The North Battleford Beavers faced a handful of alumni of the North Saskatchewan River Baseball league Tuesday in provincial playoff action and it didn't go quite as planned for the current NSRBL players.
At Beaver Lions Stadium, the Beavers hosted the Saskatoon Diggers in game one of the best-of-three senior A playoffs. The Diggers beat Rosetown in their first round and the winner of the Beavers'/Diggers' series will earn a berth in provincials in Carlyle.
The Diggers started the game by scoring two runs in the first, as Mathew Cey scored along with Brett Harrison on a single by David Schell.
The Diggers' offence continued in the second inning scoring three more runs and Shawn Baier and the Diggers never gave the Beavers' offence a chance to get started. Baier retired six of the first seven batters after two innings and went on to allow just one run and one hit in his five innings.
Kyle Gregoire, the Beavers' starting pitcher, held the Diggers off the scoreboard in the third and the Beavers scored their first run in the bottom half of the inning.
After Aaron Cadrin moved from first to second on a balk, Matt Benson hit a deep double to left field to cash in the run.
The Diggers responded by sending nine batters to the plate in the fourth inning scoring four more runs and putting the game out of reach with a 9-1 score.
With the score 11-1 in the sixth inning, Jared Inkster scored the second and final run for the Beavers, as Bryce Gatzke had the RBI.
The Diggers added four more runs in the seventh inning taking the 16-2 win in game one.
The Beavers marched four different pitchers to the mound included Gregoire, Inkster, Benson and Cadrin while Benson had the team's only hit of the night.
On the other side of the diamond, the majority of the Diggers are former NSRBL players and key contributors to the team's success throughout the season in the Saskatoon league and the game Tuesday night.
Former North Battleford, Beaver Brock Harrison was on base five of six plate appearances, hit a triple, scored three runs, walked twice and was hit by a pitch.
Cey, a former Wilkie Brewer, scored twice while hitting a single and double, walked once, stole a base and had three RBI.
Brett Harrison, former North Battleford player as well as a Standard Hill Laker, scored three runs, walked twice, hit a single and double and stolen base.
Jamie Barth of Wilkie scored one run, walked twice and was hit by a pitch.
David Schell, who also played with the Wilkie Brewers, had four RBI, two singles and scored one run.
Former Laker Ryan Johnston scored three runs, hit two doubles, was walked and hit by a pitch.
Sheldon Volk, another former Brewer, scored one run, had one hit and was hit by a pitch.
Bobby Bachman started as the Diggers' DH and is another former player from Wilkie. Travis Sack of the Battlefords, another former player with Wilkie, is on the roster but was not at Tuesday's game. Scott Hollick won provincials with Wilkie in 1997 and is also on the Diggers' roster and Derek Macnab a former Mervin Flyer, pitched the final two innings for the Diggers Tuesday.
Follow the game the Beavers could do nothing but tip their hats to the Diggers, complimenting them on their hitting and strong defence, which never really allowed the Beavers a chance to get in the game Tuesday. The Diggers and Beavers will play game two and, if necessary, game three in Saskatoon Saturday, as the Beavers are expected to start Inkster in the do or die game.
