With a club record 35 regular season wins, the defending champion were once again, without question, the team to beat at the

On Sunday in Burnaby, Mike Ellis and the underdog North Fraser Nationals found a way to derail the Sun Devilssa国际传媒� aspirations of claiming back-to-back titles.

In the semifinals, in a bona fide pitchersa国际传媒檚 duel, Ellis allowed just four hits and struck out 10 as the Nationals eliminated Kelowna with a 2-1 win.

Nathan Ringness-Law, who went 8-0 during the regular season, was nearly as solid for the Sun Devils, allowing five hits and a pair of runs in five-plus innings.

In the end, a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fourth inning by Nick Santarelli stood up as the difference as the heavily-favoured Sun Devils watched their 2018 season come to an abrupt halt.

Down by a run, the Sun Devils threatened with base runners in both the sixth and seventh innings with just one out, but couldnsa国际传媒檛 find a way to get the equalizing run home.

sa国际传媒淎s Isa国际传媒檝e said before, any given Sunday, anything can happen,sa国际传媒� Sun Devils coach Rob Law said. sa国际传媒淚t was just a great game and that performance by Mike (Ellis) was the best against us all year, hesa国际传媒檚 an unbelievable pitcher. We just couldnsa国际传媒檛 execute when we needed to. Thatsa国际传媒檚 baseball.sa国际传媒�

While Sundaysa国际传媒檚 loss wasnsa国际传媒檛 the desired result for the Sun Devils, Law said there were more than a few positives to take away from the 2018 campaign.

sa国际传媒淲e finished first in back-to-back years, we set a club record for wins this season, the program just continues to get better and better,sa国际传媒� said Law. sa国际传媒淲e can sit here and harp on stuff that happened (at provincials), but thatsa国际传媒檚 the way it goes. Hopefully it does leave a bad taste in the guyssa国际传媒� mouths and those returning players will be even hungrier.

sa国际传媒淭heresa国际传媒檚 no reason to hang our heads,sa国际传媒� he added, sa国际传媒渋t just wasnsa国际传媒檛 our time.sa国际传媒�

Despite the graduation of seniors Tyson Lamb, Jordan Laidlaw and Ethan Soroka, Jackson Sowerby and Spencer Klassen, with 11 returning players, Law expects the Sun Devils will be sa国际传媒渧ery talentedsa国际传媒� again in 2019.

Kelowna has filed an application for a promotion into the College Prep League next season but has yet to receive an answer from BC Baseball.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 where our program needs to go, itsa国际传媒檚 the next step in our evolution,sa国际传媒� said Law. sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檙e ready and wesa国际传媒檙e hoping BC Baseball gives us the go-ahead.sa国际传媒�

Meanwhile, North Fraser went on to capture the B.C. 18U AAA baseball title, defeating North Island 11-5 in the championship final.

The Nationals will represent B.C. at the 18U Blue Chip Prospect Tournament, Aug. 4 to 9 in Yapshank, NY.

To report a typo, email: edit@kelownacapnews.com.

whenderson@kelownacapnews.com
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