15 of the runs unearned in a shortened three inning affair.

The Rebels returned for their final game of the marathon for a matchup with the Sedgewick Royals, who were a mostly a fastpitch team with a couple baseball players from the Sedgewick Oilers of the Battle River League.

Cory Epp got the start again, and did a great job firing through four innings before the “windmillers” got to him in the fifth. Buzzell mopped things up to give the Rebels a shot down 6-4 heading into the seventh. The Rebels scored one, but left the tying run on base as their bats again went dead and the wild weekend was over.

It left a tired and sore bunch to head back to their campsite, pack up their belongings and head home to sleep off another weekend.

Surprisingly, these Rebels were ready to do it again already.

“I wish I could fast forward over the next four days right to Edson (Slo-Pitch tournament),” Kevin Reinholt said following the final game.

“But you need those four days to recover from this weekend,” said a naïve onlooker.

“We’ll be recovered by Monday, then it’s wing-night Wednesday,” brother Kyle Reinholt said.

Just another weekend for the young and rowdy Rebels.