The Winkler Whips are Border Baseball League champions for the first time franchise history.

Marv Quiring went six innings and allowed just one run on five hits and struck out two in the Whips 2-1 victory over the Pilots Tuesday night in Pilot Mound.

Winkler swept the best-of-five final in three straight.

"We're thrilled," said Whips infielder Bill Fehr. "I don't know that at the beginning of the year we thought that we'd be here at the end of the season with the trophy but as the season went on we became a very confident group in our ability. Our pitching was fantastic this year. We had timely hitting and we're happy."

The Whips plated their two runs in the top of the third inning.

Bobby Matuszewski's one-out single scored Jamie Fehr from second base with Winkler's first run of the game.

Matuszewski advanced to third on a Bill Fehr single and came home with the eventual winning run on a fielders choice as Josh Ginter grounded out to first base.

Tyson McConnell had the hometown Pilots lone RBI in the bottom of the fifth inning.

Travis Friesen replaced Quiring in the seventh and retired the side.

Jamie Fehr had a huge night at the plate as he recorded three hits off Pilot Mound ace Anthony Friesen.

When asked if nerves became a bit of an issue late in game three - Bill Fehr had this answer.

"I'd be lying if I said there wasn't any. There definitely was. Pilot Mound is a scrappy team. We knew they weren't going to go away and each game was a battle. There were some nerves. We were excited but we overcame that."

The Whips went 9-1 in the playoffs.

Winkler swept the Carman Cardinals in three straight the quarterfinals and needed four games to eliminate the Morden Mohawks in round two.

This was the Whips second trip to the final since joining the Border Baseball League four years ago.

Winkler lost out to the Pilots in 2016 which was Winkler's first season in the league.

 

photo courtesy Merlin Heppner