麻豆社区

Early Sunday morning, under a bluebird sky, the Inuvik Native Yankees stepped onto the pitch for the first time at a Canadian Slo-Pitch Championships.

The team, representing the Northwest Territories, faced the Alberta 3 team, Roadhouse.

The game was short-lived, only three innings, as the Roadhouse took down the Yankees 41-7.

鈥淭his level here, we鈥檙e finding it a little difficult,鈥� said team manager and athlete Donald Hendrick. 鈥淭his is 鈥楢鈥� ball, so we got smoked 41-7 this morning.鈥�

They had the rest of the morning and afternoon to refocus before their second game, against Yukon鈥檚 host team, Dave鈥檚 Cleaning Crew, which they lost.

鈥淲e鈥檙e struggling at the bats,鈥� said Hendrick. 鈥淥ur defence is pretty good.鈥�

In their second game, the team had only two RBIs, from pitcher Kyle Kuptana and Hendrick.

The team鈥檚 players are all from Inuvik and have played a bunch of ball together.

鈥淲e play together lots,鈥� said Hendrick as the team waited to have their photo taken after their second game. 鈥淲e play fastball, we play softball, slo-pitch.鈥�

Not all the players he鈥檇 had lined up could make the trip to Whitehorse however, work commitments came first.

With eight guaranteed games, the team is hoping to win at least one.

鈥淒ay one, we鈥檙e a little excited to be here and get the nerves off. Now, I think with two games in, hopefully we coast along here,鈥� said Hendrick. 鈥淚t should be an interesting next couple days.鈥�

GUNS FEELING ROUGH

In their first two games as Team Yukon, the P & M Recycling Guns did not look like the confident team that had won the men鈥檚 slo-pitch tournament earlier this summer.

They lost their first game in four innings, 28-6 to the B.C. 3 team, the Rockies. Brian White scored four RBIs, while Matt Kramer had two.

Their afternoon effort wasn鈥檛 much better, dropping the four-inning game to Alberta鈥檚 Evolution Sports Rockies 36-13.

鈥淭he first day was pretty rough I would say,鈥� said third baseman Joe Vigneau Sunday night. 鈥淲e kind of expected to hit a little better. We kind of started off slow.鈥圤ur defence was there, we just needed to hit.鈥�

The Guns take on the Saskatchewan Cubs tonight on Diamond 1 at 6 p.m. The Cubs are 1-1.

鈥淵ou need to put up 20 runs every single time in order to even have a chance against these teams and we鈥檙e not there yet,鈥� said Vigneau. 鈥淲e played better this game than our last game. We鈥檙e trying. We鈥檙e trying.鈥圵e鈥檙e getting better.鈥�

DAVE鈥橲 ENJOYING HOMETOWN CROWD

Yukon鈥檚 host team posted one in the win column yesterday, with their victory over the Northwest Territories Inuvik Native Yankees.

鈥淎ll the guys came out and they were swinging their bats,鈥� said player James Semaschuk. 鈥淥ur defence was going to take care of itself, but hitting is always something that we have to do well at this tournament.鈥�

They put up 17 runs.

Dave鈥檚 plays their first two-game day today as the team took on the B.C. BusDrivers this morning. They lost the game 25-5.

Next, they鈥檒l face the Manitoba Fuel at 6:30 p.m. tonight on diamond 2.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of just getting that first one off your chest, first win too,鈥� said Semaschuk. 鈥淭he guys know what to expect for the games coming up.鈥�

Semaschuk enjoyed playing for a hometown crowd.

鈥淚t鈥檚 always nice being a home team in Whitehorse, because everyone in the community usually comes out and rallies behind you,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t was nice we could give one win back to the community.鈥�