Manitoba’s Elmwood Giants foiled the AM Ford Trail Orioles quest to duplicate their 2011 feat of winning the Senior Men’s Western AA championship in Winnipeg on Sunday.
Last year the Orioles beat the Giants in a gripping 4-3 final at Butler Park, so the Manitoba team was primed for revenge as they went on to shut out the O’s in a close 3-0 game to win the 2012 championship.
The Orioles made it to the final match again this year finishing with a 3-1 record in the round robin, good enough for second seed, while the Giants took top seed with a perfect 4-0 record.
The Orioles opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Saskatchewan’s Holdfast Trappers, before humbling a Lacombe, Alta. team 7-1 Friday evening.
On Saturday, the Orioles faced the Brandon Manitoba All Stars and won a close 3-2 decision to go 3-0.
The Orioles squad then faced Elmwood in its final game of the round robin, but a determined Giants team held the O’s to just one run, in a 4-1 win.