VICTORIA, B.C. -- Things were far closer early on for the Moose Jaw All Stars in their most recent outing at the Canadian Little League Championship on Friday morning, but the win column still remains elusive for the Prairie representatives.
Alberta representative Rocky Mountain Little League from Calgary put up five runs in each of the third and sixth innings and would claim a 12-2 win on Friday morning in Victoria. B.C. The game was called after six innings due to the 10-up-after-four mercy rule.
As a result, Moose Jaw is now 0-3 at the tournament and will look to find their first win when they take on the Atlantic representatives from Sydney Little League at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday.
After seeing their opponents put up double digit run totals in the early innings in their first two games, the All Stars were in the hunt after the first couple of innings against Alberta.
Rocky Mountain put up a single run in the first and added another in the second to only lead 2-0 through two.
It was a far cry from their opening game, which saw Ontario score 10 in the second inning, and their second contest, where host Layritz started with 10 in the first.
Alberta would open things up in the third, though, with a lead-off home run by Ethan Ritz kicking off their five-run frame and leading to a 7-0 Rocky Mountain lead through three.
Moose Jaw got something going in the fourth, getting their first two batters on base when lead-off hitter Jordan Scory was hit by a pitch and Max Young drew a walk. Two batters later Anthony Taylor would single past shortstop to bring home Scory, and Ollie Waddington would hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Young with their second run.
Unfortunately, that would be the last good news for the All Stars, as Rocky Mountain would put up their five runs in the fifth and the game would be called.
Moose Jaw had only four hits in the game, with Blake Radford, Vaughn Thibeault and Landon Vanbocquestal picking up their other knocks.
John MacIntosh was 2-for-2 with a double and three runs scored for Alberta, Duncan Kashuba picked up three RBIs and Presleigh Lawson had two hits and two runs scored.
Lawton also got the start and held Moose Jaw scoreless while giving up two hits and striking out three in 2 ⅔ innings. MacIntosh finished things off, allowing the two runs on two hits over the final 2 ⅓.
Larkin Elder started for the All Stars and allowed seven runs on eight hits in 2 ⅔, Easton Gray tossed the final two frames, giving up five runs on five hits.
After their contest against Sydney on Saturday, Moose Jaw faces Quebec at 3 p.m. on Sunday and B.C. at 11:30 a.m. on Monday to close out their round robin.
The top four teams advance to the semifinals on Wednesday, with the championship game set for 1 p.m. on Thursday.
The Canadian champions will advance to the Little League World Series beginning Aug. 13 in Williamsport, Penn.
