Last season, in the first round of the North Saskatchewan River Baseball League playoffs, the Meadow Lake White Sox beat out the North Battleford Beavers in three games.
What better way for the two teams to start of the 2011 season than having those two teams meeting in their season openers?
Quincey Winkler was handed the ball for the White Sox and pitched a complete game for the 3-2 win.
Eighteen of the 21 outs recorded by Winkler and the White Sox were by strikeouts. He allowed just two singles, walked five and hit two batters. He appeared to be in mid-season form.
Opposing the big right-hander was Matt Benson, who pitched a solid five innings for the Beavers while giving up three runs, walking three, hitting three batters and giving up three hits.
A welcomed addition to the Beavers was Aaron Huber, who is working at the Northland power plant. Huber pitched the final two innings and did a great job mixing up his pitches while earning five strikeouts and walking one runner. Huber also drew a walk in his lone at bat in the sixth inning.
Rory Gregoire and Bryce Gatzke each had an RBI for North Battleford while they both drove in Aaron Cadrin, who was batting in the leadoff spot.
For Meadow Lake, Chad Demmans drove in two runs in the first innings while Regan Beck had the winning RBI in the second, scoring Darcy Slater.
The Beavers are back in action Monday and things don't get much easier, as they travel to Lloydminster to play the defending league champion Meridian Twins.
Other NSRBL action had the Midwest Expos beat the Lloydminster Junior Redhawks 14-4 Wednesday. Tuesday, the opening day of the league, Bryce Kochan pitched six strong innings earning a 1-0 win for the Border City Blue Jays over the Lloydminster Midget Twins. Also Tuesday evening, the Unity Midgets beat the St. Walburg Reds 12-11.
