The Keggers laid claim to the 2015 Estevan Slo-Pitch Baseball Championship last Wednesday at Woodlawn Field with a 15-9 extra-innings win over the Bulldogs.
Keggers third baseman Steven Kaip noted the game was a close affair as they held a 7-6 lead heading into the top of the seventh and final inning. They managed to bolster their total with a home run to left by Payden Scotty before a sacrifice fly by Brady Selk scored their ninth run to head into the bottom of the inning with a commanding three-run lead.
In the bottom, the Bulldogs fought back on a homer to right centre by Craig Gusikoski and a double a few batters later by Preston Leatherdale that scored Leah Tetzlaff and Kent Packet to force the game into extras.
“We got the last couple outs to extend her into the eighth and then everyone started hitting sticks,” said Kaip.
Into his eighth inning of work, Bulldogs pitcher Cole Karst couldn’t find a break as two singles followed by a Keggers' double brought home Josh House before Karst loaded the bases on a walk with one out. Scotty then got two more RBI when he drove a shot to centre that scored Benning Curtis and Carly Hengen to make the score 12-9 and put the game out of reach.
Kaip said the Keggers and Bulldogs met in the slo-pitch championship last season as well and this game can be considered a defensive battle compared to that effort which featured scores reaching into the high 20s. He said the great showing this year can be attributed to the strong team he had the pleasure to join this season.
“It’s a bunch a beauties that I got to play with,” said Kaip. “It’s just a luxury to get to play with these guys every day. We came together and got the winner again.”
