It has been a frustrating season for the North Battleford Beavers in North Saskatchewan River Baseball League play.
With time running out on their season the Beavers, already with eight losses, were hoping to get a win against the Mervin Flyers Monday night in their next-to-last game in a bid to stay out of the league basement.
Unfortunately, it ended up another frustrating finish as they lost in extra innings 7-6.
Mervin scored the first run on a wild pitch in the first inning. In the second, with runners on first and third, Derrick Chapman came to the plate for the Beavers and scored a runner from third to tie it at 1-1.
In the third, Mervin had runners at second and third when the Beavers' Tyler Russell struck two batters out. But a wild pitch brought home Tristan McDonald from third to make it 2-1.
With runners at second and third, Rob Bauldig then belted one in between first and second to make it 3-1. Jonny Connacher then hit one into left centre to bring home an additional run and add to the lead at 4-1.
In the bottom of the fourth inning, Ryan Shepherd recorded a base hit to left centre, then an errant throw to first advanced the runner to third. A base hit by Chapman brought home the second Beavers run.
Bryce Gatzke advanced to first as a hit batsman to put runners on at first and second, and both runners advanced when a pitch got away from the catcher all the way to the fence. A single by Brennan Lampitt dropped into right centre to score the two runs and tied the game at 4-4, and that was the score through four innings.
In the fifth a base hit that dropped near the third base line scored a run to make it 5-4 Mervin. A base hit from Carson Gray followed by a wild pitch advanced the runner to second to put Mervin in position to score again. Garrett Knowlton then blasted one that dropped near the third base line to bring Gray home.
Then, with two out and runners at second and third, the Flyers' Keenan Macnab dropped one into right centre field to score one run, but a potential seventh run was called out at the plate. The score was 6-4 Flyers going to the bottom of the fifth, but the Beavers left two men on in the bottom of the inning and failed to capitalize.
In the sixth the Flyers threatened again with runners at second and third, but the Beavers were able to get out of the inning.
The Beavers were looking to mount a comeback in the bottom of the sixth. With runners at first and second, Brennan Lampitt managed to advance the runners and then a wild pitch scored Chapman from third to make it 6-5. Then another wild pitch by Kyle Palmer of the Flyers brought Russell home and it was all tied up at 6-6.
The Flyers recorded a goose egg in the top of the seventh, putting the Beavers in position to possibly win the game with a run in the bottom of the inning.
But with a runner at second and one out, Chapman grounded out and Russell flied out to end the inning. It remained 6-6 heading to extra innings.
The eighth inning proved a quiet one for the Flyers and Beavers' bats. In the ninth, with runners at first and third and one out and Brody Gervais at the plate, Jesse Bannerman scored on a wild pitch to put Mervin ahead 7-6.
In the bottom of the ninth, Blair Geering singled to give the Beavers life, and with Shepherd at the plate he advanced to second. After Shepherd advanced to first, Dion Tederoff's blooper to centre loaded up the bases with no one out.
With runners at first second and third, Derrick Chapman had the opportunity to be the hero. But he struck out. Tyler Russell was next up, but he hit right to the pitcher who threw the runner out at the plate.
That left it up to Lampitt with two out, but he struck out to end the game 7-6 for the Flyers.
The final game of the regular season for the Beavers goes Friday night, at home versus Unity.
