An NSRBL champion will be crowned Wednesday as the Wilkie Brewers and Standard Hill Lakers play one more time for all the marbles in Game 3. (File photo/battlefordsNOW Staff)

By Martin Martinson

Full Count, bases loaded

NSRBL final goes the distance to third and deciding game

Aug 17, 2022 | 3:24 PM

The chips are on the table and the teams are all in as the fate of a senior baseball championship hangs in the balance Wednesday, heading into Game 3 of the North Sask River Baseball League final.

The Wilkie Brewers won Game 2 of the finals on Tuesday, 17-3 to knot the best-of-three series at a game apiece and force a winner-take-all third game at Wilkie Regional Park.

Player/coach with the Brewers, Mike Sittler, said the team’s ability to force a third game came from a quick start at the plate as Wilkie scored 10 runs in the opening inning, momentum the team will be looking to build on offensively heading into Wednesday.

“Honestly, our offense had been struggling a bit this year to get going early on in games, but our top three batters in the lineup were huge for us,” Sittler said.

“Jared Herle was leading off for us last night and I think he must have had three or four hits himself, so the top half of the order came through when it mattered, and hopefully they can continue that tonight.”

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Now just a win away from the Brewers’ first title since 2016, Sittler said the key heading into Wednesday’s contest will be keeping a composed outlook in the biggest game of the year.

“I think a lot of it will be controlling our emotions and just playing the game the right way,” Sittler said. “If we could be so fortunate to get ahead with a lead and work off that that would be great, but we just need to control our emotions and play our game. The guys are excited and it could be a first championship for many of them, so we’ll see how the chips fall, but we’re definitely ready to go.”

At the other end, despite a tough loss in Game 2, Standard Hill’s veteran group remain confident for a strong bounce back, now with all the chips on the table.

“Now it’s all or nothing,” Lakers’ vet, Brett Harrison, said. “We’ve got quite a few veterans on the team who have been through situations like this and I just mentioned to the boys last night after the game, you don’t go through an entire playoff series without adversity, so we’re looking forward to the opportunity tonight and hopefully we can bring it home.”

Harrison said at this point in a series, the margin of victory comes down to execution in the big moments.

“Both teams know each other well and there isn’t going to be any surprises at this point,” Harrison said. “We’re all grown men here and we’ll go out there and play the game that we know how, so it’ll come down to who takes the opportunity when it arises…

“That will be the team that’s raising the trophy over their head at the end of tonight.”

Game 3 at Wilkie Regional Park will begin at 6 p.m.

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Martin.Martinson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @MartyMartyPxP1