The North Battleford Beavers have done their jobs to get into the playoffs, but nothing is official yet.
The Beavers will be scoreboard watching for the next couple days after they beat the Border City Blue Jays at home Wednesday night.
The Beavers improved to 7-6 on the season, which, for now, puts them in eighth place. The Unity Cardinals have a 7-6 record and the Mervin Flyers are 6-6 and were scheduled to play the Lloydminster Junior Redhawks Thursday. Also still in the hunt are the Lloydminster Midget Twins who have three games remaining and sit at 5-5 and on the outside of the playoff picture heading into Thursday's action.
The game at Beavers Lion Stadium produced a great pitching performance by Kyle Gregoire. The Beavers lefthander gave up three runs on just three hits while walking six and striking out 10 in seven innings including recording five of the last six outs via the strikeout.
The Beavers scored two runs in the first inning as Matt Benson walked and Jared Inkster singled and eventually came around to score on a double by Brad Eishon and a sacrifice fly from Rory Gregoire.
The Jays scored the two runs back in their next at bat, but the Beavers responded by scoring the Gregoire brothers in the third inning. Two more Beavers' runs in the fourth was enough insurance for the win. The Blue Jays scored their third run on a controversial play in the fifth inning. Kyle Gregoire attempted to pick the Jays' runner off first base and had him caught between the bases. As Gregoire tagged the runner for the third out, Clayton Ermel of the Jays tried to score from third base and there was a debate as to whether the run scored before the runner was tagged out.
In the end it didn't matter and the Beavers ended their regular season with a 7-6 record.
Inkster had a good night at the plate going 2/3 with an RBI and a run while Chance Rogers was also 2/3 on the night.
With four teams fighting for two spots much is yet to be determined for the Beavers, as they will either play the Lloydminster Meridian Twins if they remain in eighth place, or the Wilkie Brewers if they win the tie breaking formula and move into seventh place. The Beavers could also fall out of the playoffs altogether or move as high as sixth if the Meadow Lake White Sox don't win two of their remaining five games.
The other score recorded from Wednesday was a 14-2 win by the Lloydminster Midgets over the Unity Midget A's.
Tuesday, the Meadow Lake White Sox won 7-0 against the Lloydminster Juniors and the Mervin Flyers beat Standard Hill 19-6.
The regular season is set to be completed by July 19 with playoffs beginning July 20.
Along with playoffs, many teams in the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League will be focusing on provincials including the Beavers who have yet to set dates with the Saskatoon Diggers for their senior A provincial playoffs series.
