Around the League June 12 – June 14

It has been another exciting week in PBL action as the fight for second place continues to be slugged out between the Edmonton Expos, Leduc Milleteers, Holden Blue Jays, Camrose Axemen and Rosalind Athletics. Armena continues their historical start by moving to 8-0 early in the week, trailing only the 2005 Camrose Colts (9-0) and 2004 Armena Axemen (9-0-1) for the best starts in modern PBL history. Luckily for them the Bardo Athletics are no longer in the league as the A’s ended both the Colts and Axemen’s streaks.

Tuesday June 12

Armena Royals – 14

Rosalind Athletics – 4

The Royals continue to impress the PBL with their 8-0 start to the season after a big 14-4 win against the defending Champion Rosalind Athletics. No information was made available for the game but it was a match up between the Charchun family as Kyler suited up for the Royals and younger brother Kobe donned the Rosalind orange. The Royals will win the season series 2-0 against Rosalind.

Sherwood Park Athletics – 5

Holden Blue Jays – 8

A game that was originally scheduled to be played in Vegreville was moved back to Holden due to field availability. The Jays would move to 5-3 on the season with a self described ugly win, but a win is a win and it vaulted the Jays from 6th place in the standings all the way up to 4th. Player/manager Stephen Hrabec would get the win for the Jays pitching five innings, striking out four and allowing three earned runs. Grayson Suprovich and Kyle Muzechka would lead the offence for the Jays, each going 2 for 4. Suprovich would knock in 3 runs while Muzechka chipped in with 2 RBIs on the night. The loss is Sherwood Park’s 8th in a row with the two teams still scheduled for a make up game in Sherwood Park at some point this season.

Camrose Axemen – 1

Leduc Milleteers – 12

It would take Kirk Smith and the Milleteers only five innings to run the Axemen out of town with a dominant 12-1 win at Fred Johns Park. The Axemen continued their dismal defensive play on the night with reports indicating half a dozen errors on the night despite not making it to the score sheet. Smith would strike out eight and allow only two hits on the night, a single to designated hitter Luc Riopel and a RBI single to outfielder Kyler Kupka. The Milleteers offence was on fire against Axemen pitchers John Robbins and Matt Andreassen, collecting twelve hits, four of which were doubles from Mykel Ruptash, TJ Garbia, Del and Alex MacIntosh. The bottom of the Milleteers lineup with MacIntosh (6th), Jon Anstey (7th) and Trevor Pahl (8th) would be a combined 7 for 8 with 8 runs scored, a walk, 3 stolen bases and one reached on an error (the only one recorded for the Axemen). An ugly loss for the Axemen while the Milleteers continue to streak, now 4-1 in their last five games and climbing into 3rd place in the PBL standings with their 6-4 record.

Edmonton Expos – 12

Tofield Braves – 7 

The Edmonton Expos would need six runs in the top of the 8th inning to beat the Tofield Braves in Tofield on Tuesday night. The win puts the Expos back into 2nd place in the standings while the Braves tough 2018 season continues as they slide to 3-7 on the season after finishing 10-4 in 2017. No details were made available about the game.

Wednesday June 13

Camrose Roadrunners – 4

Camrose Axemen – 10

A total of five Zimmers would be on the rosters on Wednesday night at Harry Andreassen Field. Cal Zimmer would play centre field for the Axemen can go 2-3 with 3 runs scored, 2 walks and 4 RBIs while the Roadrunners would have Trey Zimmer starting on the hill, Lance Zimmer in left field, Spencer Zimmer at second base and Reg Zimmer acting as first base coach. Trey Zimmer would take the loss for the Roadrunners pitching 4.2 innings allowing 10 runs (5 earned), 11 hits but striking out 7 on the night. It was a tough night for Lance and Spencer Zimmer at the plate, they would combine to go 0-6 with a walk and run scored. Zach Bailey would pick up his second complete game win in as many games, holding the Roadrunners to only 4 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 4 and walking 4. Axemen right fielder Wes Wilson would continue his hot return to the PBL going 3 for 4 with a RBI and Bailey would help his own cause going 2 for 4 with a pair of doubles and 2 runs scored. The game is the first Camrose vs Camrose PBL game since the Camrose Colts defeated the Camrose Roadrunners 9-8 in Game 3 of their Semi-Final Series on August 3, 2004.

Axemen 3B Wes Harrison slides safely infront of Roadrunners P Trey Zimmer

Thursday June 14

Tofield Braves – 3

Camrose Roadrunners – 13

The Camrose Roadrunners bounced back from a loss on Wednesday night in a big way with a 13-3 win over the Tofield Braves. The Roadrunners would capitalize on a short bench for the Braves by slugging their way to the win. Sean Melanson would get charged with the loss for the Braves and the winning pitcher from Camrose was Lance Zimmer would would also go 4 for 4 with a walk to help his own cause. It was also noted that veteran short stop Tim MacTavish would hit his first triple in a decade or so according to the Roadrunners historian. With the win, the Roadrunners will split the season series with the Braves, but hold the tie break over Tofield should the two teams be tied in the standings at the end of the season. Earlier in the year the Roadrunners came up short in Tofield by a score of 12-4. The Roadrunners will hold the runs for tie break in the tied season series by scoring 17 runs to Tofield’s 15 runs over the two games. The 13 runs scored by the Roadrunners puts the Braves over the century mark for runs allowed this season. In 2017 the Braves allowed a league low, 58 runs over 14 games. This year they have allowed 106 runs over only 11 games.

Roadrunners first baseman Eldon Banack records an out

Rosalind Athletics – 10

Sherwood Park Athletics – 3

It has been a season to forget for the Sherwood Park Athletics as they suffer another loss, their second to the Rosalind Athletics this season. Rosalind pitcher Brayden Bensen would get a complete game win as runs came fast and furious in the first couple of innings before settling down. Of the 13 runs scored on the night, only two were scored in the final four innings of play, a sacrifice fly off the bat of Rosalind left fielder Nic Ronsko and a RBI double from Sherwood Park’s Adam Schoenknecht in the bottom of the seventh. Rosalind will swept the season series 2-0, outscoring Sherwood Park 21-7. The loss officially eliminates Sherwood Park from the playoffs with the team at 0-9 on the season and only five games remaining. The win by Rosalind combined with a Edmonton Expos loss, sees the Athletics climb back into 4th place for the time being as they hold the series tie break against the Expos with a 7-6 win earlier in the season.

Sherwood Park’s Adam Schoenknecht drives a RBI double

Holden Blue Jays – 9

Armena Royals – 6

Perfect no more. The Armena Royals suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of the Holden Blue Jays. The Royals would come out swinging scoring five runs in the first two innings to put Holden behind the eight ball early with a 5-0 deficit. But Holden would chip away behind the bat of first baseman Zak Lang who would finish the game 3 for 5 with 4 RBIs. On the mound for the Jays was left hander Kyle Muzechka who would earn the complete game win over Armena. No information about the Royals was provided. The 2005 Camrose Colts who start their season 9-0 and the 2004 Armena Axemen who went 9-0-1 will continue to hold the record for the longest undefeated streak to start a season since 2001.

Leduc Milleteers – 2

Edmonton Expos – 1

The surging Leduc Milleteers are now 5-0 in their last five games as thy sit in second place in the PBL standings after a 2-1 win at John Fry Park in Edmonton against the Expos. The pitchers duel would last two extra innings before the Milleteers were able to score the winning run under the lights in the top of the 9th. Expos left hander Gary LeBlanc would pitch all nine innings for Edmonton in the loss. After starting out 4-0 and tied for first, the Expos now find themselves 6-4 and sitting out of the playoffs in 5th place after going 2-3 in their last five games. The 2-1 win by the Milleteers on Thursday night, combined with the 3-2 Expos win early in the season means that these two teams will be tied the PBL tie breakers should they find themselves sitting with the same record at the end of the season.