Local teams fall early at high school baseball championships

A repeat championship at the Southern Alberta High School Baseball League championships just wasn’t in the cards for the Hat High Mohawks.

After working through last season’s playoff bracket as a low seed and clinching an underdog title, the Mohawks fell two wins shy of retaining the crowd on Friday in Vauxhall, dropping an 11-10 nailbiter to the Brooks Buffalos in the semifinals.

Dylan Koenig did all he could to keep his team’s season alive, cashing in 5 RBI in a 2-for-4 effort at the dish — including a three-run home run to spark a comeback effort in the top of the seventh, turning a 9-5 deficit into a 10-9 lead.

But the Buffalos managed to escape to the finals when Brett Gray connected for a walk off, 2-RBI double off Mohawks reliever Zach Stark.

The No. 3 seed Mohawks reached the semis after a 1310 win over the No. 2 Cardston Cougars.

Alex Andres entered a 6-6 game in the third inning and held on for the victory, holding the Cougars to four runs on four hits through five complete innings to close out the game.

Koenig and Andres each connected for 3 RBI in the victory, with Andres adding a pair of runs scored in a 2-for-4 effort as leadoff hitter.

It was the same story for the Eagle Butte Talons, who reached the league’s other semifinal after taking down the top-seeded Magrath Zeniths in a 9-6 win before bowing out to the eventual champion Vauxhall Vikings.

The Talons saw key efforts from first baseman Justin Bourassa and left fielder Carter Krauss, but it just wasn’t enough to hold keep the Vikings from rallying to a home field championship.

Bourassa had 3 RBI in a 3for-5 effort as leadoff hitter, while Krauss recorded 4 RBI, reaching base all in five of his plate appearances with two singles and three walks.

The Talons held a six-run lead entering the sixth inning, but the Vikings erased it before stealing away the game with on a wild pitch in the seventh.

Colin Rath had 2 RBI in 2for-4 efforts in Eagle Butte’s 96 quarter-final win over Magrath. Ty Olinski and Hayden Klaiber both added 2 RBI in the win.

Bourassa took the win after holding the Zeniths to six runs on four hits in a complete seven-inning performance.