With only two losses in the regular season, the Ponoka Cowboys mosquito baseball team held their heads high after making it to the division finals game Friday, June 26 in Ponoka.
The Cowboys played the Clive Red Sox to battle for the championship and bragging rights at the Riverside ball diamonds, but had their work cut out for them losing 18-7, said coach Deanna Jones. With three players away, Ponoka athletes were in positions they were not normally used to playing, she explained.
Jones said the team is a mixed group of experienced players and newcomers to the game, but despite the mix, the Cowboys played fairly well. At the bottom of the second inning, with bases loaded, Levi Harbin hit a hard grounder down the first baseline that swept past the Red Sox players. The Cowboys took advantage of the miss and Harbin’s hit earned a grand slam for Ponoka.
The Red Sox proved to be too strong a team for Ponoka but there were still moments of strength, said Jones. In the last inning of the game, Dylan Jones and Matthew Kawahara made fly ball catches with Kawahara having to reach way back to make his catch.
There were a couple accidental hits to the batsman by the Ponoka pitcher David Kawahara, but after some brief coaching from Jones, he was able to focus his throws.
Jones added that the Cowboys’ hitters played well. “Our hitters, the ones who were constantly hitting through the year, did really well.”
Half of the team will be moving up a division, which will bring a new slate of players to the team. Jones said she looks forward to what next season will bring.