Big bats propel Royals to victory in Regina roadtrip

Submitted photo. Carter Krip of the Prince Albert Royals hits a three-RBI double during Saskatchewan AA Premier Baseball League action against the Regina Athletics on Sunday, June 1. The Royals would go on to win the game 16-10.

The Prince Albert 18U Royals needed a win heading into Regina on Saturday and they left with three.

The Royals split their double-header with the Regina White Sox on Saturday, then beat the Regina Athletics twice on Sunday to three wins in four games at the provincial capital.


“We had a really good week of practice and we really put a lot of focus on our hitting approach, specifically our hitting approach with two strikes,” Royals manager Troy Semenchuk said. “Our weekend down in Regina, battling against the two teams that are in the top two spots in the league, we hit the ball really well. We saw a lot of pitches and our strikeouts were very minimal. We were driving the ball and moving guys around and pushing runs across.”

The Royals entered Saturday with an 0-3 record in Saskatchewan AA Premier Baseball League play. They’re now 3-4 after an 8-4 over the White Sox on Saturday, and 13-2 and 16-10 wins over the Athletics on Sunday.

“Big pitching performances. Big hitting performances. It’s not easy to play four games in two days, especially in those smoky and hot conditions,” Semenchuk said. “Then the wind really kicked in on Sunday, but like I said, the bats were just unbelievable. We’re getting contributions from everyone in the lineup.”

Prince Albert’s 16-10 win over Regina was their tightest contest. The two teams were tied in the bottom of the seventh when Carter Martin scored on Declan Borthwick’s line drive single. Carter Krip then hit a three-run double to make it 14-10. Isaiah Parent and Owen Tolly Procyk followed with RBI singles to make it 16-10.

Submitted photo.
The Prince Albert 18U Royals celebrate one of their three wins during a recent road-trip to Regina.

Alex Moose allowed three hits and two earned runs—both unearned—in five innings of relief.

The Royals’ lone loss came on Saturday. The club jumped out to an early lead before surrendering five runs to the White Sox in a 5-3 loss.

Semenchuk said the defeat was a learning experience for the team.

“We jumped out to a lead in the first inning and we just went into a lull and kind of fell asleep,” Semenchuk said. “I think that 5-3 loss to them in that second game was one we’d like to have back. We left 10 runners on base in that game, and it was a game that really we should have had a W in as well.”

The Royals are back on the road this week, facing the North Battleford Beavers on Wednesday, followed by double-headers in Estevan on Saturday and White Butte on Sunday.

“I don’t think it takes much to get motivated for a Prince Albert kid to play in North Battleford,” Semenchuk said on Tuesday. “We had some spirited battles with them last year, so I think everyone who wears a Royals jersey is pretty excited to hit the road for Battleford tomorrow.”

Game time is 7 p.m.

@kerr_jas • jason.kerr@paherald.sk.ca

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