Leader staff

Slave Lake’s 18U Heat minor baseball team had another successful weekend of play, winning two and losing one in Fort Saskatchewan.

The Heat’s first game was against a team from Lloydminster. The Slave Lake squad won the game 12 – 2.

Nico Diaz got the victory on the mound for the Heat, pitching all five innings. Coach Kevin Campbell says most of the players hit well in the game. Examples were Koltin Davis, Grady Beauchamp and Colby Campbell each hitting a triple, and Grayson Conrad hitting a couple of doubles.

Against the host Fort Saskatchewan Red Sox in Game #2, the Heat prevailed 4 – 1. Davis was the starting pitcher for Slave Lake, going five innings. Campbell came in to throw for the final two innings.

“Our bats cooled down in this game but our defence was very good,” says Coach Campbell. “Carson Maitland was solid behind the plate for us, calling a good game.”

Playing Black Gold (from Leduc) in the third game, the Heat lost 9 – 8, victims of a walk-off hit in the bottom of the seventh.

“Evander Pawliw pitched really well for us in this one,” says Campbell. “Connor McDermott, Blake Bellerose and the Diaz brothers, Lucas and Esteban, had solid games for us. The walk off loss was tough on the guys but it was a good learning experience for them.”

The next action for the Heat is this coming weekend, in Sherwood park.