MOOSE JAW -- The Moose Jaw Canucks entered rarified air in the Saskatchewan Premier Baseball League 15U AAA division a long time ago, and they’ve just kept rising ever since.
The Canucks ran their record to a perfect 30-0 in the 14-team league with a pair of doubleheader sweeps at home this past weekend, as they took 14-2 and 10-7 victories over the East Central Dodgers on Saturday before downing the North West Sun Devils 10-0 and 5-4 on Sunday.
To no one’s surprise, Moose Jaw will finish in first place in the regular season standings, as they have two games remaining this week and hold a 7 ½ game lead over the 22-7 Sask Five Giants at the top of the league.
Canucks 14, East Central 2
Moose Jaw pounded out six runs in the first inning and led 9-0 through two before putting up five more in the third, and that was more than enough to invoke the mercy rule after five innings.
Lucas Lind continued his impressive campaign by going 2-for-2 with a home run, double, two runs scored and four runs batted in to lead Moose Jaw’s offence. Emery Schoenroth was 2-for-3 with two runs and two RBI, Taylor Usher and Nigel Legare each crossed the plate twice.
Each of the Canucks starters had at least one hit.
Neal Kohl started on the mound and allowed two runs on three hits over 3 ⅓ while striking out eight. Legare finished things off, allowing two hits over the final two innings.
Canucks 10, East Central 7
The Canucks found themselves trailing 6-5 heading into the fifth inning but put four runs across to take the lead, after which the game was called due to the continuous rain that soaked the field all afternoon.
Cohen Symak put together a 2-for-2 game that included a double, run scored and RBI. Schoenroth also hit a double and knocked in two runs, while Lind crossed the plate twice.
Van Glasser was the winning pitcher, giving up four runs on four hits in four innings. Kaiden Gadd allowed three runs in the fifth before Dillon Flanagan picked up the final out.
Canucks 10, North West 0
When Lind hasn’t been making opposing defences miserable at the plate, he’s been just as effective on the mound, with the first game against North West a case in point -- only three hits allowed over four innings, with nine strikeouts and a single walk.
Daxton Chesney saw to it there would be no comeback, as he scattered three hits and struck out four over the final two innings.
Kohl went 2-for-2 with a run and three RBI, while Glasser was 3-for-3 with a double and scored three runs. Zaid Guillaume also hit a double and had a pair of hits, Taylor Usher crossed the plate twice.
Canucks 5, North West 4
It was another rain-shortened game in the second contest Sunday, and another close one for the Canucks.
Moose Jaw scored two in the first and led 5-1 through three when the Devils put up three in the top of the fourth. That’s where things remained when rain forced the cancellation after five innings, and the Canucks had their narrow win.
Gadd went 2-for-2 with a double and two RBI, Kohl was 2-for-2 with a pair of runs scored. Schoenroth also crossed the plate twice.
Schoenroth went the distance on the mound, allowing the four runs on five hits and striking out six while walking five.
The Canucks are back in action on Wednesday when they host the Regina Athletics at 6 p.m. at Blackwell Diamond. They then cap their regular season on Thursday when the host the Regina Wolfpack at 6:15 p.m.
