By game’s end, through rain, thunder and lightening, brother coaches Desmond and Steven Bouteiller could only shake their heads and marvel at the wonder of it all.
“This was a rag tag team that did it,” said Desmond. “The nucleus of this team is Innisfail boys who have grown up in this town. It’s huge. It’s huge for this town.”
This “rag tag” Boys of Summer are champions; the first Innisfail team to ever win a provincial Junior AAA baseball championship, as well as the first squad from the Parkland Baseball League to capture the title. The local boys now head to Winnipeg to play in the Western Junior AAA championships from Aug. 11 to 14.
The team’s dozen players, 21-years-old or less, thrown together to play against the St. Albert Tigers in a best of three series final, played like seasoned pros at home July 26 to win 9 – 1 and take the series two games to one.
But despite the lopsided score the game was a nail biter from start to finish due to the weather. A rainstorm blew in with two outs in the bottom of the third inning with the Indians leading 4 – 1. After an hour and 10 minute delay the game resumed but another worry came to play: Could the Indians nail it down in time before umpire Don Buskas called the game because of darkness?
The answer was yes, and the Tribe rolled to the 9 – 1 victory before Buskas called the game over and official after five and a half innings.
The Indians came home for the series tiebreaker after splitting the first two games in St. Albert the previous Saturday. The Tigers won the first game 4 – 3 but the Tribe bounced back in the second to win 8 – 4.
The Tigers were hungry early and scored the title game’s first run. Shortstop Jeremy Blazuk led off with a single, stole second and reached third on a passed ball. He was then brought home on a sacrifice fly to centre by Keaton Cruthers.
But that was it for the Cats. Indians hurler Jay Kirkham was masterful the rest of the way and shut the Tigers completely down.
The Tribe offence came back with a vengeance in the bottom of the third. Mark Hornstra opened the frame by getting on base on a ground error to short. Brett Littlefair then walked. With two out Blair Mulder singled to bring home both Hornstra and Littlefair.
With rain threatening, Aaron Helmer walked. Kirkham struck out but catcher Scott Peterson fumbled the ball and Mulder came home to make the score 3 – 1. Helmer then crossed the plate to add another run when Peterson once again failed to hold onto the ball when his counterpart Tristan Cunningham struck out.
The rain then delayed the game. When play resumed Kirkham was brought home on a double by Jesse Scheunert. It was 5 – 1 after three innings.
It stayed that way until the bottom of the fifth when the Tribe loaded the bases with none out and Scheunert brought three runs home with a triple. He then came home on another Tigers error to make the score 9 – 1.
The Tigers did load the bases with one out in the top of the fifth but Kirkham settled down to end the inning on a pop out to right field and a ground out to second base. The game was then called due to darkness. The Indians were champions.
“For a little rag tag group we really put it together,” said Steven Bouteiller after the game. “Jay (Kirkham) is a gamer. The best guy you can have in the clutch. He always wants the ball, even if he’s in a sling.”
Meanwhile, the Bouteiller brothers said they would get in as much practice time for their team as possible before heading to Winnipeg. They also have to raise money to get the squad to the western Canadian championships. The brothers say they need about another “couple thousand dollars” more to make that happen. Anyone who wants to support the Junior Indians journey to Winnipeg can contact Desmond Bouteiller at [email protected]
