The South Delta Brewers are joining forces with the host Maple Ridge Royals for this weekend’s B.C. Senior Baseball AAA Championships.
The Brewers have been among the top teams in B.C. Minor’s Junior Men’s Division — winning the provincial title in 2018.
As a tune-up for this weekend, Tyler Lauinger, Brandon Graham, and Ivor Jackson, along with coach Dan Hodgens, joined the Royals for an exhibition game against perennial senior men’s powerhouse Burnaby Bulldogs.
South Delta’s high end players helped the Royals establish an 8-1 lead by the sixth inning.
The Bulldogs had a big seventh, getting six runs, led by a massive grand slam to deep right centre field. In the eighth, the 2017 Canadian champions completed the comeback with four more runs to win 11-8.
Graham played a solid game at third; his powerful hitting helped the Royals establish an early lead. Jackson, whose speed on the base paths was evident, was able to take long leads and easily scored. Lauinger played multiple positions and came in to pitch the sixth and seventh innings.
With the Royals hoping to put together a challenging 2020 schedule — including a potential trip to the prestigious Grand Forks International Tournament — the additional Tsawwassen talent is a must to compete at that level.
This weekend’s 10-team provincials will see games starting on Saturday and continuing until the final on Monday at 1 p.m. at Hammond Stadium and Larry Walker Field. Admission is free, and there will be a barbeque, refreshments, and beer garden for the entire weekend.
