The Westbank Cardinals would not be denied.
Charged with the task of repeating as senior men’s division champions at the Canadian Native Fastball Championships, the Cardinals came through with a 5-2 win over the NB Petro Hawks of Regina in the championship game Sunday night at Spruce City Stadium.
Down 2-0 in the second inning the Cardinals got themselves on the scoreboard thanks to guy named Dude. Dude Bomberry, whose bat was key in the Cards’ 7-0 victory over the Prince George River Kings in Saturday’s A-final, got on base with a walk and stole his way around the bases, scoring on Chris Wilson’s single.
Trevor Ethier tagged up from third to score the second of two Westbank runs in the third inning to give the Cards their first lead and hometown boy Dan Fulton knocked out a solo home run in the fourth inning to make it a 4-2 game.
Fulton, 31, has won five native national men’s titles with either the Cardinals, Randy’s A’s of Invermere, or the River Kings, but this was the first time he’s done it in the city he lived in for all but the last eight years.
“It’s a great feeling, it’s our second year in a row and it’s been great having it here - it’s where I learned to play and it was great to come back here,” said Fulton. ‘It was big for us beating the River Kings. On Canada Day here we lost to them (3-1 in the final) on an error and it wasn’t like that wasn’t on our minds. I’m glad we brought (pitcher Caleb) Keishig in at the time we did once we got ahead.”
Prince George native Jessin Potskin led off the Cardinals’ fifth with a single and Trevor Ethier joined him on the bases after getting walked by Hawks pitcher Scott Leiph. Potskin stole third and scored on a passed ball that got away from catcher Darren Kootenay.
Then it was up to Caleb Keishig to close out the win. Keishig, who started the game and was relieved by Ethier in the second inning, came back in the fifth to pitch and all he did was frustrate the Hawks. He struck out the order in the sixth and had two more Ks and a fly-out in the seventh to touch off the celebration.
‘This feels great, it’s our second year in a row and we definitely deserved it, we played great this weekend,” said Potskin, 27, who bats third in the Cardinal order. “We’re glad we beat the River Kings because they would have given us a good go in the finals.
“I look forward to this tournament every year. There were a lot of fans, the most I’ve ever seen. It’s keeping fastball alive.”
Cardinals first baseman Colin Ghostkeeper retired from the game two years ago but couldn’t resist a chance to play at home again, 16 years after he moved to the Okanagan.
“It’s good to be back home, I had to be here for this,” said the 43-year-old Ghostkeeper. “I’m from Westbank now so this is my team. I wanted to play for the River Kings but this is my team now.”
Westbank went undefeated in five games, meaning the Hawks needed back-to-back wins Sunday night to claim the trophy.
Leiph took one for the team in the sixth - a hard liner off the bat of Jordie Gagnon that skipped off the turf and caught him low in the midsection. The 26-year-old Victoria resident played for Cardinals last year when they won the senior title in Winnipeg. This one stung, in more ways than one.
“Our team started out good and I came in (in the second inning) and just didn’t have it today,” said Leiph. “I don’t usually have much trouble with them, I just had an off-weekend. That’s the third time for me, losing in the finals.”
Westbank went home with the winner’s share of the prize money, a $12,000 payoff. The Hawks earned $9,000, while the third-place River Kings won $5,000. In total, $81,000 was handed out in the 77-team five-division event.
In the master men’s division final Sunday, Redline defeated Nak'azdli of Fort St. James 3-1. The Big Guy Lake Blazers of Prince George claimed the junior title with an 11-1 win in six innings over the Goodfish Lake Chiefs (Alberta).
In the women’s tournament playoffs Sunday at Freeman Park, the Alexis Red Nation Jets (Alberta) blanked Curve Lake (Ontario) 10-0 in the senior final, while in the master women’s final the Westbank Jewels defeated the KoKo QTs of Fort Qu'Appelle, Sask., 7-6.
Canadian Native Fastball Championships
Sunday’s results
Junior men's division (Minor Boy's Park)
16. Big Guy Lake 12 James Smith (Prince Albert, Sask.) 2
17. Big Guy Lake 9 Jr. River Kings 7
18. Big Guy Lake 11 Goodfish Lake 1 (final)
Big Guy Lake U21 CNFC Jr Champs
Men's Master's Division (Ron Wiley Field)
16. SKO Vets vs. Saskatchewan Rebels
17. Pimicikamak 10 Randy's A's 6
18. Sapotaweyak 4 Saskatchewan Rebels 0
19. Redline 7 Nak'azdli Braves 0
20. Pimicikamak United 7 Sapotaweyak 5
21. Nak'azdli Braves 8 Pimicikamak 1
22. Redline 3 Nak'azdli 1 (final)
Men's Division (Spruce City Stadium/Rotary Field)
43.Cross Lake D'Backs 3 Freshii Hitmen 2
44. Stoney Creek Braves 7 Takla Lakers 0
47. Alexander TPC 8 Gift Lake 0
50. NB Hawks 10 Stoney Creek Braves 0
51.Westbank Cardinals 5 River Kings 0
52. NB Hawks 7 Alexander Teepee Crawlers4
53. NB Hawks 6 River Kings 1
54. Westbank Cardinals 5 NB Hawks 2 (final)
Masters Women (Minor Girls 2)
7. Westbank 12 Kokos QT's 10
10. Westbank 7 Kokos QTs 6 (final)
Senior women's division
35. Curve Lake 13 Cote Blue Jays 5
36. Edge 7 Keeseekoose 0
37. Curve Lake 9 Piapot 2
38. Edge 4 Alexander 3
39. Red Nation 11 Lacquette Stars 1
40. Curve Lake 7 Edge 2
41. Curve Lake 6 Lacquette 2
42. Red Nation 10 Curve Lake 0 (final)
