The Manitoba Junior Baseball League leading Carillon Sultans have won seven straight games to open the 2024 season. The Sultans jumped out to an early 4-0 lead and held on for a 4-3 victory over the St. James A's Wednesday night at Optimist Park. Ryan Powers had three of Carillon's 10 hits. Powers, Cody Gunderson, Mason Hartung and Tyler Plett each drove in a run. Linden Meilleur went all seven innings and picked up the win. The Sultans left-hander allowed nine hits, three runs and struck out four. Carillon's next game is Friday night against the Elmwood Giants at A.D. Penner Park. 


Steinbach Regional will face Reston/Elkhorn/Melita/Pierson (9:30 a.m.) and the Garden Valley Zodiacs (2:30 p.m.) on day one of the Provincial High School Baseball Championship in Reston. The top two teams in each pool advance to the quarterfinals on Friday afternoon. The Zone 13 champion Sabres lost out to the Garden City Fighting Gophers in the semifinals last year in Glenboro.


Max Murphy stroked a two-run first inning single and added a two-run homer in the seventh as the Winnipeg Goldeyes downed the Fargo-Moorhead RedHawks 7-2 at Newman Outdoor Field. Starter Joey Matulovich allowed two runs – both earned – on seven hits over seven innings while striking out four. Justin Courtney pitched the final two innings, surrendering just one hit and fanning a pair.


Doug Penner of the Steinbach Fly-In Golf Club lost on the first playoff hole to Thomas Scott of Dauphin and was eliminated in the round of 16 at the Manitoba Men's Match Play Championship at the Breezy Bend Country Club. Scott will face Kaleb Lambert of Elmhurst; Trent Robertson of Niakwa will meet Eric Prokopowich of Dauphin; Evan Nachtigall of Shilo will take on Adam Ingram of Elmhurst and Jesse Skelton of Breezy Bend will face Marco Trstenjak of Elmhurst in the quarterfinals.  


Nick Taylor begins defence of his Canadian Open title today in Ancaster, Ontario. The Abbotsford native won the 2023 Open to end Canada's 69-year drought at the tournament. Taylor drained a 72-foot birdie putt on the fourth playoff hole and beat Tommy Fleetwood for the victory. Taylor is in a group today with Rory McIlroy and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ontario. Teulon's Aaron Cockerill, who is 29th in the DP Tour rankings, will begin his first round at 1:12 p.m.


Nicole Hensley made 17 saves as Minnesota shutdown Boston 3-0 in the fifth and deciding game of the PWHL final. Liz Schepers, Michela Cava and Kendall Coyne Schofield did the goal scoring for the Walter Cup champions. Mellissa Channell assisted on all three goals. Taylor Heise was voted the recipient of the Ilana Kloss Playoff MVP award after leading the playoffs in goals with five, and finishing tied for first in points with eight, in ten games played. Heise was chosen first overall by Minnesota in the inaugural PWHL Draft in September 2023.  


The London Knights have earned a spot in the Memorial Cup final Sunday in Saginaw, Michigan. Easton Cowan had a three-point night with two goals and an assist as the Ontario Hockey League champions beat the host Spirit 4-2 in the final round robin game for both teams. The Knights finished at 3-0. Saginaw was 2-1 and will face the Western Hockey League champion Moose Jaw Warriors in the semifinal on Friday night.

baseball_2023Provincial championships take place every weekend in July

The first month of the baseball season is almost over. Association co-president Louis Cote will join Clayton Dreger on the Carillon Minor Ball Report which airs Thursdays at 5:15 p.m. on AM 1250 Radio.