
The Prince Albert U17 Astros picked up a win and a loss in their doubleheader with the International Softball Academy (ISA) New Zealand squad on Friday.
The Astros jumped out to an early lead and beat ISA New Zealand 3-2 in game one, but the visitors responded with a 4-1 victory in game two.
“We competed well and had two very competitive games against a team from across the world, which was lots of fun,” U17 Astros coach Neil Finch said afterward.
“Our pitchers did really well tonight, and I thought we batted well against some pitching that was quite quick.”
The two games in Prince Albert were the first two on the ISA New Zealand’s prairie tour. Coach Gene Robinson was happy with how his team responded after the loss in game one.
“I could see that they were tense because they were nervous,” Robinson said. “For some of them, it’s their first time playing overseas, their first time playing with New Zealand on their chests, so you could see their nerves. That was the key. just saying, ‘Hey guys, relax, enjoy it.’”
Astros pitcher Willis Finch got all the run support he needed in the first two innings of game one.
Prince Albert put up two runs in the first when Mason Ambrose reached on an error, then advanced on a single by Gunner Sparver. Both runners eventually scored.
The Astros got another run in the second inning from Dmitrius Metrunec, who reached base after being hit by a pitch and eventually scored.
New Zealand scored one run in their own half of the first inning when Tamihona Starr walked and later scored. They added a second run in the fourth when Carter Lowther tripled, and then scored on a wild pitch, but that was as close as they got.
“We had some nice little singles and that actually got us the runs we needed,” Neil Finch said when asked about the first game. “(We) went up 3-2 and kind of held on.”
The two teams scored early again in game two. The Astros went up 1-0 in the top of the first when Willis Finch singled, stole second, and scored on another single from Ambrose. New Zealand tied the game in the bottom half when Starr walked and eventually scored on an RBI single from shortstop Corey Boocock.
The Astros had a chance to go up 2-1 in the fourth but Ambrose was called out on a play at the plate. New Zealand responded with three runs in the bottom half of the inning. Mikaera Kingi-Hicks got on base on a fielder’s choice and advanced to third on a single by Boocock and a walk to Jayden Harris.
With two outs and the bases loaded, Kingi-Hicks scored on a wild pitch. Boocock and Harris then scored on a wild throw to first base.
“That happens in ball,” Neil Finch said. “We had a close play at home. We could have went up 2-1 (but) got called out at home. That could have put us in the lead and that could be a momentum changer as well, but going out they had loaded bases, we switched our pitcher, and they ended up getting some runs. That happens.”
“After the first game they improved a little bit,” Robinson said when asked about his team’s play in the second game. I think they were just a bit more relaxed. In their first game, they were quite tense.
“It was their first game of the tour and the second here, I think they just relaxed a little bit more and got a bit more comfortable.”
The Astros are off until July 4 when U17 Boys provincials begin in Laird. The Astros play the host Laird Valley Vikings in their opening game at 6:30 p.m. The gold medal game is scheduled for July 6 at noon.