Champions of the Valley of Champions

The Peewee AAA Angels made their annual summer trip to Kelowna and ran the table to win the Valley of Champions Tournament.

In the opener the Angels had a tight contest with Okotoks, from Alberta, and needed a come from behind effort in the final inning to win. Carlin Dick was the starter and Luke Szmutko took over on the mound. At the plate, it was Luke who hit a 2 RBI walk off single to win the game 9-8.  That, combined with 2 triples, earned him Player of the Game honours.

In the second game, Conall Sexton and Parker Wakelyn combined to shut down Coquitlam-Moody.  Tyler Nelson earned the nod as Player of the Game for his efforts at bat.  The Angels made short work of it in an 11-1 mercy rule victory.

On day two, Abby took on Victoria in a double-header. In the first game, the Angels prevailed 6-1 on the back of the pitching of Kevin Kim and Dayton Peters.  Dayton was also a force at the plate and earned Player of the Game honours. In the second game, Logan Macdonald, Hunter Klassen and Riley Hall combined on the mound to pitch the Angels to a 6-4 victory. John Boulanger combined strong defense and hitting to take the Player of the Game.

Only four teams remained on Sunday as the playoffs began.  While Richmond and Co-Mo squared off in one Semi-Final, the Angels faced White Rock in the other. The boys from South Surrey posed a strong challenge, with a balanced squad that featured strong pitching and dangerous bats. The Angels were up for the challenge.  Conall Sexton was named Player of the Game. The starter was excellent, going 6 1/3 innings to his pitch count max, holding White Rock to a single run.  Tyler Nelson closed it out as the Angels took the game 6-1.

With Richmond defeating Co-Mo in a blowout, the final was set and promised to be an entertaining affair.  The game lived up to the promise.  Carlin Dick took the hill for the Angels and dueled with the hard-throwing Richmond starter in a close fought contest. The lead changed hands several times as both teams showed off their strong pitching, defense and hitting. Carlin settled in and took the Angels most of the way in an excellent performance, earning Player of the Game honours. Kevin Kim closed it out.  Some big hits were provided from throughout the order, as the Angels outlasted a game Richmond squad to win 6-4 and take home the coveted Championship of the Valley of Champions.

While individuals were honoured with Player of the Game awards, it should be noted that the strength of the Angels lies in its balanced team effort on both sides of the ball.  It will take an overall team effort for the boys to continue to pursue their goal of a provincial championship. Thanks to the Coaches and all the parents who are supporting them along the way. It was a great weekend in Kelowna and now the team sets its sights on the stretch drive of the summer season.