Steinbach Regional Sabres falls just short at provincials
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A pair of Steinbach Regional Secondary School Sabres teams came just short of adding two provincial championship banners to their gym May 31.
The school’s baseball team fell 13-1 at the provincial finals to Garden City Collegiate, while the soccer team came up just short in the semi-finals of their tournament, dropping a match 3-2 to the Shaftesbury Titans. The AAAA Manitoba High School Athletic Association soccer finals happen in the summer, while the A-AAA finals take place in the fall.
Both provincials finished May 31, with baseball taking place in Stonewall and soccer at Buhler Park in Winnipeg.
The soccer team was able to bounce back to take out St Boniface to nab the third place plaque. Shaftesbury went on to defeat Louis-Riel in the final 2-1.
Both teams entered the provincial championships with high expectations.
“I’m pretty gutted, not gonna lie,” soccer head coach Steve Rebizant said, noting the Sabres had a glorious chance to open the scoring early but couldn’t convert.
“The difference is that their best have an edge on experience and compete.”
Tobias Maier was named to the tournament all-star team.
Leo-Remillard won the girls soccer championships, beating Kelvin in the finals.
The Sabres baseball team just ran out of gas. A pool play loss to the Birtle/Hamiota/Rossburn/Shoal Lake co-op team meant they had a tough path just to get to the final, needing to defeat Morden and Garden Valley (Winkler) just to make the final.
Both of the Zone 4 teams brought strong teams, winning their respective pools.
Jackson Penner got the start in the semi-final against Garden Valley, pitching a gem, while contributing a 2/3 day at the plate with a walk. He also came around and scored the winning run on a wild pitch in the top of the seventh.
Drew Heide came in to get the save, striking out and forcing a ground out. It was a different story in the final, as Garden City jumped all over the Sabres in the first two innings, plating 10 runs in the first three innings, including a seven-run outburst in the third.
The Gophers were able to save tournament most valuable player Lincoln Carriere to pitch in the final. Carriere is one of the best pitchers in the province and he didn’t disappoint, allowing just two hits with five strikeouts to clinch the victory. Garden City have won four of the past five MHSAA provincial baseball championships.
Steinbach Regional’s Penner and Ryker Wiens were named tournament all-stars.