The Trail All Stars won their final game against Layritz but it was too little, too late as the team missed the playoff at the B.C. Little League Major Championship on Friday.
Trail crushed the Sooke baseball team 11-0 on Friday, but a 9-6 loss to host Beacon Hill had already sealed the Trail team’s fate on Thursday.
Undefeated White Rock went on to capture the B.C. title with an 11-0 drubbing of New Westminster on Sunday, after beating Beacon Hill in the semifinal 5-1.
Trail had a tough schedule opening the tournament, when they faced favourite White Rock. The team came close but couldn’t close out games against Highlands, 9-8, and New Westminster, 2-1, two teams that ended up in the semifinal.
A win against Beacon Hill would have given Trail a chance to make the playoffs, and the All Stars led 3-2 heading into the fifth inning. However, Trail gave up five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning to fall behind 7-3, and could only muster one more in the sixth.
Against Layritz on Friday, Nelson native Koa Wintraub pitched the shutout, giving up just two hits and striking out seven, while going the distance in the 11-0 victory. Connor Stainer went 2-for-3 with a triple and three runs batted in as the All Stars struck for eight runs in the fifth to blow open a 3-0 lead. Trail’s Nathan Dann was 3-for-4 at the plate with a double and three RBIs. Nelson’s Brady Augustin was also included in Trail’s roster.
Trail finished the tournament at 1-5, while White Rock was a perfect 8-0 and will play in the Canadian Little League Baseball Championship in Medicine Hat, Alta.