It took them a longer than they hoped, but the Red Deer Carstar Braves finally got on the winning track during the weekend.
The Braves waited until the final of their four-game weekend series to pull out a 9-2 victory over the Sherwood Park Green in NorWest Midget AAA Baseball League play Sunday at Great Chief Park.
Earlier Sunday the Braves dropped a 5-4 decision to the Green squad while on Saturday they lost 10-7 and 11-0 to the Sherwood Park Gold.
The Braves jumped on the Sherwood Park Green starter in Sunday’s nightcap, scoring four times in the bottom of the first inning to grab a 4-2 lead. They extended the lead with a pair of runs in the third, a single in the fourth and two more in the sixth.
Levi Moon, Sam Schierman, Mac Guckert and Nik Fischer had two hits each for the Braves, who collected 13 hits. Dylan Borman drove in a pair of runs.
Mitch Vanson started on the mound and allowed two runs on two hits and six walks over 6 1/3 innings. Jason Garrett came on and got the final two outs.
In the opener Sunday, the Green, who were the home team, scored the winning run in the bottom of the seventh after the Braves tied it in the top of the inning. The Braves led 3-2 heading into the bottom of the sixth when the Green scored twice off losing pitcher Ian Chevalier, who replaced starter Reign Letkeman in the fifth.
Letkeman allowed two runs on three hits and seven walks while Chevalier gave up six hits and walked two.
The Braves managed just five hits with Letkeman going one-for-one.
On Saturday the Braves ran into the league’s premier pitcher — Nolan Werre — in the second game.
Werre ran his record to 7-0 and dropped his earned run average to 0.35 as he scattered two hits — singles by Letkeman and Ty Elliott — while walking one and fanning three.
Borman started for the Braves and took the loss, although he gave up one run on three hits over two innings. ] Guckert was touched up for six runs in the third inning with Joel Mazurkewich allowing a pair of runs in one inning of work.
The opener saw the Braves fall behind 10-2 before exploding for five runs in the bottom of the seventh.
Letkeman had two hits for the Braves while Garrett drove in two runs and Fischer scored twice.
Brandon Bodemer went 5 1/3 innings for the Braves and took the loss, allowing eight runs — three earned — on eight hits and two walks. Mazurkewich went the final 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs, one of which was earned.
The Braves return home July 18 when they host the Foothills Dawgs White. They visit the Foothills Dawgs Red Wednesday and next weekend travel to Fort McMurray for two games Saturday and one Sunday.