INNISFAIL – For kids scurrying on a baseball diamond in summer there will always be dreams of playing in their own big show.
Most importantly for the young, baseball is a game where fair play and simply doing your best are the keys to individual growth.
And it was all on display last weekend from uly 25 to 28 at Diamond #3 across from the Innisfail Aquatic Centre where more than 100 young ball players 11 and under competed in the six-team 2025 Provincial U11 AA Tier 6 championship tournament.
“The kids were excited from the very beginning when we announced that they were hosting,” said Luis Gudiel, head coach of the Innisfail Hawks U11 squad. “From the very beginning of the weekend we told them to come prepared.”
The host Innisfail squad would compete against the Ponoka Bulls, Sherwood Park Athletics, Fort McMurray Oil Giants, Parkland Twins and Barrhead Orioles.
When Innisfail’s prestigious tourney’s last pitch was thrown it was Parkland defeating Fort McMurray 17 – 2 by the mercy rule to claim the provincial title.
But Innisfail distinguished itself by hosting a well-organized event with their young Hawks displaying grit and exemplary sportsmanship and fair play.
Following the opening ceremony on the Friday evening, the Hawks took the field against Parkland with confident expectations, but the visitors proved to be tough competition.
“We started really good. We’re keeping up with the (other) team. We’re hitting. Defensively everything is going really well,” said Gudiel. “But in our last inning we just made small little errors that kind of cost us the game.
“But the kids played great. It was a close game until the very end.”
The Hawks first game of the tournament ended with a 19 – 7 loss to Parkland by the mercy rule.
For the young Hawks it was just a game.
Each player shook hands with opposing players as their acknowledgement it was a good and fair contest.
And there was always the next game for a tournament comeback, and it would be at high noon on Saturday, provided the weather held up.
The rain threatened but the Hawks’ second game against the Sherwood Park Athletics went ahead, and this time there was no mercy rule.
It was a nail-biter with the Hawks falling behind early but then rallying to become the closest game of the entire tournament.
The final score was an 8 – 7 loss to the Athletics.
“The kids’ play was amazing. We couldn't ask for anything more, from her pitchers to our outfield or infield they gave it their all, everything they could to come back and win,” said Gudiel. “We lost by one. But what do you?”
The Hawks held their heads high and played in the tourney’s consolation final on Sunday against the Ponoka Bulls.
Innisfail came out firing, getting a 4 – 0 lead in the top of the first inning.
But the Bulls came back with 10 runs in their first at bat.
The game ended by the mercy rule after four innings, with the Bulls winning 16 – 6.
There was a sense that everyone was a winner, especially when players, coaches and fans were all chuckling in the final inning.
A Ponoka base runner was running back and forth on the bases after being told Baseball Alberta rules said he could not steal a base after a team was ahead by seven runs.
For Gudiel, the moment was special.
“That was a perfect moment,” said Gudiel. “The whole diamond, and parents and everybody was just enjoying their kids, right?
“I think the kids really did enjoy themselves, and they played hard,” he added. “It was nice to see them in the final game, just smiling and just playing together and enjoying it the way the game should be.”
