| Game 28: Québec 8 Alberta 7 |
|
Québec survives: La Belle Provence advances to meet B.C. in semifinals DARREN STEINKE This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Eight turned out to be too much for Alberta. That number refers to the number of errors the host team committed against Québec in the quarter-final playoff match at the Baseball Canada Cup Saturday night at Athletic Park. It also refers to the number of runs they gave up in losing 8-7 and ending their chances at a medal. Miraculously, Alberta entered the bottom of the seventh inning with a chance to win. Trailing 6-0 at one point, the hosts made a gutsy rally to get to within one. The comeback was not to be. Québec closer Jonathan Paquet sealed the deal by striking out the side. He caught Medicine Hat product Joel Lutz looking and sent Shane Zimmer and Adam Nelubowich down swinging. “It was kind of tough, because two of those balls we dived for, and they went off gloves,” said Alberta head coach Harold Northcott. “We did make six errors, and you can’t win ballgames with six errors.” With the victory, Québec advances to a semifinal match today against British Columbia at 1 p.m. at Athletic Park. As for Saturday, Québec head coach Joel Landry was pleased his club could get out of that game. “(Yann) Charbonneau, our starter, was good early in the game,” said Landry. “Their defence killed them early in the game. “I tip my hat, because they had eight errors on the board, and they fought back.” The game got off to a scary start for Alberta. Québec’s first batter of the game, Sasha Legarde, reached base due to a booted ball by Alberta shortstop and local product Mitch Frey. Legard advanced to second after Alberta starting pitcher Tyler Vauna threw the ball away on a pickoff attempt. Samuel Domingue advanced Legard to third with a base hit, and Legard scored on a wild pitch. With runners on the corners after Cedric Vallieres walked, Québec executed a double steal to go up 2-0. In the top of the second Québec scored four runs to go up 6-0. The rally began after Kevin Parent led off the inning reaching base on an error. Québec then put together a four hit rally to score its runs. Charles-Antoine Saint-Hilaire hit a two RBI single for high point of the rally. In the bottom of the fourth, Alberta exploded with a rally to shrink the Québec lead to 6-5. With one out, the rally started after Québec third baseman Jonathan Cyr threw a routine grounder into the dugout putting St. Albert product Matt Biollo on second base. He was driven home on a single by Lutz. Alberta then loaded up the bases, and right fielder Scott Gerun nailed a three RBI triple down the right field line to draw the hosts to within two. Second baseman Tyler Hayes hit a sacrifice ground to score Gerun to complete the rally. The teams trade a pair of runs in the sixth. In the bottom of the seventh, Paquet turned in a clutch performance. “He is one of our aces,” said Landry. “Obviously, it was an important situation. “It was the middle of the order. Those guys had a very good game at the plate. We are fortunate that we have the win.” |
