The Trail All Stars had a tough start to the B.C. Little League Major Championship in Victoria this week, dropping a pair of games to White Rock and Little Mountain.
The District 8 All Stars faced Little Mountain on Monday at noon with Connor Stainer getting the start for Trail. The District 1 team got on the board first scoring on a Ben Black single in the opening inning, and went up 3-0 after Ryan Derbawka pounded a two-run shot in the top of the third inning.
The All Stars countered in the bottom half of the inning when Tyler O’Keefe and Landan Uzeloc led off with singles. Derbawka came on in relief for Little Mountain and got two straight outs, but Koa Wintraub stepped up and singled to right to cash in the two runners and cut the lead to 3-2.
Following a scoreless fourth inning, Little Mountain added two more in the top of five to restore the three-run lead. Trail threatened in the bottom of five with Wintraub and Stainer hitting back-to-back singles with one out, but an inning-ending double play snuffed out the rally. Little Mountain added a homer by Markus Yim in the top of six to round out the scoring as Trail’s comeback attempt failed in the bottom of six.
On Saturday, Trail fell 9-2 to perennial powerhouse White Rock. A slow start found the local All Stars behind 5-0 after two innings. Trail got on the board in the third and knocked in another in the fourth to cut the lead to 7-2, but the White Rock pitching was all but unhittable allowing just two hits throughout the match.
White Rock sits on top the standings at 2-0 following a 14-4 drubbing of New Westminster on Sunday, while Little Mountain is 2-1 following the win over the All Stars. Trail had a bye Sunday and play Highlands today at noon.
Hastings Community Little League won the provincial and Canadian title in 2016. Whalley Little League from Surrey and Trail Little League lead the way with five Canadian championships each, but the last time a Trail team won a provincial title is 1990.
Teams from B.C. have represented Canada 25 times in Williamsport, and every year since 2005, except for 2013, when East Nepean from Ottawa was the national champion.