The Weyburn Midget Beavers came within one game of playing for the provincial championship in their own back yard last weekend at the 2000 Midget AA Provincial Championship.

After handling the competition through the round-robin portion of the tournament the Beavers were pitted against the Saskatoon Toros in the semi-final contest.

Weyburn, whose bats had been alive in their three opening round contests - posting 10-4, 6-5 and 10-0 wins against the Regina Buffaloes, the Kindersley Pirates and the Saskatoon Rays respectively - couldn't get their offence rolling when they needed as they dropped their fourth contest of the tournament, 8-0 to the Saskatoon Toros.

"We felt pretty good going in but their pitching shut us down," said Weyburn manager Eugene Emberley, whose Beavers stranded the bases loaded in the six with the Toros ahead by three. "We just couldn't seem to get the timely hits to get something going."

Starting pitcher Bevin Ledingham looked to have the Beavers going in the right direction as he held the Toros in check for the opening three innings. But Ledingham couldn't get himself much further as he struggled in the fourth, allowing three earned runs, including an in-the-park home run. Ledingham, who gave way to Mike Larson, left the game with five strike-outs.

Larson didn't fair much better as the Toros touched him up for five runs (four earned) although he seemed to have his stuff working, fanning seven Toros batters in his three innings of work.

Weyburn's Josh Kradovill, who accounted for one of the Beavers two hits in the contest, echoed the comments of his manager.

"We had our chances but we couldn't get anything going," said Kradovill. "We though we were going to take it but their pitcher just shut us down."

The Toros went on to win the tournament, taking the provincial championship in a 9-8 win over the Swift Current Indians.

Although the disheartening loss put an end to the Beavers' championship hopes, as well as their season, they out-classed their opening-round opponents.

After trading a pair of runs with the Regina Buffaloes in the first game of the championship weekend, Weyburn took a 3-2 lead in the second and never looked back en route to a 10-4 win. Cardelle Messer went four solid innings, giving up two earned runs off five hits and four walks while striking out five.

Larson broke things open in the fifth as he doubled home Kradovill and Landon Emberley. Messer put things out of reach in the sixth as he helped his own cause by ripping a triple to centrefield to cash in Curtis Kotz.

The white knuckles were out for Game 2 as the Beavers took on Kindersley and got behind early, giving up a four spot in the opening frame. Mark Larson felt the brunt of the Pirates bats as he was touched for three earned runs in a third of an inning. Justin Beahm had the same luck, giving up two runs in an inning and a third before Ledingham came in to close the second. Ledingham was rock solid on the mound as he stopped the fire that was the Pirates offence, putting together a great outing of five and a third, two-hit baseball, fanning six Kindersley batters. Trailing the whole game the Beavers clawed their way back and pushed the game to an extra frame when Landon Emberley scored the tying run in the seventh. With Mike Larson working a scoreless eighth the Beavers put the game away in their half of the inning as offensive star Kradovill finished up a four-for-five night as he knocked home Cedric Wilson for his fourth RBI.

To end out the round robin portion the Beavers only needed five innings as they brought the mercy rule into effect with a 10-0 pounding of the Saskatoon Rays.

Tyrel Hansen went the distance for the win, striking out four while holding the Rays to four hits.

Kradovill stood out again going three-for-four with a pair of doubles which cashed in two runs. Wilson also held the hot stick as he put together a three-for-three performance which included a triple and a double. Hansen helped his own cause in the fifth when he ripped an inside-the-park home run.

Although manager Emberley was pleased with his teams' performance, he said the amount of rain this summer played havoc with the Beavers schedule which limited the teams' progression through the season.

"We had trouble getting in the flow of it due to canceled and rained out games," said Emberley. "I was pretty pleased (considering) the amount we played. We were probably (only) in mid-season form."

With the season over all but four Beavers now have to look to next season for redemption.

But for Kradovill, Landon Emberley, Mike Larson and Ledingham the rest of the summer takes a new look as they travel to Yorkton this weekend to take part in the 2000 Saskatchewan Summer Games as part of the Zone 1 baseball team.

For Kradovill, who has been at the Summer Games before to compete in tennis, representing Zone 1 on the diamond is something special.

"It's a real big honour to go to the Summer Games and compete at that level," said Kradovill, who was surprised by his selection.