Miners clip Redbirds

By Lethbridge Herald on June 28, 2023.

Herald Photo by Justin Seward Herald photo by JUSTIN SEWARD Lethbridge MinersÕ Fawkes Bruinsma slides into second base safe past the tag of Lewistown RedbirdsÕ Tate Mangold during American Legion baseball action at Spitz Stadium on Wednesday night in this June File photo

By Justin Seward

Lethbridge Herald

The Lethbridge Miners American Legion ‘A’ baseball team used six first innings runs to propel them to an 18-11 victory over the Lewistown Red Birds in the first game of a doubleheader on Wednesday night at Spitz Stadium.

“Yeah, (the) sticks came alive today,” Lukas Ankermann, Miners assistant coach.

“Our offence really swung it well (and) scored the runs that we needed because our defence and pitching (were) a little bit weaker today. But we managed to bring the offence today and have a high scoring game but ended up pulling it (out) in the end.”

Ankermann didn’t mind seeing the Miners in a high scoring game.

“It gives the team a  chance to play in different games and feel different situations — have pitchers feel (a) different kind of  stress on the mound (and) have hitters feel a little bit different in the box,” he said.

“So close games, one run games, 3-2 games, or  17-16 games, every game will make you a better player ,and our guys just had to react what they got dealt and I thought we did not  bad of  job.”

Fawkes Bruinsma had four hits on top of closing out the game  as pitcher for the Miners.

“Yeah, I was just trying to put barrel on the ball, found a few of them,  (and) just trying to get on base and yeah we put up runs, so that always helps too,” said Bruinsma.

“Our pitchers did their job (and) threw a lot of strikes and we swung it (the bat) really well, “ said Bruinsma.

Bruinsma was confident in a comical way in  the game plan for the second game.

“Yeah, we want to score another 20 runs, right, and we want our pitcher to go a long way” said Bruinsma.

“We got  Jerret (McNeil) on the mound. He’s going to do a great job.”

Bowen Weaver also had four hits, while Midnite Toker had three hits in the Miners win.

Weaver also went 3-for-4 at the plate to lead the way.

Weaver and Alex Westlund had three RBIS while multiple players had two RBIs each.

The Miners smacked 15 hits to the Red Birds 11 hits.

Lethbridge improved its record to 13-2 with the win.

The second game was ongoing as of press time.

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