The Moose Jaw U18 AAA Canucks were swept in a pair of games on the weekend, but they pushed the first game of a doubleheader against the Regina White Sox to extra innings at Ross Wells Park Sunday

The games on the weekend against the White Sox had been rescheduled from later in the season, as this weekend's originally scheduled opponents from Swift Current stayed home due to concerns about spreading COVID-19 from that community.

The Canucks lost 12-6 in eight innings and then 7-0 to the White Sox, dropping the Canucks to 0-4 on the season.

Canucks head coach Ray Wareham's team scored five runs in the fifth inning in the first game.

“We made some pretty big strides from the first two games, that’s for sure,” said Wareham, whose team enjoyed the lead in that game for the first time in the young season. “Our pitching was better and we started to bit the ball a little bit in the second game, and started taking advantage of some of their errors so we were putting a little bit of heat on them.”

The injury bug has started to bite the Canucks as well, with a couple of players unable to go.

The Canucks starting pitcher in the first game, Cam O'Reilly helped earn his team the lead against the White Sox.

“I felt it was good and it was a good team effort,” O’Reilly said. “They made some good plays and helped us out. And we got on the sticks and scored some runs, which was nice, because we hadn’t scored a lot of runs before that.”

O’Reilly threw five and a third innings, allowing six earned runs on eight hits and two walks, while striking out four. Cole Breitkreuz and Dylan Reed had the Canucks hits in the game.

“We’re learning,” said Wareham. “We’re young… and I don’t know how long it’s been since they’ve had a triple-A team in Moose Jaw but it’s been a while. We knew there was going to be some ugly ones this year, but you’ve got to play the best to get better. The kids are getting better and learning.”

In the second game, the Canucks were blanked by a complete game from Regina starting pitcher Sam Boldt. If the name is familiar, it’s because Boldt was a defenceman on the U18 AAA Warriors hockey team last season, and has committed to the Regina Pat Canadians this season.

The Canucks next action is at Regina against the White Sox next Saturday.