MARCH 16, 2022 www.wintertexantimes.com 14 WINTER TEXAN TIMES Canada steps up to the plate in annual USA vs Canada game A friendly game of softball doesn’t mean there’s no pride or competitive spirits milling about. That was the case last week as Canada defeated the U.S. 9-3 in the annual Winter Texan Softball Can-Am game at Westside Park in McAllen. The annual event, which usually has two games, a B Division and an A Division, was cut short following the B Division game due to a non-stop light rain that officials said made the field too wet and dangerous to play on. Canada went into the game having won just seven of the 18 games played between the two. “That’s probably what got their juices flowing,” said Mike Brower, one of four committee members who organize the event. “I thought the U.S. didn’t quite live up to their potential with the roster we had picked. Canada played much better. I guess they came to play when they heard they were down 11-7 on the cup and they stepped up.” The U.S. took a 2-0 lead after the first inning and Canada cut it in half after two innings. Then, in the fourth, Canada bats came alive and they scored the maximum allowed five runs for a 6-2 advantage. They never were threatened after that during the five-inning game. A fairly large crowd gathered, braving the elements and cheering for one team (or both) while wearing their parkas, hats, and hiding safely under their large umbrellas. Many of the fans also carried Canadian or US flags – or both – and others wore their country’s colors. Coffee, hot chocolate, a variety of sodas and hot dogs, doughnuts or other snacks also seemed to provide relief – and keep tradition alive. After all, a game at the ballpark isn’t officially a game without hotdogs (and Cracker Jacks, which were provided free from the City of McAllen... now that’s a successful day at the park). “It was a really good crowd for the bad weather. We were surprised,” Brower said. “We’ve had bigger crowds on nicer days, but we were pleasantly surprised. Front row left right: Ron Baud, Fred Esqueda, Marshall Baltzer (manager), Arturo Santana, Frank Albier. Back row left to right: Mark Hoeppner, Paul Villas, Mike Doyle, Reggie Beaupre, Mike Myc, Dave Simpkins, Tom Soucek, Tim Pickar. Front row left to right: Dave Webb, Jose Romo. Middle row left to right: Georgia Kineman, Sam Ferguson (standing), Tom Witkowski, Dave Tarver, Mike Skayman. Back row left to right: Mike Mock, Rosy Frank, Lee Templeton, Patrick Neel, Bob Hanson, Tom Pickar, Ricky Winters. See SOFTBALL pg. 25
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