Oceanside’s Mosquito AA Rep Reds baseball team wrapped up its exhibition season on the weekend with a sweep of the stubborn Mariners on Salt Spring Island.
In what were two closely contested games and a good tune-up for this weekend’s Island Championships, the Reds had to be resilient to win game one 9-8 and game two 11-10.
The locals went 10-3-1 in their brief but busy exhibition season, and now dig in to host the Island Championships this weekend at Springwood Old.
The Island final comes down to three teams — Oceanside, Salt Spring and the Ladysmith Cannons. The top two teams advance to the BC’s slated for Surrey, Aug. 2-5.
Both Ladysmith and Salt Spring, said Andy Macdonald, “have good teams, and we’ll have to play our best to have a chance to win our games... next weekend’s tournament will be a tough challenge for our team.”
Also helping coach the Reds are Barb Nicoll, Craig Snyder and Shane Ackerman.
“We’ve had an intensive summer ball season, and these young players have demonstrated a commitment to our team philosophy of teamwork, sportsmanship, hustle and effort,” Macdonald said when asked for some insight into their season.
He added the boys “continue to increase their knowledge of the game and improve their fielding, hitting, pitching and base running skills. Our primary goal has been to enhance their knowledge and enjoyment of baseball, and in that respect we’ve had a very successful season.”
GAME ON
The Reds open against the Cannons at 11 a.m. July 28 and return to the field at 5 p.m. to face the Mariners. On Sunday Oceanside plays Salt Spring at 1 p.m. and Ladysmith at 4 p.m.