The Innisfail Indians of the Parkland Baseball League (PBL) fell one run and one inning short of the final tilt.
“We played two games in the PBL post-season this year,” said Steve Bouteiller, coach of the Indians. “As we placed fourth in the league, we were pitted against the first-place Acme Pirates who had won the league two years running.”
He noted the Indians lost the first game 4-3, but were behind early on and could not come back for the victory.
“In the second game with the Pirates, we led for all but one inning, and the Pirates came back with four runs for the win, and we were out of the running,” said Bouteiller. “The Pirates went on to win the league for a third consecutive time against the Red Deer Razorbacks.”
The player/coach said the team struggled with inconsistency during the entire season, which reflected a problem in team commitment.
“When our entire team came out to play we were probably the best in the league, when we didn't, we weren't,” said Bouteiller. “During playoffs, we were short two of our young players, Corbyn Shields and Taze Steeves, who were with the (Innisfail) Merchants in Winnipeg the same weekend. Next year we will have them for the entire season which will help.”
He noted that while Steeves and Shields provided a spark for the team and that baseball is a true team sport, missing even one player can make a difference.
“We also had a few new faces on the diamond this year,” said Bouteiller. “As the season went on, they matured and became better ball players.”
Over the course of the 2014 PBL season, the Indians posted a respectable record of 10 wins and eight losses en route to their fourth-place finish.
