The Red Deer Carstar Braves have been busy of late, which is how head coach Terry Letkeman wanted it.
The Braves played five NorWest Midget AAA Baseball League games in three days as they prepared for the provincial midget AAA championships, which open Wednesday in Okotoks.
“It was good as it gave us a chance to set up our pitching rotation,” said Letkeman, who saw the Braves lose 10-5 and 5-3 to the Spruce Grove White Sox at Great Chief Park Sunday afternoon.
“We wanted everyone to get a chance to get some work in, plus get some rest. We accomplished that and outside of some nagging injuries we’re as healthy as we can be.”
But they’re far from 100 per cent healthy as Jonah Penner, who is one of the team’s top pitchers, will likely only play first base in the provincials.
“His arm is sore enough that it’s doubtful he can pitch. In fact he just threw 18 pitches on Saturday before leaving,” said Letkeman, who also lost Mac Guckert earlier.
“It seems like everyone else has a tender arm and we may get 100 pitches from them or 10. We’ll just see how it goes.”
While the Braves have a losing record this season, they’re one of the younger teams in the league and have played well in July.
“Since coming back from our break in early July we’ve played much better,” said Letkeman. “We turned it around and while there’s been the occasional blimp, we’ve played better ball. Our pitching has been better, which sets up the defence, which has been good for the most part, and we’ve got some timely hitting. I feel good about where we’re at.”
The Braves, who are ranked ninth, play in a tough pool in the provincials, up against the number one, four, five and eighth ranked teams.
“If we were healthy I felt we could pull off one or two surprises, now it depends on how many arms we have healthy,” said Letkeman.
The Braves fell behind early in the opener against Spruce Grove, trailing 9-0 heading into the bottom of the fourth inning. However they scored twice in the fourth and fifth and once in the sixth.
Levi Moon started on the mound and allowed nine runs — six earned — on seven hits and six walks over 4 1/3 innings. Joel Mazurkewich tossed 2 2/3 innings of no-hit ball, allowing one unearned run on three walks.
Reign Letkeman and Sam Schierman had two hits each for the Braves while Schierman drove in a pair of runs.
Nik Fischer started the nightcap for Red Deer and gave up four runs on six hits and no walks and fanned five in four innings. Brett Barrett went two innings and gave up a run on two hits.
The Braves managed just four hits.