Sultans one win away from MJBL three-peat
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A small delay due to lightning didn’t slow down the Carillon Sultans as they stormed into Koskie Field and defeated the Elmwood Giants 12-0 Sunday to take a 2-0 series lead in the Manitoba Junior Baseball League final.
Across the first two games of the best-of-five series, Carillon has a 27-5 run advantage after a similar offensive output during Game 1 in Steinbach on Friday. The Giants and Sultans have played in the finals the past three seasons, with Carillon winning both previous years.
The Sultans offence was quick to strike, plating eight runs in the top of the second inning. Anders Meilleur cleared the bases with a three-run double to start the barrage, with Dayton Christensen crushing a three-run home run to left-centre to cap off the inning.
“If we get on a roll in an inning, it’s contagious,” head coach Don Meilleur said. “We don’t hurt teams by getting one or two runs an inning, we hurt teams because we put up a crooked number most of the time and today was the perfect example… Anybody on that bench and anybody in the lineup can hurt another team. We just always find ways to get somebody to be a hero.”
Connor Martin got the start for Carillon striking out 14 batters in a six-inning complete game while giving up just two hits. Just four of the team’s 18 outs needed to win the game came in the field. The final eight batters Martin faced were all sent back to the dugout with strikeouts.
Lincoln Carriere and Logan Enns each pitched three innings for Elmwood in the loss.
Martin is considered one of the best pitchers in the league, with coach Meilleur noting his high arm angle means both the fastball and curveball are coming out of the same arm slot.
“(Fielders) love watching him pitch, he’s such a craftsman on the mound,” Meilleur said. “They do have to keep themselves engaged, because it is tough when you don’t get a lot of balls. But they enjoy playing behind him so much. They know it is going to be a quiet day. Their job then is to put runs on the board.”
Dayton Christensen’s three-run home run broke the game wide open in the top of the second inning, capping off an eight-run explosion of offence for the visitors in game two of the MJBL finals.
Game 3 is scheduled for Tuesday in Steinbach at A.D. Penner Park. There is an early start time of 6:45 p.m., as the days get shorter across Manitoba. The winner of the series will represent Manitoba alongside hosts Pembina Valley at the 2027 22U national championships next year in Winkler.
— The Carillon
