With a club record 35 regular season wins, the defending champion were once again, without question, the team to beat at the

On Sunday in Burnaby, Mike Ellis and the underdog North Fraser Nationals found a way to derail the Sun Devils鈥� aspirations of claiming back-to-back titles.

In the semifinals, in a bona fide pitcher鈥檚 duel, Ellis allowed just four hits and struck out 10 as the Nationals eliminated 琉璃神社 with a 2-1 win.

Nathan Ringness-Law, who went 8-0 during the regular season, was nearly as solid for the Sun Devils, allowing five hits and a pair of runs in five-plus innings.

In the end, a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fourth inning by Nick Santarelli stood up as the difference as the heavily-favoured Sun Devils watched their 2018 season come to an abrupt halt.

Down by a run, the Sun Devils threatened with base runners in both the sixth and seventh innings with just one out, but couldn鈥檛 find a way to get the equalizing run home.

鈥淎s I鈥檝e said before, any given Sunday, anything can happen,鈥� Sun Devils coach Rob Law said. 鈥淚t was just a great game and that performance by Mike (Ellis) was the best against us all year, he鈥檚 an unbelievable pitcher. We just couldn鈥檛 execute when we needed to. That鈥檚 baseball.鈥�

While Sunday鈥檚 loss wasn鈥檛 the desired result for the Sun Devils, Law said there were more than a few positives to take away from the 2018 campaign.

鈥淲e finished first in back-to-back years, we set a club record for wins this season, the program just continues to get better and better,鈥� said Law. 鈥淲e can sit here and harp on stuff that happened (at provincials), but that鈥檚 the way it goes. Hopefully it does leave a bad taste in the guys鈥� mouths and those returning players will be even hungrier.

鈥淭here鈥檚 no reason to hang our heads,鈥� he added, 鈥渋t just wasn鈥檛 our time.鈥�

Despite the graduation of seniors Tyson Lamb, Jordan Laidlaw and Ethan Soroka, Jackson Sowerby and Spencer Klassen, with 11 returning players, Law expects the Sun Devils will be 鈥渧ery talented鈥� again in 2019.

琉璃神社 has filed an application for a promotion into the College Prep League next season but has yet to receive an answer from BC Baseball.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 where our program needs to go, it鈥檚 the next step in our evolution,鈥� said Law. 鈥淲e鈥檙e ready and we鈥檙e hoping BC Baseball gives us the go-ahead.鈥�

Meanwhile, North Fraser went on to capture the B.C. 18U AAA baseball title, defeating North Island 11-5 in the championship final.

The Nationals will represent B.C. at the 18U Blue Chip Prospect Tournament, Aug. 4 to 9 in Yapshank, NY.

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whenderson@kelownacapnews.com
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