The Southeast Royals are making a name for themselves as the "comeback kids" in the Prairie Midget Baseball League.
With the score tied 3-3, the Royals loaded the bases in the bottom of the seventh inning in the May 11 home game against the Regina Angels. James Good patiently watched four balls go by and walked, allowing the winning run to cross the plate.
After the game, head coach Laurie Walbaum breathed a sigh of relief.
"This is our third come-from-behind victory in a row," Walbaum laughed.
Relying on late-game surges hasn't hurt the Royals so far - with the win, the Royals record improved to 3-0. The win marks the third straight game in which the Royals have had to come up with runs late in games, and in all three games, the Royals have squeaked out one-run wins.
The Royals opened up the scoring in the bottom of the third with a base hit by Nate Ferris, driving in Jarrett Phillips who had doubled earlier in the inning.
The 1-0 lead lasted until the top of the sixth, when an overthrow on a rundown led to the Angels' tying run.
The Royals bounced back with two runs in the bottom half of the sixth, capitalizing on a couple of Angels throwing errors. With the score 3-1 after six, it looked like the Royals might not have to rely on another seventh inning rally.
The Angels fought back though, and scored two in the seventh to tie the game, forcing the Royals to use their final at bat to come up with another one-run win.
The Royals came out of the gate nearly flawless in Tuesday's game, thanks to a strong outing by starting pitcher Tyler Kendall and solid fielding. Kendall threw five shutout innings.
With James Good on the mound in the sixth and seventh, the Royals made a few errors to give up three runs. The defence bent, but didn't break, allowing the offence the chance to win the game in the seventh.
"We made some errors late, but that can be expected at the end of games," Walbaum said.
Walbaum said he's pleased with the team's play so far in the young season, and likes the Royals chances down the stretch.
"We've played with two of the best in the league already - Moose Jaw and the Athletics," Walbaum said. The Royals beat the Moose Jaw Cardinals 7-6 on April 25 and the Regina Athletics 6-5 on May 10.
