EDMONTON — Curtis Mazurkewich drove in the lone run for the Red Deer Carstar Braves in a 2-1 loss to the Spruce Grove White Sox in semifinal action of the Peter Devries midget AAA baseball tournament during the weekend.
Chayse Marion had the only extra-base hit for the Braves — a double — while pitcher Matt Davis allowed both runs in two innings of work, giving up four hits while recording three strikeouts and walking three batters. Kalem Hamilton threw three innings of shutout ball and Travis Steinke blanked the Sox over two frames, with each surrendering one hit.
The Braves were 3-0 heading into the semifinal, with earlier victories over the Calgary Reds, Edmonton Cardinals and Sherwood Park A’s by respective scores of 10-0, 10-2 and 5-3.
Marion stroked a triple, drew a walk, drove in three runs and scored three against the Reds, with Davis, Mark Fay and Steinke each contributing one RBI. Scott Trapp went the distance on the Red Deer mound, giving up just one hit, fanning five batters and walking two.
Marion knocked in another three runs against the Cardinals with two singles and a double, while Mazurkewich and Steinke each doubled and drove in a pair of runs. Blair Mulder went five innings on the Braves mound, giving up four hits and one earned run while recording four strikeouts and issuing two walks, and Taze Stevens went two frames, surrendering one earned run on two hits, fanning two batters and walking two.
Marion turned in his third consecutive three-RBI performance against the A’s, stroking a single and double, while Mulder and Steinke each drove in a run. Brett Littlefair was touched for two earned runs on six hits over four and two-thirds innings — posting one strikeout and walking one batter — and Hamilton tossed two and one-third hitless frames, fanning one batter.