The SOMBA AA midget Tigers turned up the heat with some hot sticks and tight pitching for a pair of wins in the June 7 double header against the Rutland minor baseball team.
The Tigers extended their winning record to 10-1-1 with 12-2 and 9-5 victories at Carmi field.
In the opening game the club actually went down a run in the early going but quickly turned things around with some clutch hits and stingy pitching in the following innings.
“We started slow on the bats cause everyone was going for the fences but then we started to make some contact on the ball,” said Tigers’ coach Grant Konno afterwards. “I have a great bunch of kids to coach. The returning second and third year players have stepped up to teach and mentor the first year’s. This year we’re just trying to make it fun for the kids.”
The Tigers have five games left in the regular season before heading to the playoff tournament in Kamloops the weekend of June 20 and 21.
Currently near the top of the standings, the club will likely get a bye in the first round of the five-team tournament.
Overall, and based on the club’s recent play, Konno feels the Tigers will have a good showing in the post season.
“We started off pretty shaky at the beginning of the year but we started coming around and found a pretty good groove,” he said. “Our pitching has been really good this year, we have four main pitchers in Taylor Kanke, Brad Flemming, Ryan Konno and Austin Groot.
The Tigers next game is June 11 in West Kelowna and the team will play a pair of double headers June 13 and 14 against Kamloops and Kelowna.