A history-making home run by Cordele Messer at Jubilee Park on Sunday ended several years of waiting by Eugene Emberley - and a 44-year drought for Weyburn.
Messer's three-run blast permanently gave the Bantam Legion Royals the lead over the Saskatoon Red Sox in the Bantam A provincial baseball final. They eventually won 10-7, giving Weyburn its first such championship since the title was established in 1954.
"Sweet! Sweet!" exclaimed Royals head coach Emberley, who along with assistant coach Rene Bourassa, saw the labors of the past several years finally bear fruit.
"I've been planning this one since Mosquito we decided we weren't going to go A until the time was right," Emberley said.
Their patience obviously paid off. The Royals won the Provincial B title and the Western Canadian crown as a Pee Wee team two years ago, won their Bantam A league crown last month and hosted seven other teams for this year's Bantam A tournament over the weekend.
In Sunday's final they wound up facing the same Red Sox club they defeated in the B Provincials in 1997.
"We beat them up, they beat us up," Emberley said of their two meetings earlier this season. "We're pretty evenly matched teams."
The Royals were undefeated in five games this weekend, beating the Regina Pacers 12-5 in their tournament opener on Friday thanks to four RBIs from Curt Kotz and three more on two home runs from Bevin Ledingham. Their 7-6 win over Melville on Saturday didn't come so easily, however.
"Melville was the one we had to fight tooth and nail," the Weyburn coach added. Kotz again had four RBIs and two homers, bringing in the tying run and scoring the game-winner on a passed ball.
Tyrel Hansen pitched a complete game in Weyburn's 14-0 shutout of the Saskatoon Cardinals while Jarad Bourassa went three-for-four for two homers in an 8-5 victory early Sunday over the Regina Buffalos. Mike Larsen also dug deep for a complete game and the win over the Sox in the championship game.
Larsen was helped out by Messer's landmark hit and solo shots from Bourassa and Kotz as well as a home run and two RBIs from Landon Emberley. The Weyburn head coach said pitching was a strong point all season and came through in the end when the chips were down.
"We had good pitching all year, but towards the end we had to set up the guys we wanted for this tournament and they came through with flying colors."
Working with the same players over the past several years has given the two coaches a chance to try to develop all-around ballplayers.
"It shows the development we're trying to create here," Emberley added. "That was my plan when I first started coaching and Rene's the same way. It's all about the kids. It's sweet for us to watch the kids grow."
The Royals are now bound for the national championship that will be held in North Bay, Ont. later this month and will be taking what is a proven philosophy along with them.
"They're not quitters. You teach them to fight to the end."
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