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Dairy Queen Braves hammer Saskatoon, leave championship on a high note

The Red Deer Dairy Queens Braves finally tasted victory in the Western Canada peewee baseball championship, belting the Saskatoon Blue Jays 11-2 Saturday in the final game for both teams.

NANAIMO, B.C. — The Red Deer Dairy Queens Braves finally tasted victory in the Western Canada peewee baseball championship, belting the Saskatoon Blue Jays 11-2 Saturday in the final game for both teams.

The Braves finished the tournament with a 1-3 record after failing to post a victory in the round-robin portion of the four-day event which concludes with today’s medal games.

The Red Deer squad started fast Saturday, scoring six runs in the bottom of the first inning. Parker Booth’s two-run triple was the big blow for the Braves, who went on to plate two runs in each of the third and sixth frames and one in the fourth.

Jordan Muirhead had three hits for the winners — including a double — and drove in a pair of runs. Austin Hammond, Adam Sandstrom and Zachary Olson each added a double, while Booth knocked in three runs and Muirhead and Sandstrom each drove in two.

“We got some hits from guys who were not able to produce until today, and getting those six runs in the first inning — all of them with two out — was huge for us,” said Braves head coach Dwayne Lalor.

Griffin Moline went the distance on the Red Deer mound, holding the Blue Jays to eight hits and two runs — both earned — over seven innings. Moline also recorded three strikeouts and walked one batter.

“Griffin pitched a great game for us, his last game as a peewee,” said Lalor. “It was a good day for us. It’s always nice to win and for the eight second-year players we have, to beat the No. 2 team from Saskatchewan is a pretty good deal.

“Overall, we had a pretty strong year and hopefully these kids will get another chance to get to the Westerns or even the Canadian championship at the next (bantam) level.”