A 13-11 loss to Victoria halted the Penticton Foundry Thunder mosquito A team’s season.
The loss left the Penticton team one game short of advancing to the semifinal round of the B.C. Minor Baseball provincial championship held in Cloverdale during the August long weekend.
The Thunder finished the provincial championship with two wins and two losses. They opened with a 9-4 loss to Ladner, then beat Chilliwack 5-2. Thunder coach Iain MacIntyre called that a great win for his team. They also defeated Prince George 11-7 before losing the final game to Victoria.
MacIntyre said his group played unbelievably well.
“Way better than we expected,” he said.
“Kids played in situations they weren’t used to and responded so well. Wins and losses doesn’t really matter. They came away with such a positive experience. It was fantastic to watch. They played well above the expectations that we had for them.”
During provincials there was a skills competition with all the players participating. While the Thunder didn’t do well in the running relay, they finished second in Around the Horn, which has the players throwing the ball to all the positions. Alan Woodhouse was third in the home run derby. In pitching accuracy, Luke MacIntyre won, while Dominic Delisle-Lavoie was second.
MacIntyre praised the efforts of the Cloverdale host committee.
“They made it seem like it was a really big deal,” he said. “Getting to provincials is a huge accomplishment. Great learning experience for them (the players).”
Peewee Thunder
Playing in Surrey for provincials during the August long weekend, the peewee Thunder won once and lost three times. They opened with a 17-7 loss to Burnaby, then a 15-0 loss to Cloverdale and 14-0 to Port Alberni. They rolled over Prince George 12-2.