By Chris Jaster
The Maple Creek Red Sox players charged the field on Wednesday afternoon in Medicine Hat as Taylor Heck forced a lazy pop-up to first base to give the Red Sox their first-ever Southern Alberta High School Baseball Association Tier 2 championship.
Maple Creek dominated Coaldale, which was the fourth seed in the West Division, to win the championship game 13-1 in five innings. The game ended two innings early because of the 10-run mercy rule.
“We got ’er done. It was a very nice win and deserving by the boys,” said Red Sox manager Al Fournier.
Although the Red Sox were young — having only one Grade 12 student on the team — they were full of confidence heading into the championship game. The players never stopped talking in the van on the way to Medicine Hat, which is rare, and they came out swinging.
The Red Sox exploded for four runs in the bottom of the first and chased Coaldale’s starting pitcher from the game after taking a 7-1 lead in the third inning. A three-run double by Thabo Mthembu in the bottom of the fourth put Maple Creek in a position where they could win by the mercy rule, so the Red Sox replaced starting pitcher Houston Doig, who pitched a solid game, with  Heck, their closer.
Dalton Kaake finished the game 2-for-4 at the plate while Craig Fournier went 2-for-3 with a walk and three RBIs.
Despite all the offensive production from the lineup, Al Fournier believes a defensive play in the second inning was the key to the Red Sox’s win.
“In the second inning we had a big double play that squashed a possible rally by Coaldale,” he said. “It was just a great play when our catcher, Chris Stimson, caught a foul tip off a bunt and picked off the runner at first. Instead of potentially having runners on first and second we had the bases empty. It really eliminated their biggest threat in the game.”
Since the Red Sox jumped out to a commanding lead so early, it gave head coach Jack Cameron, an opportunity to make sure every player had an opportunity to play in the championship game, whether it was for a few outs or a few innings.
Fournier credits having the players know what their roles were and buying into Cameron’s system as the main reason for the team’s success and their first championship.
“The guys understand what their role is when they come in and that when things aren’t going well Jack will make changes and when things are going well he will make changes,” said Fournier. “There’s a high level of respect and learning going on, and that’s not easy for midgets because there are attitudes and egos all the time and it’s just a matter of getting it all together.”
That respect on the team, however, was reciprocal as Fournier and Cameron let their players celebrate the way they wanted and even voluntarily received a cold water shower from a water jug after shaking hands with the opposition and running around the diamond with their championship banner.
“I told him that water wasn’t cold today and to let them have their fun because they deserve it,” said Fournier. “It was just a great team effort.”

The Maple Creek Red Sox won the Southern Alberta High School Baseball League Tier 2 Provincial Championship at Medicine Hat June 9. This marks the first time Maple Creek has won the championship, and they are likely the first Saskatchewan team to claim the title. Pictured is (rear, left to right) manager Alf Fournier,Dylan Jackle, John Weiss, Adam Benjamin, Houston Doig, coach Jack Cameron, Lane Sanderson, Dalton Kaake, Coy Tillier, Jeremy Genert; front - Thabo Mthembu, Blake Sanderson, Shelton Blumhagen, Craig Fournier, Taylor Heck, Chris Stimson, Tanner Doig.