FORT SASKATCHEWAN — There will be a new senior AAA baseball champion this year.
The two-time defending champion Red Deer Riggers were eliminated from the provincial playdowns, losing 7-0 to the Fort Saskatchewan Athletics in a tie-breaker Sunday afternoon.
The Riggers blew a chance to advance directly to the final, when they lost 5-2 to the Red Deer Stags in their final round-robin game Sunday.
As a result the Stags, Riggers and Athletics were tied at 3-1 with the Stags getting the nod to advance directly to the final, which will be played tonight in Fort Saskatchewan.
The Riggers bats failed them Sunday, according to manager Curtis Bailey.
“We hit the ball extremely well Friday and Saturday, then came out flat today. The other teams played well and our pitching needed to be shut down for us to win.”
James Dykstra started against Fort Saskatchewan, but left in the second down 2-0 with a hip injury. Dustin Northcott, who pitched, and beat St. Albert Friday, came on and gave up four runs over three innings and Cole Stober threw the final two innings.
James Fischer pitched for the A’s.
James threw well, but we also hit the ball hard off him at times, but right at someone,” said Bailey.
Davin Gulbransen, who pitched Friday, scattered six hits and walked two against the Riggers. Dan Zinger had a pair of hits and two RBIs while Chayse Marion had a two-run double and Jason Fraser an RBI single.
Colin Hodgson and Joel Peterman pitched for the Riggers.
The Stags, who split a pair of games Friday, downed the St. Albert Tigers 6-3.
Shaun Connor slammed a three-run home run in the top of the eighth for the margin of victory.
The Stags were down 2-0 until the fifth when pinch hitter Jamie Vallis lined an RBI double off Matt Rindero. Kevin Curran singled home Vallis to tie the score and Zinger put the Stags ahead 3-2 with a solo home run.
The Tigers tied the score in the fifth.
James Carr went five innings with Aaron Nelson working the final three to pick up the win.
On Saturday the Riggers beat the Parkland White Sox 10-1 and Fort Saskatchewan 3-0.
Brent Lazzarotto went the distance against the White Sox while Denver Wik had three hits and Shyayne Court, Kerry Boon, Mike Ronnie and Jaret Chatwood two each.
Stober went the distance against the Athletics.
l The Riggers and Stags hope to open their best-of-three Sunburst Baseball League semifinal Thursday with a doubleheader at Great Chief Park.