Spokane College sweeps OC Coyotes Using exhibition games as their only outdoor practices parlayed into four exhibition baseball losses by the Okanagan College Coyotes in Spokane on the weekend. Still unable to take to the diamonds in Kelowna, the Coyotes have yet to register in pre-season play, but did show signs of recovering from hibernation. OC stroked 11 hits in their second game with Spokane Community College, only to fall 9-8. Adam Parliament led the Coyotes with a home run and two doubles, while Spencer Kilpatrick added three hits, to go along with a pair by Brendon Peron. Starter Rob Alksne was in control for his seven innings of work, allowing four hits and three runs, but Bryce Wilkie gave up five runs in the bottom of the ninth to allow the hosts to post the win. The Coyotes managed only three hits in the opener, a 10-4 defeat against a cagey left-hander. Reid Fischer, Tanner Betcker and Kilpatrick were the only OC batters to manage a hit in the third game that saw the Coyotes drop a 9-1 decision. Peron started on the mound, giving up just two earned runs. The final game saw OC fall 9-3. Wilkie went three-for-four and drove in a run, while Tyler Smith and Kilpatrick both stroked two singles. OC is off to Yakima this weekend for a final tuneup before their Canadian College Baseball Conference season opener in Langley on March 27. Their first league home games are scheduled for April 10 and 11 against Thompson Rivers University.
Bantams win 6 in PoCo tourney The Kelowna West Coast Authentic Bantam Tier 1 Rockets won six games and recorded four shutouts on the way to a hockey tournament title in Port Coquitlam on the weekend. Goaltender Connor DeMelo earned three shutouts and Jarrod Schamer-horn added one to lead the team defensively. Riley Ostoforoff was named the tournament‘s top defenceman, while rearguards Alex Gran and Fenner Kingston were also standouts for the Rockets. A nine-point effort by Matt Hill set the pace for the Kelowna reps offensively, with Brennan Clark, Riley Stewart and Morgan Johnston also contributing significantly to the team‘s success. The Rockets capped their perfect weekend by defeating the Cowichan Valley Capitals 5-2 in the championship game. Clark‘s goal midway through the second period stood up as the winner. Stewart scored twice and Justin Lange added a single goal. The Rockets hope to maintain their momentum heading into the season-ending Kamloops international tournament, widely regarded as the top bantam tourney in Western Canada.
Big White Racers led by Tyler Clark Led by nine-year-old Tyler Clark, the Big White Racers posted six top-10 finishes at the Nancy Greene Ski League Sun Peaks Invitational on the weekend. Clark, a Big White Community School student, raced to an individual bronze medal during the final Nancy Greene event of the season that included 400 racers from 20 clubs across B.C. Marcus Athans finished sixth in the nine-year-old boys event, while Big White teammate R.J. Lukinuk was ninth. The 10-year-old boys race saw Big White‘s Zane Torres place fourth and Cole Pederson finish in ninth place. Hannah Walline of the BWR crossed the finish line in ninth place among the 10-year-old girls. Big White Racers claimed two of a possible four gold medals and a silver in the team category during the two-day event. Those on the gold-medal team included Janelle Gieblhaus, Elli Clark, Rachel McInnes, Chanelle Nutley, Jennifer Pilon, Sophie Schroeder, Owen Clark, Noa Borg, Cameron McInnes, Zander Torres and Matthew Richardson.
Delcourt‘s silver highlight for KSC A personal-best performance by Hannah Delcourt led to a silver medal at the Pacific Starskate Championships in Kamloops on the weekend. The Kelowna Skating Club member and Anne McClymont Elementary School student scored a PB of 25.25 in the pre-juvenile girls category and it proved to be the top score for her team. Chloe Vidaillac skated to a fifth place finish in the preliminary 11-and-over division, while KSC teammate Rachel Hiob place sixth. The senior bronze competition saw Kaileigh Mapson take seventh place and sister Brianne place eighth in the junior bronze 12-and-under group. Other top-10 finishes for the Kelowna skaters came from Jasmine Wood, who placed eighth in the preliminary 10-and-under competition, and Savana Sheardown, who was ninth in the preliminary 11-and-over event. Top of Page
