The Langley Blaze kicked off their season by splitting a four-game set.
The Blaze were in Kelowna to face the Okanagan Athletics with both teams winning a pair of games in BC Premier 18U Baseball League action.
All four games were at Kelowna’s Elk Stadium.
Langley won the first and last games of the series, prevailing 6-3 in the former and 7-1 in the latter. The A’s limited the Blaze bats in the middle two games, winning by 4-1 and 3-1 scores.
Colby Ring struck out six over four innings, allowing a single earned run in the 6-3 win while in Langley’s 7-1 victory, Nick Holdershaw had a home run, two RBIs and three runs scored. Tommy Kreitz belted a pair of doubles, driving in two runs in the process.
In the team’s two losses. Jared Crossley had an RBI single in one defeat while Holden Cumiskey had an RBI double in the other.
Langley now gets set for their home debut at McLeod Athletic Park on April 24 against the White Rock Tritons with first pitch at 6:30 p.m.
The Blaze also host the Victoria Mariners in a doubleheader on Saturday (April 28) with 4:30 p.m. and 7 p.m. games before welcoming the Victoria Eagles the following day for another twin bill. First pitch will be at 11 a.m. with game two at 1:30 p.m.
High five
Langley is without five players for the remainder of the month.
Jayden Knight, Justin Thorsteinson, Tate Dearing, Zach McQuaid and Theo Millas are part of Baseball Canada’s 32-player roster for the junior national team’s extended spring training camp.
It runs April 19 to 28 in West Palm Beach, Fla.
The team will play as six-game schedule against the extended spring training squads for the Houston Astros, Washington Nationals and Minnesota Twins organizations, as well as facing the independent Fort Lauderdale Stars and playing a pair of inter-squad games.
Junior Blaze
The Langley Junior 16U Blaze are off to a 1-1 start to their season after splitting a doubleheader with the North Shore Junior Twins.
Langley used a four-run fourth inning to break open a 1-1 tie in the opener on Saturday at McLeod Athletic Park.
Caleb Kaufmann and Haiden Letzing each drove in a pair of runs while Owen Halstrom and Jaedon Lamothe had an RBI apiece.
The Twins struck made it a one-run game heading into the final inning and had the tying run on second base but Letzing came on to get the next three outs for the save.
Caden Welch picked up the win, scattering six hits over five innings but only allowing one run.
Carson Chorpita had the lone RBI in game two as the Blaze fell 4-1, stranding eight base-runners.
Langley hosts the Abbotsford Junior Cardinals on April 25 at McLeod Park at 6:30 p.m.
sports@langleytimes.com
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