The Fort Macleod Junior Royals, back row, from left: coach Landon Schneider, coach Dan McNeil, Ryan Streker, Liam Schuler, Cole Visser, Ryder DeBolt, Michael Sweet Grass, Lukah Day Chief, Ryder Neilson, McKye Schaffer, and coach Craig Pitman. Front row, from left: Jackson Chester, Ethan McNeil, Cole Hubick, Mikka Kuftinoff, Pryce Schneider, and Logan Pittman. Missing from the photo are Bryden Markowski, Beau Beier, and coach Jay Hubick
Fort Macleod Royals will host top teams from Alberta and B.C. this week in the Senior Little League Western Canadian Regional Championship.
Competing with the Junior Royals are the Lethbridge Junior Bulls, Coquitlam Firebirds, Calgary Knights, Edmonton Trappers, and Calgary Tigers.
The Royals are in a pool with the Firebirds and Trappers to start round-robin, with the Tigers, Bulls and Knights in the other pool.
Opening ceremonies for the tournament, which runs from July 17-23 at Westwinds Stadium, are 5:30 p.m. Friday, July 17.
The top four teams advance to the semifinals on Wednesday, July 22.
The winners of the semifinals play in the championship game at 3 p.m. Thursday, July 23, with the semifinal losers meeting in the third-place playoff at 12 noon Thursday.
The Fort Macleod Elks will host a community barbecue from 12 noon to 3 p.m. on Sunday, July 19 at Westwinds.
The Junior Royals tuned up for the regional championship with a number of games last week.
A 50-50 draw is running throughout the tournament on rafflebox.ca, with the draw on July 23.
Royals 13 District 1 9
Fort Macleod led from start to finish July 7 as they downed District 1 by a 13-9 count.
It was pitching by committee as Ryan Streker, Logan Pittman, Pryce Schneider, McKye Schaffer and Cole Hubick all saw duty on the mound.
The Royals pitchers combined to allow nine runs on 10 hits and seven walks with three strikeouts.
Ryder Neilson led the attack as he went 4-for-4 with two RBI and three runs and Pittman went 4-for-5 with three RBI and two runs.
Schafer, Ryder DeBolt, Lukah Day Chief and Liam Schuler also had hits.
Royals 12 Trappers 6
On Friday the Royals scored six runs in the sixth inning as they doubled Edmonton Trappers 12-6.
Pittman pitched three innings for the Royals, allowing five runs on two hits and eight walks with four strikeouts.
Schaffer pitched two innings, allowing one run on one hit and two walks with two strikeouts, and Neilson pitched one inning, shutting out the Trappers.
Neilson again led the attack as he went 3-for-4 with a double, three RBI and four runs.
Ethan Ferguson had a triple as he went 2-for-4 with two runs, Ethan McNeil went 2-for-3 with a double and three runs, and Day Chief went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
Pittman, Hubick and Schuler also had hits.
Royals 4 Wolves 4
Central Alberta Wolves scored a run in the bottom of the seventh Saturday to earn a rare 4-4 tie with the Royals
The Royals jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning but the Wolves slowly fought their way back into it.
DeBolt pitched five innings for the Royals, allowing three runs on three hits and four walks with five strikeouts.
Day Chief gave up one run on one hit with two strikeouts in an inning of work, and Schuler allowed one hit and one walk with one strikeout in an inning.
Neilson went 2-for-4 with a double and Ferguson, Pittman, DeBolt and Schaffer each had a hit.
Bulls 22 Royals 3
Lethbridge Junior Bulls made short work of the Royals on Sunday as they needed just five innings in a 22-3 win.
The Royals used five pitchers, allowing 22 runs on 10 hits and 12 walks with three strikeouts.
McNeil went 2-for-3 with a run, Cole Visser went 1-for2 with an RBI, Neilson and DeBolt both went 1-for-3 with an RBI and Ferguson, Pittman, Schaffer, and Hubick also had hits.
Bulls 16 Royals 14
Lethbridge Junior Bulls held off a Royals rally for a 16-14 win in the second game on Sunday.
Lethbridge built a 14-5 lead only to have the Royals fight back before falling short.
Hubick pitched two innings, allowing nine runs on nine hits and one walk.
Neilson pitched 1 1/3 innings, allowing five runs on four hits and three walks with one strikeout, and Schuler pitched 1 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on one hit with two strikeouts.
McNeil went 2-for-4 with a double, two RBI and a run, Ferguson went 2-for-5 with an RBI and four runs. and Schaffer had a double and two runs.
Pittman went 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs, DeBolt went 1-for-2 with two RBI and a run, Schuler went 2-for-3 with two runs and Schneider went 2-for-4 with an RBI.
