Royals clinch with win in Ryley

The first full outing of the season for Armena lefthander Dean Prpick ended with a victory as the Armena Royals, thanks to Prpick himself hitting a two-run homer late, clinched a playoff spot with a 6-0 win over Ryley Thursday night on the road.

Prpick’s counterpart was PBL hall-of-famer Donny Oslund who like a fine wine stays pure and full of flavour. Oslund worked his way out of trouble getting key outs to strand eight Royal baserunners through the first five innings and keep the game just 3-0 Armena.

Cole Tomaszeski had a hot night at the plate going 3-for-4 with a third-inning RBI single. Adam Johnson also had a solid night, 2-for-4 with two runs and a stolen base.

But it was Prpick who provided most of the highlights with a complete game shutout on the mound with six strikeouts and a 4-RBI 2-for-3 night at the dish, including a two-run homer in the sixth inning to add on some much-needed insurance runs.

The Royals wrapped up their lengthy road trip (4-1, 3-0) and finally get to head back home for fan appreciation night in Armena on July 9 versus the Bardo Athletics. The Royals are momentarily in first place as the Leduc Milleteers were idle and the Holden Blue Jays lost Thursday night in Camrose.

The win also clinched a playoff spot for the second year in a row for a franchise that was considered a doormat for the better part of five years. Three games still remain on the schedule with the game Tuesday at home against Bardo, followed by a make-up in Beaumont and a yet-to-be-established tilt in Leduc.