Ramblers come up short in national final

Cape Breton team loses 13-4 to host Edmonton Cubs for Canadian senior title

The Cape Breton Ramblers suffered a 13-4 loss to the host Edmonton Cubs in the championship game of the 2018 Canadian Senior Little League Championship on Sunday.

Edmonton broke the game open with four runs in the top of the fifth and another five in the sixth in the victory.

Breton Sibley had a double and a single in the loss, while Corson O’Rourke had two hits. Ethan Long and Ethan Conrad chipped in singles.

Starting pitcher Chris Stanley went three and one-third innings, allowing seven hits and six runs with a strikeout. Long, Carter Jacobs and Brayden Boutilier all pitched in relief.

“This Edmonton team today, there are a bunch of guys who go to a baseball academy and we just ran into a monster,” Ramblers head coach Josh Spooney said when reached by phone after the game. He said the team appreciated the support from back home during the tournament.

“But a really gutsy effort all tournament long.”

The Ramblers finished the round robin with a 4-2 record, while the Cubs were the top team out of the preliminary round at 6-0.

“We came together, the guys hitting the ball really well, our pitching has been top notch all year long, probably our strongest suite coming into this tournament,” said Spooney. “I thought if we had a weak spot, it would probably be our hitting. Corson O’Rourke absolutely torched offensively this entire tournament. He had to have batted over .600 for the tournament with extra base hits.”

In the semifinal, Cape Breton battled back to post a 5-4 win over British Columbia on Saturday. The Ramblers were down 4-2 in the seventh and final inning before mounting a comeback.

Jacobs hit two singles and drove in the winning run, while both Conrad and O’Rourke had a double apiece. Brett MacMullin, Stanley and Kendall MacQueen each added a single.

Parker Hanrahan picked up the win, allowing one hit and striking out four batters over three innings. He entered the game in relief of MacQueen, who went four complete innings, giving up four runs on four hits and striking out four.

Edmonton moves on to represent Canada at the 2018 Senior Little League World Series in Easley, S.C., July 28-Aug. 4. There will be a Cape Bretoner moving on to the tournament, however. Sydney native Nolan Hartigan is a member of the Edmonton team. He moved to Alberta in 2010.