The Eckville Eagles continue to soar this season, having scored another victory. This most recent win was an 18-5 triumph over the Rimbey Rays, at the Rimbey Legion Diamond on June 5.
Head Coach Judy Cowan described the “valiant effort” of all the Eagles players in their game against Rimbey, noting each player brought a lot of talent in batting, and top-notch pitching to Monday’s game.
The Eagles’ win in Rimbey puts them at seven wins and two losses this season. Cowan attributes such a level of success to the strong collaborative spirit of the players, strong hitting and great defensive work in the field.
“It was a very good game - even when we were down a few players, due to some commitments on their part,” said Cowan in a call with the Eckville Echo the day after Monday’s win. “We had a strong performance, and there was some really good pitching from the three pitchers that night.”
Cowan commended the pitching of Jasper Argon, Jacob Hoeksema and Ethan Kaled, saying their skill helped ensure the Eagles’ victory over Rimbey.
“Jasper pitched for the first two innings, and kept them down four runs in the first, while Jacob pitched the next three with only one run - even after he took a line drive to the chest,” said Cowan. “He was okay - he just held it together, kept pitching and was good to go.”
She added, “In the last inning, we were three up and three down, with the pitching talents of Ethan.”
The game was a closely contested one until the third inning, Cowan said, with the Eagles being “neck and neck, with the Rays.”
“It was 6-4 at one point, and once Jacob hit the mound, that’s where [the Rays] fell apart, batting-wise,” said Cowan. “We just kept it steady after that, and took the win.”
Cowan noted the two losses the Eagles weathered this season came at the end of tightly contested games. She added those games, in the end, were only lost by one or two runs.
“Our main competition this season has been Ponoka. We’re excited to give them a run for their money when it comes to playoff time this June 24,” said Cowan.
In addition to the playoffs, the Eagles are looking forward to two home games in the coming weeks, against Drayton Valley and Ermineskin.